By Defend the Defenders, October 6, 2016
Authorities in Vietnam’s central city of Danang have imposed a fine of VND8.75 million ($390) on a local man who was allegedly posting offensive comments about city’s policies and officials on his Facebook page.
Inspectors from the city’s Department of Information and Communication said that Giang Kien Huy was administratively punished for electronically slandering and sabotaging individuals and organizations.
Huy, who manages a local internet shop, established the page “I love Danang” on the popular social network several years ago to offer daily updates about life, culture, travel and government policies in Danang, the third largest city in Vietnam.
The page took a critical turn, recently, posting status updates that ultimately were deemed “offensive to the city leaders.”
A source at the department said Huy’s status updates were “subjective, one-sided, distorted and aimed at maligning and defaming local leaders.”
His page remained up on Thursday morning with more than 74,000 followers, though the controversial posts had all been removed.
Nearly 49 million out of 92 million people in Vietnam enjoy internet access and more than 30 million use Facebook.
Last year, former Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung urged government officials to embrace social media networks, suggesting that engagement offered the best means of dealing with those who use them to slander the country’s leadership or terrorize the population.
Vietnam which ranks 175th out of 180 on Reporters Without Borders’ press freedom index, has used controversial articles such as 78, 88, and 258 in the country’s Penal Code to suppress local dissidents, social activists and human rights defenders.
In August, authorities in the central province of Khanh Hoa sentenced Nguyen Huu Thien An and Nguyen Huu Quoc Duy to two and three years in prisons, respectively, for their postings in social networks which criticize the government and promote multi-party democracy.
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October 6, 2016
Vietnamese Fined for Criticizing Gov’t Policies on Facebook
by Nhan Quyen • [Human Rights]
By Defend the Defenders, October 6, 2016
Authorities in Vietnam’s central city of Danang have imposed a fine of VND8.75 million ($390) on a local man who was allegedly posting offensive comments about city’s policies and officials on his Facebook page.
Inspectors from the city’s Department of Information and Communication said that Giang Kien Huy was administratively punished for electronically slandering and sabotaging individuals and organizations.
Huy, who manages a local internet shop, established the page “I love Danang” on the popular social network several years ago to offer daily updates about life, culture, travel and government policies in Danang, the third largest city in Vietnam.
The page took a critical turn, recently, posting status updates that ultimately were deemed “offensive to the city leaders.”
A source at the department said Huy’s status updates were “subjective, one-sided, distorted and aimed at maligning and defaming local leaders.”
His page remained up on Thursday morning with more than 74,000 followers, though the controversial posts had all been removed.
Nearly 49 million out of 92 million people in Vietnam enjoy internet access and more than 30 million use Facebook.
Last year, former Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung urged government officials to embrace social media networks, suggesting that engagement offered the best means of dealing with those who use them to slander the country’s leadership or terrorize the population.
Vietnam which ranks 175th out of 180 on Reporters Without Borders’ press freedom index, has used controversial articles such as 78, 88, and 258 in the country’s Penal Code to suppress local dissidents, social activists and human rights defenders.
In August, authorities in the central province of Khanh Hoa sentenced Nguyen Huu Thien An and Nguyen Huu Quoc Duy to two and three years in prisons, respectively, for their postings in social networks which criticize the government and promote multi-party democracy.