Vietnam To Fine People Who Use Social Media To 'Spread Lies' About The Government
Vietnam has repeatedly drawn fire for the harsh treatment and lengthy jail terms it has given to bloggers who criticised its one-party regime.
By Sadho Ram — 28 Nov 2013, 06:46 PM — Updated almost 11 years ago
Vietnam Will Hand Out Fines Of 100 Million Dong ($4,740) To Anyone Criticising The Government On Social Media
Vietnam will hand out fines of 100 million dong ($4,740) to anyone criticizing the government on social media, under a new law announced this week, the latest measure in a widening crackdown on dissent by the country's communist rulers.
reuters.com
Vietnamese Internet activist Nguyen Lan Thang chats on Facebook at a cafe in Hanoi November 27, 2013.
Image via reutersmedia.netComments that did not constitute criminal offences would trigger fines if held to be "propaganda against the state", or spreading "reactionary ideology", according to the law signed by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.
The Government Is Taking A Hard Line, With The Number Of Arrests And Convictions O0f Bloggers And Dissidents Soaring In The Past Four Years
Vietnam has repeatedly drawn fire for the harsh treatment and lengthy jail terms it has given to bloggers who criticized its one-party regime. The number of arrests and convictions has soared in the last four years.
venturebeat.com
Vietnamese Internet activist Nguyen Lan Thang looks at a Facebook page at a cafe in Hanoi November 27, 2013.
Image via reutersmedia.netThe new decree is vaguely worded and did not say what comments amounted to a criminal offence, which can be punished with prison, or an "administrative violation" that rates a fine.
reuters.com
The Law Would Anger Social Media Users, Said Nguyen Lan Thang, A Well-Known Vietnamese Internet Activist, Who Questioned The Need For It
"How could the government be destroyed by comments and the sharing of information on personal social media?" Thang said.
reuters.com
Vietnamese Internet activist Nguyen Lan Thang posts a status on Facebook at a cafe in Hanoi November 27, 2013.
Image via reutersmedia.netThe decree also said anyone posting online a map of Vietnam inconsistent with the country's sovereignty claims faced fines.
The issue is hugely sensitive in Vietnam, where China's perceived encroachment of territory generates the kind of quiet anger experts say Vietnam's government wants to rein in.
voanews.com
The U.S. Embassy In Hanoi Said On Its Website That:
It is “deeply concerned” by this law, and that it has reached out to senior officials in the Vietnamese government. “Fundamental freedoms apply online just as they do offline."
stuff.co.nz
Nonprofit organizations and foundations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation have also spoken out against this decree. “Internet freedom has gone from bad to worse in Vietnam,” a blog post states.
venturebeat.com
Internet Penetration Is Soaring In Vietnam, With About A Third Of The Country’s Estimated 90 Million People Connected To The Internet
However, these Internet users face an increasing number of restrictions. Vietnam was named one of the “enemies of the Internet” by Reporters without Borders, a Paris based organization that advocates for freedom of the press.
yahoo.com
Enemies of the Internet - These Governments Monitor Their Citizens
Image via infographicsarchive.comA Vietnamese Facebook user who campaigned online for the release of his brother jailed for criticizing the government fell afoul of the same law and was last month sentenced to 15 months of house arrest.