Beware of tricks to disrupt people's thinking

The “fake news” pandemic is no less dangerous

Along with the outbreak ofCovid-19 pandemicAnother equally dangerous pandemic has emerged, the “pandemic” of fake news. In addition to the false information created by some people in the country who lack knowledge or have personal motives and purposes, taking advantage of the epidemic situation, hostile and reactionary forces overseas have increased their connections with opportunistic and politically dissatisfied elements in the country, increasingly distorting and falsifying developments, spreading bad and toxic news in order to cause doubt, distraction, and then disrupt people's thinking, creating social instability to sabotage our Party and State.

From unverified information on social networks, some people living halfway around the world from Vietnam have collected and copied information by hearsay, then molded and fabricated false information.news, articles distorting the truthabout our country's epidemic prevention and control work and then posted it on cyberspace.

Taking advantage of the complicated developments of the Covid-19 epidemic, hostile forces and bad elements are spreading fake and toxic information. Illustration photo: tuyengiao.vn

For example, they subjectively and one-sidedly infer that the reason why the epidemic in Ho Chi Minh City is complicated is because the management and operation capacity of the government is weak, and there are no timely, drastic and effective policies and measures... Through an article on BBC, a person with ill will distorted that: Vietnam is too optimistic about the results of epidemic prevention and control by administrative measures, so it "lacks initiative" in implementing the policy of vaccination against Covid-19. The vaccination strategy, especially the mobilization of the entire population to participate in building the Covid-19 Vaccine Fund - a meaningful and humane action of our Party and Government, was also distorted and misrepresented by them.

On some websites, the terrorist organization Viet Tan has been inciting many articles with hot titles, sentences, and words to attract readers, with content that distorts the Government's policies and measures to prevent and fight the epidemic, inciting people not to support and not to believe. For example, in the article: "Burning money to worship ghosts", they blatantly distort and misrepresent Vietnam's policy of establishing a Covid-19 Vaccine Fund, with arguments such as: "The Government cannot arrange 1.2 billion USD to buy vaccines to vaccinate people. What does all this tell us? It is a terrible lie";... In order to cause doubt, distract and incite people, organizations, and businesses not to participate in building a Covid-19 Vaccine Fund, they claim: "Vietnam is not transparent in purchasing and using vaccines". When vaccination was widely deployed, some hostile and reactionary elements and organizations distorted that: "Vietnam only prioritizes vaccination for police and military"; "Vaccines are only for rich people; the poor will not have the opportunity to get vaccinated";.... Not only distorting the issue of vaccination, hostile forces continued to distort the development of the epidemic situation in Vietnam with tones such as: "Vietnam is ruined"; "The current epidemic situation in Vietnam is almost out of control";...

Fake news - another "pandemic" in the time of Covid-19. Illustration photo: SCMP

The fact is undeniable.

Hostile and reactionary forces attempt to use such distorted tones to negatively affect people's ideology, psychology, and trust in the policies and solutions to prevent and combat the Covid-19 pandemic of the Party and the Government in general, and thevaccinationin particular; overshadowing the results that Vietnam has achieved; making the world skeptical about the viewpoints, guiding ideology, policies, solutions and spirit of "Fighting the epidemic like fighting the enemy" of the Party, Government and people of Vietnam...

But things are not as simple as they think. In addition to the resistance wars against invaders, our people have had to endure countless natural disasters, catastrophes, epidemics... More than anyone else, the Vietnamese people understand the value of the life they have won and built under the leadership of the Party. No matter how sophisticated or unpredictable, the arguments and tricks of hostile forces cannot shake the mettle, will, and faith in the Party, the State, and the regime of the Vietnamese people. If anything, they only satisfy a few opportunistic, politically dissatisfied elements who have long been "following the crowd", following and supporting hostile and reactionary forces.

Reality over the past time has convincingly proven that with the spirit of "Fighting the epidemic like fighting the enemy", our Party and Government continue to take strong, drastic and effective solutions with the determination to quickly and promptly prevent, contain and repel the Covid-19 epidemic, for the highest goal of protecting people's lives and health. Tracing, isolation, blockade, social distancing and "5K" recommendations are still strictly maintained and effective. The lives and activities of tens of thousands of people in concentrated isolation areas are served wholeheartedly and thoughtfully. The number of Covid-19 patients who have been cured and discharged from the hospital increases every day. This reality has proven that in Vietnam, there is no discrimination, stigmatization or alienation of people infected or suspected of being infected with Covid-19 as the hostile forces have distorted.

Vaccination has been widely deployed. Illustration photo

Our Party and State have identified vaccination as a strategic, long-term and decisive solution in preventing and fighting Covid-19. Immediately after its launch, the Covid-19 Vaccine Fund was clearly demonstrated by all people, especially organizations and businesses.spirit of unity, solidarity, unity, supporting with high community responsibility to defeat the "enemy" Covid-19. Donation activities and building the Vaccine Fund are updated and publicized daily on mass media. Work to serve the goal of promoting domestic vaccine research and production is being vigorously implemented. The vaccine diplomacy campaign is being implemented very urgently, comprehensively, and drastically and has brought initial results. Our entire Party, people, and army are promoting combined strength towards the goal of having the most and fastest vaccines to vaccinate the people.

To help people understand and have more confidence

Although the epidemic situation in the whole country in general and in the southern provinces, especially Ho Chi Minh City in particular, is complicated, it can be affirmed that we are on the right track, the proposed solutions are appropriate, effective and basically still control the situation. According to the assessment of professional agencies, in the coming time, the epidemic may develop more complicatedly, but we must continue to persistently implement the "dual goal" of preventing and repelling the epidemic, developing the socio-economy, ensuring the material and spiritual life of the people. On the other hand, along with preventing and fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, we must fight, prevent and repel the "pandemic" of fake news, especially malicious information aimed at sabotage by hostile and reactionary forces. To achieve these goals, we must synchronously, drastically and effectively implement many solutions.

The mobile propaganda team of Bao Thang commune (Ky Son) went to each village to propagate about Covid-19 prevention and control. Photo: D.T

In particular, along with the drastic prevention and control of the Covid-19 epidemic, Party committees and authorities at all levels must strengthen close contact with the grassroots, focusing on leadership and direction of socio-economic development. In fact, in recent times, due to the impact of the epidemic, economic development and people's lives, especially small businesses, street vendors, etc., are facing many difficulties. Having appropriate solutions, caring for and supporting people to make their lives less difficult is a way to encourage people to make efforts, try, and trust in the leadership of the Party and the direction of the Government. This is also a measure to combat and prevent the tricks of taking advantage of difficulties and shortcomings in life to incite people to create instability in security, order, and social safety of hostile forces.

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A solution that is not new but is still very timely and important is to step up propaganda, provide information, clarify and persuade people to understand correctly the policies and solutions for epidemic prevention and control of the Party and Government. When people understand correctly and clearly, we will solve two major problems: building and strengthening trust, raising self-awareness to contribute to the good implementation of the policies and solutions of the Party and Government. On the other hand, this is also a practical measure to make people clearly identify, raise vigilance, proactively fight, prevent and defeat the plots to cause distraction and ideological disturbance, aiming to create social instability of hostile and reactionary forces./.