Illustrative image (Source: internet)Such assessments have no valid grounds and intentionally ignore the vividreality of internet freedom in Vietnam, as well as achievements the country hasrecorded in human rights over the past years.
Vietnam’s efforts in ensuring and promoting humanrights have been lauded by other countries and international organisations at variouscycles of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the United Nations HumanRights Council (UNHRC).
The council has also regarded Vietnam as a brightspot in human development, as reflected through the implementation ofmillennium development goals (MDGs) on poverty reduction, and social equalityand progress.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the country has beenpraised for giving the top priority to public health.
According to the Human Development Report 2020released by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), Vietnam has joined the ranksof countries with high human development in the world.
Between 1990 and 2019, the country’s HumanDevelopment Index (HDI) increased by almost 46 percent, which was among thehighest HDI growth rates in the world, the report said.
Notably, Vietnam is one of the countries that havecompleted the MDGs ahead of schedule, and are working towards sustainabledevelopment goals (SDGs).
The country has made impressive progress in internetdevelopment. Statistics show about 70 percent of Vietnamese people use theinternet, against the world’s average ratio of only 51.4 percent. Vietnam isamong the 20 countries with the highest number of internet users.
Various social platforms have registered to operatein the country, with the most popular being Facebook, Zalo, Twitter, Instagramand Tiktok, to name just a few. Notably, Facebook has attracted up to over 65million users in the country.
People can freely express their views and share informationvia the internet, especially websites and social networks. Many agencies andorganisations in the political system, from the central to grassroots levels,have also utilised the internet and social networks to serve their operations,handle administrative procedures and maintain contact with residents.
They are the vivid evidences of the fact that theVietnamese Party and State have always respected and protected the developmentright of each individual, as well as their rights to freedom of information andinternet.
Therefore, the Freedom House’s allegation that Vietnam’sLaw on Cyber Security is a tool to monitor internet use in the country isgroundless.
The cyber security law is designed to make Vietnam’scyber space healthy and protect the country’s sovereign right in the cyberspace, in the context of surging trade frauds, fake news, distorted informationor contents that are immoral or trigger social disturbances.
The freedom of internet and social networks inVietnam has been exercised within the legal framework to ensure cyber securityand prevent activities that take advantage of social networks to violateVietnam’s laws, incite social unrest and create conditions for external forcesto intervene into domestic matters.
Moreover, the law totally conforms to internationallaw, specifically the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights(ICCPR).
Article 19 of the ICCPR stipulates that “Everyoneshall have the right to hold opinions without interference,” but the exerciseof such rights provided for in paragraph 2 of this article carries with itspecial duties and responsibilities. “It may therefore be subject to certainrestrictions, but these shall only be such as are provided by law and arenecessary: (a) For respect of the rights or reputations of others; (b) For theprotection of national security or of public order (ordre public), or of publichealth or morals.”
It is obvious that the Free House has deliberatelyignored the ICCPR regulations, and the fact that not only Vietnam but also morethan 180 other countries have issued a cyber security law or relevant rules toensure national security.
Many countries like the US, Germany, France, theRepublic of Korea and Singapore have adopted laws and clauses stipulating thestrict handling of law violations in the cyber space.
The Freedom House has repeatedly made biased andprejudiced assessments on Vietnam’s internet freedom since the country issuedthe Law on Cyber Security. It mainly collects such information from reactionaryorganisations and groups that involve in activities to sabotage Vietnam.
The fabricated information aims to create false understandingon internet freedom and human rights in Vietnam, to defame the country and lowerits prestige, position and role in the international arena.
Professor Vladimir Kolotov, head of the Ho Chi MinhInstitute at St. Petersburg University in Russia, said the reports issued eachyear by Freedom House neither base on realities nor reflect the real situation ofhuman rights in countries. It gives itself the right to accuse other countriesof violating human rights and interfere into other countries’ internal affairs,he said.
It is clear that the Freedom House has no rights tointervene into internal affairs of countries. It must immediately put an end tosuch valueless reports./.
VNA
