Os blogueiros que tentam driblar a censura no Vietnã através das redes sociais encontram-se na mira do regime comunista, que persegue seus dissidentes sem se importar com a má reputação que ganhou nos últimos tempos, a de "inimigo da internet".
Assim considera a organização Repórteres sem Fronteiras (RSF), que denunciou uma campanha governamental de prisões e intimidações de blogueiros diante do processo contra Nguyen Van Hai, Phan Thanh Hai e Ta Phong Tan, fundadores do portal "Rede de Jornalistas Livres".
O julgamento contra os três ativistas, que poderá resultar em penas de até 20 anos de prisão por um crime de propaganda contra o Estado, foi suspenso nesta semana sem explicação oficial e sem uma nova data anunciada, após a morte da mãe de um dos acusados.
Dang Thi Kim Lieng, mãe de Ta Phong Tan, se imolou em protesto contra a prisão de sua filha, uma ex-policial e ex-militante do Partido Comunista, detida em setembro de 2011 depois de publicar reportagens denunciando injustiças sociais e abusos judiciais no país.
Os pedidos de liberdade feitos pela Embaixada dos Estados Unidos e pela Anistia Internacional não fizeram efeito no governo de Hanói, que tem visto como a disseminação do acesso à internet no Vietnã, onde cerca de 30 milhões de usuários, consegue ruir o monopólio da informação no país.
Ao contrário dos jornalistas de jornais, rádios e televisão estatais, que recebem instruções a cada semana sobre o que podem publicar e estão submetidos à censura, os blogueiros precisam apenas de um telefone com câmera e conexão à rede para denunciar os casos de corrupção, de repressão policial e de desapropriações de terras.
Através da internet, os blogueiros também organizaram manifestações contra as reivindicações chinesas no Mar da China Meridional, uma disputa que os ativistas documentaram exaltando os ânimos patrióticos e, ao mesmo tempo, pondo em dúvida a capacidade do governo para fazer valer os interesses do país.
Diante desta situação, uma das respostas apresentadas pelas autoridades foi afrouxar o controle sobre a imprensa oficial, que chegou a ser encorajada a cobrir com liberdade um violento protesto de pescadores contra a desapropriação de suas terras.
A outra foi dobrar a censura na internet com medidas arbitrárias, como um projeto de lei que pretende proibir a participação anônima de internautas em chats e blogs. As autoridades locais também passaram a exigir cooperação de empresas como Google e Facebook no cumprimento das leis locais de censura, segundo revelou o grupo dissidente Viet Tan, que possui base nos Estados Unidos.
O aumento dos recursos de vigilância causou a prisão de vários ativistas, que recebem essa censura com toda dureza que a lei permite, ou mais.
Este é o caso de Nguyen Hai, um dos três blogueiros que aguarda julgamento. Conhecido como "Dieu Cay" - nome de um cachimbo de bambu muito popular nas zonas rurais -, o ativista encontra-se preso desde abril de 2008, sendo que o período máximo da prisão provisório é de 30 meses.
Os três detidos tiveram seus direitos reduzidos, como as visitas de advogados e familiares. Segundo organizações humanitárias, os ativistas também só podem receber uma quarta parte do dinheiro enviado pelos familiares para cobrir os custos de suas necessidades básicas.
Já os blogueiros que estão em liberdades continuam sofrendo uma rigorosa vigilância por parte dos agentes que, frequentemente, termina em agressões, prisões e longos interrogatórios.
"As autoridades não temem nada ao silenciar os dissidentes com perseguições, agressões, duros interrogatórios e prisões injustificáveis", afirmou a RSF em comunicado.
Pelo menos 18 pessoas estão presas no Vietnã por expressar opiniões através de redes sociais, segundo a RSF, que situa o país asiático em 172º lugar (de 179) em seu índice de liberdade de imprensa. Depois de China e Irã, o Vietnã aparece como o terceiro pior lugar do mundo para os blogueiros.
A Constituição do Vietnã ampara a liberdade de expressão e de manifestação, direitos que acabam sendo limitados por outras disposições legais, como o artigo 88 do código penal, que proíbe a propaganda contra o Estado e o Partido Comunista.
Bloggers who try to circumvent censorship in Vietnam through social networks are in the crosshairs of the communist regime that persecutes dissidents regardless of the bad reputation it has earned in recent times, the "enemy of the Internet".
So consider the organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which denounced a government campaign of arrests and intimidation of bloggers before the case against Nguyen Van Hai, Phan Thanh Hai and Ta Phong Tan, founders of the portal "Network of Free Journalists".
The trial against the three activists, which could result in penalties of up to 20 years in prison for a crime of propaganda against the state, was suspended this week without official explanation and without a new date announced, after the death of the mother of one of the accused .
Dang Thi Kim Lieng, Ta Phong Tan's mother, immolated himself in protest against the arrest of his daughter, a former cop and former militant of the Communist Party, held in September 2011 after publishing articles denouncing social injustices and abuses in court country.
Applications for freedom made by the U.S. Embassy and Amnesty International did not effect the Hanoi government, which has seen how the spread of Internet access in Vietnam, where about 30 million users, can break down the monopoly of information in country.
Unlike journalists from newspapers, radio and television, receiving instruction each week about what they can publish and are subject to censorship, bloggers only need a camera phone and network connection to report cases of corruption, police repression and dispossession of land.
Through the internet, bloggers also organized demonstrations against Chinese claims in the South China Sea, a dispute that activists documented extolling the patriotic mood and at the same time, putting in doubt the government's ability to enforce the country's interests.
Given this situation, one of the answers given by the authorities was loosing control over the official press, which came to be encouraged to freely cover a violent protest against fishermen expropriation of their lands.
The other was to double internet censorship with arbitrary measures, such as a bill that would prohibit the participation of anonymous Internet users in chat rooms and blogs. Local authorities also began to require cooperation from companies like Google and Facebook in compliance with local laws of censorship, according revealed the dissident group Viet Tan, which has based in the United States.
Increased surveillance features caused the arrest of several activists who receive this censorship with all hardness than the law allows, or more.
This is the case of Nguyen Hai, one of three bloggers who awaits trial. Known as "Dieu Cay" - the name of a bamboo pipe very popular in rural areas - the activist is arrested since April 2008, and the maximum period of provisional imprisonment is 30 months.
The three detainees had their rights reduced, as visits by lawyers and family. According to humanitarian organizations, activists also can receive only a quarter of the money sent by relatives to cover the costs of their basic needs.
Already bloggers who are still suffering freedoms strict surveillance by agents, which often ends in beatings, arrests and lengthy interrogations.
"The authorities fear nothing to silence dissent with persecutions, beatings, harsh interrogations and arrests unwarranted," RSF said in a statement.
At least 18 people are imprisoned in Vietnam for expressing opinions through social networks, according to RSF, which situates the Asian country in 172 th place (out of 179) in its press freedom index. After China, Iran, Vietnam appears as the third worst place for bloggers.
The Vietnamese Constitution supports freedom of speech and expression, rights which end up being limited by other statutory provisions, such as Article 88 of the penal code, which prohibits propaganda against the state and the Communist Party.
So consider the organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which denounced a government campaign of arrests and intimidation of bloggers before the case against Nguyen Van Hai, Phan Thanh Hai and Ta Phong Tan, founders of the portal "Network of Free Journalists".
The trial against the three activists, which could result in penalties of up to 20 years in prison for a crime of propaganda against the state, was suspended this week without official explanation and without a new date announced, after the death of the mother of one of the accused .
Dang Thi Kim Lieng, Ta Phong Tan's mother, immolated himself in protest against the arrest of his daughter, a former cop and former militant of the Communist Party, held in September 2011 after publishing articles denouncing social injustices and abuses in court country.
Applications for freedom made by the U.S. Embassy and Amnesty International did not effect the Hanoi government, which has seen how the spread of Internet access in Vietnam, where about 30 million users, can break down the monopoly of information in country.
Unlike journalists from newspapers, radio and television, receiving instruction each week about what they can publish and are subject to censorship, bloggers only need a camera phone and network connection to report cases of corruption, police repression and dispossession of land.
Through the internet, bloggers also organized demonstrations against Chinese claims in the South China Sea, a dispute that activists documented extolling the patriotic mood and at the same time, putting in doubt the government's ability to enforce the country's interests.
Given this situation, one of the answers given by the authorities was loosing control over the official press, which came to be encouraged to freely cover a violent protest against fishermen expropriation of their lands.
The other was to double internet censorship with arbitrary measures, such as a bill that would prohibit the participation of anonymous Internet users in chat rooms and blogs. Local authorities also began to require cooperation from companies like Google and Facebook in compliance with local laws of censorship, according revealed the dissident group Viet Tan, which has based in the United States.
Increased surveillance features caused the arrest of several activists who receive this censorship with all hardness than the law allows, or more.
This is the case of Nguyen Hai, one of three bloggers who awaits trial. Known as "Dieu Cay" - the name of a bamboo pipe very popular in rural areas - the activist is arrested since April 2008, and the maximum period of provisional imprisonment is 30 months.
The three detainees had their rights reduced, as visits by lawyers and family. According to humanitarian organizations, activists also can receive only a quarter of the money sent by relatives to cover the costs of their basic needs.
Already bloggers who are still suffering freedoms strict surveillance by agents, which often ends in beatings, arrests and lengthy interrogations.
"The authorities fear nothing to silence dissent with persecutions, beatings, harsh interrogations and arrests unwarranted," RSF said in a statement.
At least 18 people are imprisoned in Vietnam for expressing opinions through social networks, according to RSF, which situates the Asian country in 172 th place (out of 179) in its press freedom index. After China, Iran, Vietnam appears as the third worst place for bloggers.
The Vietnamese Constitution supports freedom of speech and expression, rights which end up being limited by other statutory provisions, such as Article 88 of the penal code, which prohibits propaganda against the state and the Communist Party.
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