Bloggers under threat
Citizen journalists in Vietnam say they will not remain silent despite the threat of imprisonment.
Last week prominent Vietnamese blogger Nguyen Ngoc Quynh, known by the pen name Mother Mushroom, was arrested and charged with “propagandising” against the state. The government also alleges she is affiliated with a group they call a “terrorist” organisation. But according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Quynh, a founding member of the Network of Vietnamese Bloggers, has faced constant harassment for her online journalism. Most recently she had been calling for Vietnam to hold a Taiwanese company accountable for the dumping of toxic chemicals that led to the devastation of local fishing communities. News of Quynh’s arrest quickly spread and emboldened her fellow bloggers to continue speaking out, and calling for government reform.
According to studies done in the country, young people consider social media more reliable than the state-owned media. Three years ago, The Stream examined Vietnam’s censoring of citizen journalists, but now netizens are taking their protests offline and into the streets. Earlier this month more than 10,000 people gathered in central Ha Tinh province to protest the Taiwanese company Mother Mushroom blogged about. Protestors are calling for governmental transparency and environmental protection.
Today, at 19:30 GMT, we’ll take a look at how Vietnamese bloggers are using the internet to fuel the country’s cries for change.
On this episode of The Stream, we speak with:
Duy “Dan” Hoang @viettan
Spokesperson, Viet Tan
viettan.org
Nguyen Chi Tuyen “Anh Chi” @AnhChiVN
Blogger
vietnamrightnow.com
Nancy Nguyen
Activist
Brad Adams @bradmadams
Executive Director – Asia Division, Human Rights Watch
hrw.org
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