'Denying press freedom in Vietnam is deliberately distorting and inciting public opinion'

Freedom of speech and freedom of the press are basic human rights that Vietnam has committed to implementing according to the general principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. However, this is also a sensitive issue that hostile, reactionary, and politically dissatisfied forces often take advantage of to sabotage the Party, the State, and the socialist regime.

Associate Professor - Dr. Tuong Duy Kien - Director of the Institute for Human Rights Research on the fight against distorted views on press freedom in Vietnam had the following exchanges:

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tuong Duy Kien: Freedom of the press on the international level is stipulated in both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 and later the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 1966, which is stipulated very clearly in Article 19. That is, everyone holds their own views without being interfered with by anyone, that is, what one thinks is an absolute right, no one has the right to force one to change one's views. But when one's thoughts are expressed and expressed as freedom of speech, this right is a limited right. This limitation according to international regulations is to protect national security, protect public order, protect the health and morality of society.

In the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it is also clearly stated that when enjoying personal freedoms, individuals must be subject to limitations prescribed by law in order to ensure recognition and respect for the freedoms of others. In the world, people prohibit freedoms that violate public order, morality and national security.

Views denying press freedom in Vietnam are deliberate distortions and incitement of public opinion.

PV:In Vietnam, what is our view on press freedom?

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tuong Duy Kien: According to Article 25 of the 2013 Constitution, citizens have the right to freedom of speech, freedom of the press and the right to access information. We have built the 2016 Press Law, which clearly stipulates citizens' right to freedom of the press. Citizens have the right to create journalistic works, provide information to the press, respond to information in the press, and access press information.

Regarding freedom of speech in the press, Vietnamese law clearly stipulates that citizens have the right to express their opinions on the situation of the country and the world; people have the right to contribute ideas, criticize, make recommendations, complaints, and denunciations in the press against Party organizations, State agencies, political and social organizations.

However, according to our Press Law as well as the provisions of Vietnamese law, if you post information against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, including distorting and defaming the people's government, fabricating information to cause confusion among the people, causing psychological warfare, posting information that divides the people, content that incites war, opposes the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, distorts history, denies revolutionary achievements, insults the nation, discloses information that is a State secret... these are acts prohibited by Vietnamese law.

Journalists at work. Photo: Archive

PV:Thus, international law as well as Vietnamese law both have regulations and clearly define citizens' right to freedom of the press, so why have some people in recent times loudly denied freedom of the press in Vietnam?

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tuong Duy Kien: There are many reasons, in our opinion, one is that they do not understand, or they know but deliberately do not understand and distort. In my opinion, the views that we do not have freedom of the press are deliberately distorting and inciting public opinion.

PV: AsSo, those who deliberately slander Vietnam, do not mean they do not understand what freedom of the press is, but in fact have a political motive behind it?

Associate Professor, Dr. Tuong Duy Kien: It is not that they do not understand freedom of the press, they understand but they deliberately distort it. They take advantage of loopholes and shortcomings in our implementation of the Party and State's guidelines and policies to make false accusations.

When talking to many foreign professors, I said that when they come to Vietnam, they can use the Internet freely and comfortably without any problems. But in some countries, accessing the Internet is many times more difficult than in Vietnam. Therefore, here, some forces deliberately make false and unobjective comments and assessments about press freedom to accuse Vietnam of violating democracy and human rights in order to lower Vietnam in the international arena.

The most vivid proof of press freedom

PV: According toSir, what are the outstanding achievements in ensuring press freedom in Vietnam, especially in recent years?

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tuong Duy Kien: Our achievements in the field of ensuring human rights and freedom of the press in Vietnam are very great. I only talk about the press agencies, 857 press agencies as of the end of 2016; and our Internet system is developing very quickly. When we go to other countries in the world, we see that when we go to hotels and public places to use the Internet, we still have to pay a fee, but in Vietnam, currently in many big cities, restaurants, and public places, we have popularized the Internet, everyone has the right to access it, even for free, freely.

In Vietnam, the press in recent times has truly become a bridge between the “Party’s will and the people’s heart”, creating consensus in society, promoting the country’s development, and being a means for people to inspect and supervise law enforcement, and to contribute critical opinions on the State’s policies and laws. And this is a social tool to protect people’s rights. That is the most vivid proof of ensuring press freedom in Vietnam.

PV:As you just shared, we have achieved many successes in ensuring human rights and freedom of the press. However, hostile and reactionary forces still deliberately ignore them to sabotage our country. So, in your opinion, how should the press participate to help push back bad and toxic information?

Associate Professor, Dr. Tuong Duy Kien: In the face of erroneous viewpoints that hostile forces take advantage of to slander us, in our opinion, reporters must firmly grasp the viewpoints, policies, and guidelines of the Party, our State's policies and laws on human rights, on freedom of the press, and especially must firmly grasp the provisions of the law.

Every journalist must constantly study, cultivate ethics, improve professional qualifications, voluntarily study and follow Ho Chi Minh's ideology, ethics and example, especially improve political capacity, ideological stance and revolutionary ethics so that we can refute the propaganda and distortions of hostile reactionary forces for the benefit of the people, contributing to raising Vietnam's position in the international arena.

PV:Thank you sir!.