Blogging in Vietnam in 2009

This from the Committee to Protect Journalists brought back some memories. I remember trying to encourage a number of Vietnamese to blog when I lived in Saigon. Paranoia and fear of a knock at the door fuel self-censorship. It really doesn't take much to get banged up in Vietnam as the blogger behind this article knows only too well,

Authorities working with the police have repeatedly visited my family inside Vietnam, even though they have nothing to do with my writings. They have through my family tried to pressure me to shut down my blog, which to date has attracted nearly one million page views and international media attention.

I have been a blogger since 2006 and I have twice in the last three years had to relocate my Yahoo! blog page. At first I thought I was the victim of unknown hackers, but later discovered that Yahoo had taken steps to freeze my account. I personally don't see how the political views expressed on my blog violate Yahoo!'s terms of service.

After repeated attempts to phone and e-mail Yahoo customer service, I have yet to receive a clear answer about why my blog was suspended. I believe it is worth noting that Vu Minh Tri, the head of Yahoo Southeast Asia Pte Ltd which operates the 360° blog service in Vietnam, is on record saying: "Yahoo is willing to cooperate with government agencies to ensure a clean and healthy social network."

I'd like to emphasize that blogger and Internet freedom in Vietnam is not only contingent on the government's policies, but also on the actions of multinational Internet companies such as Yahoo as well. link

Comments

[Darrell Mudd]

Read my blog at http://blogs.hdnews.net/vietnam/
I visited Vietnam in April/May of 2009, from Saigon to Hanoi. Over three weeks I was researching my upcoming fictional bestseller, "Cold War Burning," as well as, revisiting sites I was stationed back during the war, 1970-1971.
I noticed all Vietnamese I talked with had a yahoo email address.
muddman