p2pnet.net News:- Former deputy Vietnamese prime minister Vu Khoan plans to go online in the first of a series of Net chats organised by the ruling Communist Party, the party’s online newspaper, quoted by Reuters, says.

He’ll, “answer questions from readers about Vietnam’s entry to the World Trade Organisation and last month Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Hanoi,” says the story, going on:

“The party, which embraces market reforms but maintains one-party rule and state control of all media, said in October that leaders would have regular online chats with the public on corruption and other controversial issues, a first for Vietnam.

Vietnam is currently included on the Reporters Without Borders Roll of Shame, countries which, “systematically violate online free expression”.

“The editorial board of the newspaper invites interested readers to monitor and raise questions on those issues via email or by telephone,” the newspaper says.

“Only about 3.1 million Vietnamese out of a 83-million population are Communist Party members, according to the party, and about 16 percent of Vietnamese have access to the Internet,” says Reuters, adding:

“Hanoi imposes legal and technical controls to block access to writings and people on the Internet who challenge one-party rule, while itself using Web sites to promote its socio-economic policies and growing international ties. Last week the assembly ratified accession to the WTO, paving the way for Vietnam to become the 150th member of the free trade club by year end.”

Says RWB:

The Vietnamese government is negotiating its admission to the World Trade Organisation and is in the uncomfortable position of being squeezed by the international community. Unlike neighbouring China, it is unable to completely ignore the demands of foreign diplomats. It therefore seems to be tending to soften its control over news and information, and hesitates to crack down on dissidents. Several cyber-dissidents, the most famous of whom was Pham Hong Son, were released in 2005 and 2006.

This relative forbearance seems to have breathed new life into Vietnam`s pro-democracy movement, which is making admirable use of the Internet to organise and circulate independently-sourced news domestically. A group calling itself 8406″ even launched an online petition in the summer of 2006, signed by hundreds of people using their real names, calling on the government to begin political reforms.

This use of the Internet by young democrats alarms the authorities, who are still often ready to use force to silence these cyber-dissidents.

Ten people have been arrested this year for what they said on the Internet. Four of them are still detained.

Also See:
Reuters – Vietnam envoy to go online with WTO issues, December 3, 2006
Roll of Shame – RWB Net enemies list, November 7, 2005

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