Fergie's Tech Blog

Vietnam tightens grip on cyber-cafés and online press

Funny how the news is reported by different organizations, isn't it? Compare and contrast these two news articles about the same issue.

First, an AFP newswire article, via Yahoo! News, reports that:

"Vietnam orders clampdown on 'hostile' forces misusing the Internet"

Vietnam's communist party has issued a directive to check what it called "reactionary and hostile forces" from abusing the Internet, a party official said.

"It seeks notably to implement the tasks set by the communist party regarding the country's political, security and defence issues," the official told AFP.

Vietnamese authorities had last year issued rules to ensure a close check on Internet content was kept but the latest directive was issued after previous attempts to enforce those laws fell short of expectations.

"Some e-newspapers still provide sensational news and articles, while other providers even distribute reactionary and slanderous information and depraved culture," the state press said quoting the directive.

"Relevant agencies still fail to take effective measures to prevent reactionary and hostile forces from abusing the Internet service and electronic press to undermine Viet Nam's revolution," it said.

The directive seeks to "renew State management of the electronic press" and to launch "new high-quality electronic newspapers to serve as a sharp political and ideological weapon of the Party and State, and contribute to national development and defence."

The communist party official noted that in Vietnam, it was the party's central committee secretariat which decided the broad directions on developing national media.

International human rights groups have accused Vietnamese authorities of using national security as a pretext to silence all dissent. A few dissidents have been jailed for using the Internet to call for democracy and respect for human rights.

Vietnam's communist regime retains a tight grip over all domestic media activities. No private media outlets are permitted.

"Government tightens grip on cyber-cafés and online press"

Reporters Without Borders today condemned a directive issued by Vietnam's ruling communist party aimed at stepping up surveillance of the country's 5,000 cyber-cafés by turning their owners into police auxiliaries. The directive also tends to tighten controls on online journalists who, according to the authorities, "provide sensationalist news and articles while others even publish reactionary and libellous reports and a depraved culture."

The press freedom organisation said that, although the Vietnamese government tried to justify these measures by referring to national security and defence, they were clearly designed to stifle dissent.

posted by Fergie @ 7/26/2005 11:27:00 AM