The US has spoken out against last week’s troubling news that Vietnam has passed a bill to prevent citizens from sharing news and all non-personal information to blogs, Facebook and any other sites on the Internet.
The AP reports that the US embassy in Vietnam today released a statement saying that the decree “appeared to be inconsistent with Vietnam’s obligations under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights”. The embassy added that it is “deeply concerned” by the decree, and the potential effect it will have on free speech, the growth of the country’s fledgling IT industry and the prospects of encouraging foreign investment.
The new rules will come into effect from September 1, although details of how they will work remain unclear. Vietnam is said to have arrested more than 40 activists this year alone.
➤ Statement: Internet Content Decree (US Embassy, Vietnam)
Headline image via Shutterstock
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