13 Prohibited acts regarding press activities in Vietnam

13 Prohibited acts regarding press activities in Vietnam (Internet image)

1. What are press activities?

According to Clause 2, Article 3 of the Press Law 2016, press activities are the creation of journalistic works, journalistic products, information products information with journalistic characteristics; provide information and feedback to the press; correct information in the press; publish, print and release the printed newspapers, communicate the online newspapers and communicate and broadcast the talking newspapers and photo newspapers;

2. Prohibited acts regarding press activities in Vietnam

Specifically, in Article 9 of the Press Law 2016, prohibited acts regarding press activities include:

(1) Posting and release of information against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam with the contents:

- Distort, defame and deny the people's government;

- Fabricate and cause panic among people;

- Cause the psychological warfar.

(2) Post and and release information with the content which:

- Causes division among classes of people, among the people with the people's government, the people's armed forces, political organizations, political - social organizations;

- Causes hatred, discrimination, divisions, ethnic separatism, infringement of equal rights of ethnic communities in Vietnam;

- Causes the division between religious people and non-religious people, between the followers of different religions, division of religious believers with the people's government, political organizations, political – social organizations and insults the religious beliefs;

- Undermines the implementation of policies on international solidarity.

(3) Posts and and releases information inciting war against the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

(4) Distorts history; denies the revolutionary achievements; offends the nation and national heroes.

(5) Discloses information included in the list of state secrets, privacy and confidentiality of individuals as prescribed by law.

(6) Provides information advocating the bad practices, superstition; provide information about the mysteries causing puzzle in society, adversely affecting the order and social safety and health of the community.

(7) Incites violence; propagandizes the depraved lifestyle; meticulously describes lewd acts, criminal behaviour; provides information which does not match the habits and customs of Vietnam.

(8) Provides false information, distorts, slanders or hurts the prestige of organizations, agencies, honor and dignity of individuals; attributes guilt upon no judgement from the Court;

(9) Provides information which affects the normal physical and spiritual development of children.

(10) Prints, releases, transmits and broadcasts the journalistic products, works or contents of information in the journalistic works suspended from release, revocation, confiscation, banned from circulation, removed, destroyed or the contents of information which the press agency has corrected.

(11) Obstructs the printing, distribution, transmission and broadcasting of journalistic products, information products with legal journalistic characteristics to the public.

(12) Threatens or intimidates life, hurts the honor and dignity of journalists, reporters; destroys, seizes vehicles, documents and obstructs journalists, reporter from professional activities in accordance with regulations of law.

(13) Posts on the products the information with journalistic characteristics specified in (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9) and (10).

3. State policies on press development in Vietnam

The State policies on press developments include:

-  Introduce a strategy for press development and management, developing and managing a network of publishers, printers, publication releasing establishments, publisher development plan mentioned in the planning for developing a network of press agencies, broadcasting and electronic information establishments and publishers, regional planning and provincial planning.

- Make investment with focus and priority in the areas of training and re-training of personnel of professional skills and management of press activities, scientific research and application of modern technology for the press agencies.

- Make order to the press in service of politics, security, national defense and foreign information and in service of youth and children, the deaf, the blind, people of ethnic minority areas, areas with extremely difficult socio - economic conditions, deep-lying and remote areas, mountainous areas, border areas and island and other critical tasks in line with each stage as decided by the Prime Minister.

- Provide assistance to the freight of newspaper transport in service of duties, subjects and areas specified in Clause 3 of Article 5 of the Press Law 2016.

(Article 5 of the Press Law 2016 and amended by Clause 1, Article 20 of the Law on Amendments to some articles concerning planning of 37 laws 2018)

Thanh Rin

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