January 16, 2015

Vietnam PM Says Impossible to Ban Information via Social Networks

by • [Human Rights]

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nguyen tan dung 1
The agencies should timely release official information of different issues, especially the matters causing public discontent, the PM said in a statement.
Demand for social networks is indispensable as Vietnam has more than 30 million of people using social networks, including facebook, Mr. Dung added.
By KTT | Jan 16, 2015
Prohibiting the flow of information on social networks is impossible so state agencies have to release official information to guide the public opinions following unconfirmed news via the Internet, Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said in at a government meeting on Jan 15.
The agencies should timely release official information of different issues, especially the matters causing public discontent, the PM said in a statement.
Demand for social networks is indispensable as Vietnam has more than 30 million of people using social networks, including facebook, Mr. Dung added.
This is the first time the cabinet’s leader delivering a speech affirming the role of social networks that are mushrooming in the communist country.
The statement was made at a time when an unofficial blog disclosing many secret information about Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Minister of National Defense Phung Quang Thanh.
Rumor has it that the disclosure of wrongdoings and private information of the two senior official indicate fighting among a group of top leaders ahead of the 12th Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) is scheduled to take place in 2016.
Candidates for top posts, including general secretary of the CPV, president, chairman of the National Assembly, the country’s highest legislative body, and prime minister, are said to be selected after the end of the CPV’s 10th plenum on Jan 12.
In Vietnam, private information of senior officials is normally covered so it catches the public attention when it is undisclosed in blogs and social networks.
Hanoi-based observers said that it is very effective for somebody who wants to fight his rivals by drawing public attention through hearsay.

Meanwhile, bloggers and dissidents who advocate democracy are normally put behind the bar.

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