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In Vietnam: Being a Blogger Could Land You In Jail, Cost You Your Life

Posted by Soulskill on from the blog-free-or-die dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Bloggers in Vietnam are increasingly finding themselves thrown in jail. Despite freedom of speech being enshrined in the nation's Constitution, many who speak out against the government are thrown in jail — thanks to a new law that forbids such talk. In one desperate act, Dang Thi Kim Lieng lit herself on fire outside the Bac Lieu People's Committee building in southern Vietnam. She died of her injuries. She was protesting the detention of her daughter who was arrested for blogging against the government. Three other bloggers are scheduled be tried under section 88 of the criminal code, which relates to propaganda against the nation. A maximum sentence could carry with it 20 years in jail."

3 of 144 comments (clear)

  1. I say by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    We go to WAR!!! That will teach them.

  2. Waiting for the repenting... by jmorris42 · · Score: -1, Troll

    This goes out to all those hippies who flew Viet Cong flags and were oh so sure that if the Evil Wicked Americans would just lose the Vietnam War that the peaceful VC would make a wonderful People's Republic and everything would be rainbow shitting unicorns... OK ASSHOLES, you got your wish. It has been a generation now, where is the paradise? Or you you ready to admit you were just traitors yet and that it wasn't even in a good cause? Eh? I can't hear you.

    --
    Democrat delenda est
    1. Re:Waiting for the repenting... by jmorris42 · · Score: -1, Troll

      > You really missed the whole point, didn't you? It wasn't our fight!

      No, it is you who are mistaken... about a great many things. "It isn't our fight." was one of the arguments against the war, one I admit can and was argued by people of good faith. It is a real question that you can have an honest debate over. I wasn't old enough to have been in that fight and hindsight is always 20/20 so redebating that one probably isn't much use now. However that wasn't the argument the bulk of the professional 'anti-war' left were engaging in. They weren't against war, they weren't even against that specific war, they were pro VC. They didn't just want US forces out they were very vocal in declaring their love of the VC and their hope the VC would defeat us.

      When you march under the VC flag, it is hard to then argue you weren't on their side. When Hanoi Jane goes and entertains the enemy's troops and isn't denounced by any notable 'anti-war' leaders or even famous rank and file, you cannot then argue that that whole movement was not in fact on the VC side.

      So I say again to all the hippies who were on that side; Are you still happy to have been on that side? Is killing bloggers who oppose the State something you only support when they do it over there or are you waiting for your King Putt to bring the practice home to here?

      --
      Democrat delenda est