Vietnam:
Press Decree Part of Crackdown on Freedom of Expression
Hanoi
20.06.11: ARTICLE 19 is marking the 86th Vietnamese Revolutionary Press Day
tomorrow, by launching a legal analysis on Vietnam’s Decree No. 2 of 2011 on
Administrative Responsibility for Press and Publication Activities. ARTICLE 19’s
key concerns with the Decree include unnecessary restrictions placed on
journalists, media workers and bloggers, which further undermine media freedom.
A number of restrictions, mandated in the Decree, violate international freedom
of expression standards, including the prohibition of the use of journalist
pseudonyms and the sanctioning of journalists who do not disclose their
information sources.
The
Decree, which came into effect on February 25, 2011 amidst increasing crackdown
on human rights activists and government critics, regulates administrative
liability for press and publication activities.
“The Press Decree is a draconian tool masquerading under the guise of improving
media professionalism. The Decree will further suppress views and expressions in
a country where self-censorship is commonplace and people are already threatened
with severe punishments for exercising their legitimate right to freedom of
expression,” said Agnès Callamard, ARTICLE 19 Executive Director.
“Accustomed to having full control over public opinions, it appears that the
government feels threatened by the media boom of recent years and the empowering
nature of new media. Censoring bloggers and journalists is not the solution to
upholding journalist responsibilities,” continued Callamard.
ARTICLE 19 believes that self-regulation is the best approach to upholding media
professionalism. Contrary to international media standards, the Decree allows
the government to control professional standards of news making, interaction of
individuals with the media, and the processes of media business - subject
matters that are normally left to the journalist profession or media industry to
decide on.
The overly broad scope and obscure provisions of the Decree are liable for abuse
by the authorities for state intervention and restriction on legitimate
expressions. For example the rules restricting the selling, circulation, renting
and posting on the internet of materials “that encourage superstition, bad
tradition and social evils” can be used to arbitrarily and unnecessarily
restrict legitimate speech.
The Decree also overburdens media workers with a regime of unnecessary
registration, sanctions, bans and censorship.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS:
• For more information or to
arrange a media interviews, please contact the ARTICLE 19 Press Office, Mona
Samari, Senior Press Officer on
mona@... or call + 44 (207) 324 2510
• The ARTICLE 19 Comment on Decree 02 of 2011 is available at:
http://www.article19.org/pdfs/analysis/comment-on-the-decree-no.-02-of-2011-on-administrative-responsibility-for-pr.pdf
• ARTICLE 19 is an independent human rights organisation that works around the
world to protect and promote the right to freedom of expression. It takes its
name from Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which
guarantees free speech. For more information on ARTICLE 19 please visit
www.article19.org or follow article19org on
Twitter.
ARTICLE
19
ARTICLE
19 is an independent human rights organisation that works globally to protect
and promote the right to freedom of expression. It takes its name from Article
19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees free speech.
For more information on ARTICLE 19 please visit www.article19.org or
follow article19org on Twitter.
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