Truong Duy Nhat, 49, is a leading blogger in Vietnam who has been challenging the government on its authoritarian laws. The Communist government has now responded by arresting him for “abusing democratic freedoms to infringe on the interests of the state.” This truly Orwellian charge could result in a seven year sentence for the blogger.
Vietnam has been emerging as a strong economic country in the region with rising tourism numbers from the West. At the same time, many intellectuals in the country have been pushing for greater freedoms. The arrest of Truong Duy Nhat shows that the government remains committed to its authoritarian past.
His alleged “abuse of democratic freedoms to infringe on the interests of the state” is an almost comical charge if it were not so serious for him and his fellow citizens. The Vietnamese government fails to appreciate the irony in claiming that the use of free speech is an abuse of democratic freedom. In this case, Nhat’s abuse was his writing a blog with the innocuous title “A Different Viewpoint”. It is precisely the fact that it is different that makes it abusive for the authoritarian government.
Nhat has the guts in April to call for the resignation of the country’s top leadership in light of economic and political unrest in the country.
All newspapers and television in the country are state-run and controlled by the Communist system. Indeed, Nhat once worked for a state-run publication but resigned to become a fulltime and independent blogger. The blogosphere has become the greatest outlet for free expression in the country — precisely why the government is moving to deter bloggers with the arrest of Nhat.
Source: Raw Story
Wherever there are jails free speech is wanted to be held in check. This is an extreme case. Talk about a topic that makes a person grimace even though what is talked abut is harmless will have people calling the what they call authorities to seek to have whoever restricted from whatever location. That is not freedom of speech.
Notice how interest of the State must prosper above all else?
How many whistle blowers are being tried here? sans manning. What about Julian Assange? While we show what they are doing, are we as a country all that much better?
Do you think this guy will get a better result than we give our own service member?
Another reason to flee the country and continue his advocacy from a safe harbour.
Is not this the very reason that we fought the war in Vietnam, so as to protect the free speech rights of bloggers? Next thing the guy will be doing is singing Country Joe and the Fish. Y’all know that song. “Its one, two, three, What are we fightin for? Don’t ask me I don’t give a damn. Next stop is Viet Nam! And its five, six, seven, Open up the Pearly Gates. Ain’t no time to wonder why. Whoopee Goldberg, we’re gonna die!”
Voting protects the 1st amendment, not the 2nd. You are not going to overthrow the US Government with your AR-15. Gun nuts. always get this wrong.
Reblogged this on bearspawprint.
Another nation made free by exceptional intervention goes the way of the exceptional intervenor.
Four Hundred and Fifty people were murdered in Iraq this month, another nation made free by exceptional intervention.
So the story goes anyway.
Reblogged this on euzicasa.
Benardo 1, May 28, 2013 at 9:10 am
Wait… Wait…wait…. What is happening here…. right here in the USA…. not much difference…..
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Move to Canada. Maybe Australia.
Wait… Wait…wait…. What is happening here…. right here in the USA…. not much difference…..
I hope none of our Congress member are reading this. On second thought I hope Holder and Obama missed this story. What a charged “abuse of democratic freedoms to infringe the interest of the state”!
The first amendment. The second amendment protects the first amendment.
It might not be as easy as they think.