Vietnam orders crackdown on bloggers

Vietnamese prime minister Nguyen Tan Dun
Vietnamese prime minister Nguyen Tan Dung. The government does not allow freedom of expression or the media. Photograph: Hoang Dinh Nam/AFP/Getty Images



A government statement on Wednesday named three blogs it accused of "publishing distorted and fabricated articles" against the leadership.

"This is a wicked plot of the hostile forces," it said, adding that Vietnamese state employees were forbidden from visiting the sites.

The statement said the prime minister, Nguyen Tan Dung, had ordered police to investigate the sites and bring offenders to justice.

Reaction was swift from two of the named sites, which feature posts by mostly anonymous contributors that criticise government corruption and alleged human rights abuses.

Danlambao, or the People's Journalism Blog, said it would keep publishing.

"Danlambao and its companions are prepared to be repressed and imprisoned rather than leading the life of a dumb dog that dares not bark, subservient to those who abuse their power," it posted.

Quanlambao, meaning Official Journalism, also responded, saying Dung's move was aimed at creating the legal basis to make arrests. Reporters Without Borders says there are currently at least five journalists and 19 bloggers being held on various charges in Vietnam, part of a gathering government effort to stifle criticism of the regime.