Vietnam cracks down on dissidents' books
HANOI - The state-controlled media in Vietnam say the
ruling Communist Party has ordered the seizure
and destruction of books written by several
leading dissidents.
A new decree passed last week allows the
police to destroy publications that have not
been authorised by the Communist Party.
The culture and information ministry has
thrown its weight behind the ruling, which was
reported in the daily newspaper Giai Phong or
Free Saigon
However, Vietnamese authorities consistently
deny that they are suppressing any dissent.
Diary target
The ban covers several books being sold
illegally, including the diary of a leading
dissident, Tran Do.
He is a retired general
and former senior
official in the
Communist Party who
has been calling for
reform.
Tran Do has in the past
complained of being
harassed over his diary
and his suggestions for
modernisation.
Another publication
that's been targeted is
called Meditation and Aspiration, written by a
geophysicist, Nguyen Thanh Giang.
He has also complained of surveillance and of
being kept under virtual house arrest.
Vietnam has a flourishing trade in unofficial
publications, which are produced on computers
and photocopied for underground circulation
and sale on the streets.
The Communist Party has little tolerance for
unapproved activities.
Last September, two dissidents in Hanoi were
detained after asking for permission to set up
an independent anti-corruption body.
The authorities in Vietnam strongly deny
reports from overseas human rights groups
about the suppression of dissent and
restrictions on religious freedom.
The party says it does not hold political
prisoners, but only those who break the law
and threaten national security.
By Clare Arthurs - BBC News - January 15, 2002.
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