The Vietnamese government has never prohibited or hampered individuals and organizations from opening blogs and websites to post information, discuss, or express their opinions on political, socio-economic, and cultural issues. The Vietnamese government hasn’t banned individuals from using the internet to search for and exchange information freely. The Communist Party of Vietnam and the Vietnam Fatherland Front always respects individuals’ and organizations’ suggestions about national issues, and people’s livelihood, national construction and defense, and Party building.

Ethnic minority people learn to use computer and the internet

The rapid growth of blogs, websites, and online newspapers in Vietnam in recent years has created an information boom. The people’s demand for using the internet has increased. Democracy and openness in accessing information has brought practical results, encouraged creativity, innovation, and good deeds.   

But, objectively speaking, a number of people have taken advantage of this openness to conduct illegal activities and disseminate hostile and opposition views to damage national unity, the Party, and the State.

The hostile blogs have no addresses, editorial board, or administrator. Readers are unable to determine whether the writer is an individual or a group of people living inside or outside Vietnam. The bloggers intentionally hide their faces and identity. As they have no names, their words are difficult to verify.

The information they post is unverified. The ultimate work ethic of reporters is to be responsible for the information they make public. That means the information must have sources and be checked. Journalism doesn’t accept rumors and falsehood.

Information on anonymous blogs focuses on readers’ curiosity about the personal information of high-ranking leaders. The bloggers have picked to pieces other people’s private lives and cooked up stories with a sneering tone to violate other people’s rights.

The way they provide information is malicious. Besides using vague sources of information, they connect unrelated events together and make assumptions to direct readers to a mess of unverified or false facts. They use a smoke-screen and throw mud to smear innocent people.

More maliciously, these blogs make up or distort information to paint an extremely negative political picture. They are trying to convince readers of serious divisions in Vietnam’s leadership, aiming to dishearten the public and incite an overthrow of the regime.

Taking advantage of technology and freedom of speech, the bloggers are intentionally using the so-called “peaceful evolution” to arouse people to topple the regime.

It’s clear that the blogs go against the principles and purposes of communication. The bloggers have emerged from their cover of patriotism and exposed themselves for what they are - hostile forces of the Vietnamese nation.

Uong Ngoc Dau