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Vietnam turns to Facebook to reach out to its youth
The communist government has even signaled there is room online for criticism of its policies, but many are skeptical in a country which tightly controls political activities and has attempted to block websites.
The Vietnamese government's Facebook page had more than 37,000 likes as of Thursday.
Published on Oct 22 2015
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
HANOI, VIETNAM—Communist Vietnam, which in the past frowned on citizens’ use of Facebook, is turning to the social media website to reach its young people.
The government opened a page early this month and said it will give people timely information about the government and the prime minister. Among postings at the site are grip-and-grin photos of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung meeting with foreign dignitaries and press releases about government policies and activities.
Tuoi Tre newspaper quoted Vi Quang Dao, head of the government’s official portal, as saying the page is a pilot project and the government will consider making it an official page based on an assessment of how it works.
The page aims to reach more and broader readers, he added. Vietnam has a fairly young population with about two-thirds of its 90 million people born after the Vietnam War. Nearly half of Vietnamese are Internet users, according to government figures.
The government, while maintaining some control over information, is signaling it’s willing to risk facing the wrath of citizens and overseas Vietnamese critical of its policies and one-party system, as it gears for a political transition with a new slate of leaders next year.
The page had more than 37,000 likes as of Thursday noon, over 13 times more than last week.
Vietnam’s ruling communist party tightly controls political activities and the media in the country. Facebook users have complained in the past about having difficulties accessing the site, but the government denied blocking it, though it has tried to block other sites.
However, “The Vietnamese leadership is becoming more practical,” Vu Tu Thanh, chief Vietnam representative of the U.S.-Asean Business Council, has told Bloomberg News.
The government, after lobbying by the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi and the Asean Business Council, of which Facebook is a member, stopped blocking the social network two years ago, he said.
He suggested that “a new and younger generation of officials have been elected to various provincial positions who are familiar with modern tools like Facebook,” while cautioning that the government is sure to have a system in place to ensure comments it considers too critical of the leadership will be omitted.
Most of the comments made on the page have welcomed it, saying the government has come to the Internet age and that people can make suggestions by commenting.
“This government information page is full of applause, supportive comments,” a Facebook user who goes by the name Duong Hoai Linh posted on the government site Thursday. “Contrary opinions are all deleted and blocked. So is there freedom of speech?”
The user's comments were later deleted, though it’s unclear by whom.
Toronto Star
The communist government has even signaled there is room online for criticism of its policies, but many are skeptical in a country which tightly controls political activities and has attempted to block websites.
The Vietnamese government's Facebook page had more than 37,000 likes as of Thursday.
Published on Oct 22 2015
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
HANOI, VIETNAM—Communist Vietnam, which in the past frowned on citizens’ use of Facebook, is turning to the social media website to reach its young people.
The government opened a page early this month and said it will give people timely information about the government and the prime minister. Among postings at the site are grip-and-grin photos of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung meeting with foreign dignitaries and press releases about government policies and activities.
Tuoi Tre newspaper quoted Vi Quang Dao, head of the government’s official portal, as saying the page is a pilot project and the government will consider making it an official page based on an assessment of how it works.
The page aims to reach more and broader readers, he added. Vietnam has a fairly young population with about two-thirds of its 90 million people born after the Vietnam War. Nearly half of Vietnamese are Internet users, according to government figures.
The government, while maintaining some control over information, is signaling it’s willing to risk facing the wrath of citizens and overseas Vietnamese critical of its policies and one-party system, as it gears for a political transition with a new slate of leaders next year.
The page had more than 37,000 likes as of Thursday noon, over 13 times more than last week.
Vietnam’s ruling communist party tightly controls political activities and the media in the country. Facebook users have complained in the past about having difficulties accessing the site, but the government denied blocking it, though it has tried to block other sites.
However, “The Vietnamese leadership is becoming more practical,” Vu Tu Thanh, chief Vietnam representative of the U.S.-Asean Business Council, has told Bloomberg News.
The government, after lobbying by the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi and the Asean Business Council, of which Facebook is a member, stopped blocking the social network two years ago, he said.
He suggested that “a new and younger generation of officials have been elected to various provincial positions who are familiar with modern tools like Facebook,” while cautioning that the government is sure to have a system in place to ensure comments it considers too critical of the leadership will be omitted.
Most of the comments made on the page have welcomed it, saying the government has come to the Internet age and that people can make suggestions by commenting.
“This government information page is full of applause, supportive comments,” a Facebook user who goes by the name Duong Hoai Linh posted on the government site Thursday. “Contrary opinions are all deleted and blocked. So is there freedom of speech?”
The user's comments were later deleted, though it’s unclear by whom.
Toronto Star
