State Media
Vietnam has added new information controls ahead of a ruling Communist Party Congress, setting up an “Anti-Fake News Center” and threatening to punish any leak of leadership candidates, new curbs on top of a 2020 crackdown that saw intensified repression of civil and political rights.
The launch of the center comes less than two weeks before the opening of Vietnam’s 13
th party congress, where the party will secretly select a list of candidates for senior party positions over the next five years.
In a stern warning to potential candidates and media, an official overseeing the confidential election told state media that anyone responsible for leaking or publishing false or secret information about the process would be punished under Vietnamese law.
Photo: RFA Mass arrests in Hong Kong and independent journalists imprisoned in Vietnam
The United States and European Union called on Vietnam on Wednesday to immediately free three jailed Vietnamese journalists, one of them a blogger for RFA, sentenced this week to long jail terms for writing articles online criticizing Vietnam’s one-party communist government.
Nguyen Tuong Thuy, who had blogged for RFA for six years on civil rights and press-freedom issues, was convicted in Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday with Pham Chi Dung and Le Huu Minh Tuan on charges of anti-state activity, and was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
A court in Vietnam on Tuesday sentenced three freelance journalists known for their criticism of government to between 11 and 15 years in prison, after finding them guilty of spreading anti-state propaganda.
Wednesday, 06 Jan 2021 11:32 AM MYT
A court in Vietname finds three freelance journalists guilty of spreading anti-state propaganda. iStock.com pic via AFP
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HANOI, Jan 6 ― A court in Vietnam yesterday sentenced three freelance journalists known for their criticism of government to between 11 and 15 years in prison, after finding them guilty of spreading anti-state propaganda.
Pham Chi Dung, Nguyen Tuong Thuy and Le Huu Minh Tuan were convicted of “making, storing, spreading information, materials, items for the purpose of opposing the state” at a one-day trial in Ho Chi Minh City, the Ministry of Public Security said.
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