Authorities in the central province of Quang Ngai on Wednesday officially reprimanded a senior Party member for allegedly harassing a group of female tourists while swimming in Ly Son Island.

This group accused Nguyen Thanh Tung, a senior Party member of An Binh Commune, of harassing them when they were swimming in their bikinis in late July in the island, a new tourist destination. 

Tuoi Tre newspaper quoted Pham Thi Huong, deputy head of Ly Son District’s People’s Committee as saying: “Mr. Tung unintentionally touched the female tourists. His behavior was not as serious as rumors had suggested.”

“However, this incident has badly affected the image of Ly Son Island,” she said.