Slashdot Mirror
Vietnamese Gov't to Monitor Net Cafe Customers
echucker writes: "In a story reminiscent of a recent slashdot article about a Chinese crackdown, CNN is reporting that the Vietnamese government plans to keep tabs on users at over 4,00o net cafes there. Local officials are to report back to national authorities by July 7th on status of cafes in their jurisdiction. Better surf quick, folks!"
Frankly, such behaviour is par for the course in the Far East. Really, we should be thankful they've permitted relatively free communication thus far, and that regions like Japan and Hong Kong manage to permit some sort of unhindered exchange of ideas. Were this story about the UK, I'd be surprised. As it is, I'm willing to chalk it up to cultural differences and let it go at that.
"I'm a rocket man / Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone." - Sir Elton John
It is because of government policies like this that Vietnam is one of the poorest countries in the world, with a family income of about $390 per year. When the government is so destructive, it is difficult for people to help themselves. Source: BBC Country profile: Vietnam
Quote from the article:
Some party leaders are worried, however, that too much economic liberalisation will weaken their power base and introduce "decadent" ideas into Vietnamese society.
The "party leaders" have plenty of money, of course, and they care only about themselves.
+1 Movie Reference
Its a shame governments don't learn from history and sound management theory: blatant micromanagement pisses people off. People are by nature an independent bunch, if you're going to tell them what to do / think you better do in it a non-obvious way (the tactic that works so well for the good ole USA). Moves like this just piss the citizens off without any significant gain for the government.
Maybe we need another war to set 'em straight.
It really amazes me sometimes how good we have it and how badly citizens of other countries have it.
A little over two hundred years ago, the colonists in America rose up over issues like taxation, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion...
Ok...so our ancestors (for those of us who are American) didn't have equal representation, their tea was too expensive, and they couldn't talk smack about the King...
The didn't have to put up with, and we don't have to put up with...
The lists I've just written down are obviously not meant to be exhaustive or conclusive...just put things into a bit of perspective. When citizens of other countries are treated with far less value than those of us in the developed world, why would they care if their internet activity is being monitored? I think they have far bigger issues than that.
The really interesting question for me is, what is the breaking point for each of these peoples? Internet privacy might be a big issue for us because we're well-fed (most of us) and don't have to worry about how we're going to pay for a movie ticket, but for a lot of people in other parts of the world, I think it's just a continuation of the status quo into another part of life. In fact, I'm amazed that Internet cafe's weren't monitored by nations like China or Vietnam in the first place!
I'm afraid I don't really know enough history to be able to answer that question.
I should have picked out the nickname Demosthenes!Tecumseh.
As recently as 3 or 4 years ago (last time I was there) they were still burning books, harrasing prostitues (while in the mean time corrupt cops are using them to blackmail foreign tourists), and selectively destroying advertisment (lets say this week Coke was cool, Pepsi was evil).
Their naivite is typical of the technologicaly ignorant though: most Western companies used to have full uncensored access to the Internet via their corporate backbones. As far as I remember Vietnamese workers were not closing their eyes while surfing foreign media sites.
IANAL but write like a drunk one.
I haven't been there, but my wife is from there, and I've read up on the nation.
The people are conservative. They dress well, follow politics, and read a lot. And I'm talking before TV, so don't think of that excuse. They have a much higher literacy rate than other nations such as, oh, the U.S.
Maybe it's due to the general European cultured influence of France, who had colonized them. Or maybe it's the Asian mindset.
So now Vietnam follows the path of many other nations: independent nation, to European colony, to communist revolution, to market economy.
It's not there yet.
The government does watch its people. It's a communist state, like you probably imagine Russia was decades ago.
Probably they'll go through lots of corruption and mob-type stuff even after becoming more capitalist. Just like Russia is becoming, and the U.S. is now.
But don't think the people are stupid, or aren't aware of this. These things take time to change and don't happen overnight. But they will.
--
Marc A. Lepage
Software Developer
Well, with Carnivore, what else can we expect?
The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
When you are that poor your social values are almost completely overwhelmed by poverty.
The Vietnam government officials live as we and other people from the wealthy countries in the west do, showing what they truly believe. The officials are only worried about control, nothing more.