Vietnam party chief warns of cultural decline
HANOI - The head of the Vietnam
Communist Party, Le Kha Phieu, has warned that
commercialisation of the media and arts was threatening
to undermine revolutionary cultural traditions, local
media reported on Friday.
In a speech in Hanoi on Thursday to top publishers and
other media representatives, Phieu, who is the country's
top leader, said the profit motive was causing books,
newspapers and magazines to veer away from political
issues.
``We need to strictly look into the weakness of the press
which is the commercialisation which has not been
stopped and is actually an increasing trend,'' said Phieu,
whose speech was printed in the daily party mouthpiece
Nhan Dan (People).
``There are signs of moving away from the lines and
goals, and of avoiding political issues...or avoidance of
fighting on the cultural ideological front,'' he added.
Phieu said that publications looking to boost circulation
and profit through catering to ``a minority of the public''
had caused harm to the nation's cultural traditions.
While there is no official state censor in Vietnam, private
media ownership is barred and all editors are personally
responsible for the contents of their publications.
With the end of state subsidies, advertising has become
crucial to the survival of most of Vietnam's publications.
Even Nhan Dan has bowed to the inevitable, and
advertisements run recently included a full page for the
``Amazing Thailand'' tourist campaign.
Efforts to boost circulation have led to a large growth in
tabloid-style reporting in newspapers once seen as
traditionally conservative.
Cong An Thanh Pho Ho Chi Minh (Ho Chi Minh City
Police) newspaper now peppers its pages with lurid
reports of violence and crime, while maintaining dry
political stories and party propoganda.
An Ninh The Gioi (World Security) -- published by the
Police Ministry (the renamed Interior Ministry) --
followed the Clinton sex scandal in graphic detail.
Phieu stressed the role of the media was to support the
Communist Party.
``Nowadays to maintain the national identity is to reflect
the cause of the party and the entire people to build and
defend the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,'' he said.
The domestic publishing industry has florished in the 10
years since Hanoi began to free itself of the shackles of
its bankrupt old Soviet-style command economy.
Some newspapers, while tightly controlled, have tested
the bounds of political leeway and been instrumental in
rooting out corruption, albeit generally at lower levels,
and social vice.
``The press played a role in fighting corruption,
bureaucracy, violations of democratic freedoms and the
degeneration of some cadres and party members,'' said
Phieu.
But some journalists have gone too far and unwittingly
stepped across the invisible line.
Nguyen Hoang Linh, former editor of Doanh Nghiep
(Enterprise) newspaper has been in detention for around
a year after he wrote a series of articles alleging serious
fraud in the customs department over two deals to
purchase patrol boats.
He was expected to stand trial on charges of ``abusing
democracy'' on September 10, although the hearing has
been delayed a second time.
Reuters - October 09, 1998.
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