Wednesday, August 10, 2016, 07:58 (GMT+7)
Be vigilant and active in refuting false information on Internet

We are now able to access loads of information on the Internet everyday. Besides useful information, there’s a lot of inaccurate one with distorted content adversely affecting national interests, running counter to the Party, the regime and the country’s development. As a result, it is critical to be vigilant and proactively fight against this source of information.

With the development of science and technology, people’s democracy and freedom of information are developing robustly with the advent of social networks and search tools, such as: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google, Gmail, etc. with thousands of users. Vietnam is among the top countries in the South East Asia region to enjoy fastest development and application of Internet with 52% of its population using Internet. There are over 100 million mobile phone subscribers and the most popular social network in the country is Facebook with over 30 million users.

Internet provides favorable conditions for groups and individuals to exploit information; broaden their international relations and integration; promote cooperation, mutual understanding and development. Moreover, through Internet, people are able to express their opinion and criticism to the Party, State on the guidelines and solutions for the country’s construction and development. It can be said that, in Vietnam, people’s freedom of information through the Internet is increasingly upheld, contributing to enhancing people’s knowledge, fostering industrialization, modernization, and international integration for the goal of “prosperous people, strong, democratic, equitable and civilized country”. However, exploiting Internet, overseas hostile forces in association with domestic reactionaries and opportunists are increasing their propaganda with false information to sabotage Vietnam in the field of ideology and culture, defame the Party, regime and split the social solidarity. According to incomplete statistics, there are about 400 exile hostile organizations, 380 newspapers and magazines, 60 radios broadcasting Vietnamese program; over 80 publishers and thousands of websites regularly having news, articles, publications against Vietnam. Domestically, there are hundreds of websites, bloggs, Facebook accounts run by opportunists and discontented people in the name of “democrats”, exploiting “social criticism” to spread false information, counter the country’s development. Their aim is to strengthen the “Peaceful Evolution” strategy, foster “self evolution” and “self transformation” in the society in order to split up the national solidarity; degrade people’s belief in the Party, State and regime; causse political instability, social disorder and carry out a “colour revolution” to set up a “pluralism” democracy in the country. Their posts focus on distorting the country’s history, tradition, Marxism – Leninism, President Ho Chi Minh’s life and moral example, the Party’s guidelines, viewpoints, law and policies of the state; defaming the regime, leaders, etc. They appear more frequently at the time of big celebrations or political events of the country or the complex situations of the region and the world. In 2015 and during the first half of 2016, they concentrated on Party congresses at all levels; the election of deputies to the National Assembly and the election of deputies to People’s Councils at all levels for 2016 – 2021. Particularly, they focused on denying the leadership of the Party over the State, society, and the Army; the 2013 Constitution and other laws, bills of the State; denying the causes and the significance of our victory in the resistance war against the US invaders, etc. The methods they use are delicate and dangerous, such as: forming hidden groups; assigning task force to study the country’s situation and taking advantage of loopholes, limitations, shortcomings in the direction and management of the State to distort, incite and sabotage; searching, gethering information and opinions on economic, military, security fields and on corruption fighting, cadre disciplining, etc to fabricate and exaggerate the situation confusing and causing social chaos. Their propaganda is mainly targeted at the young, particularly overseas students, highly qualified people, children of senior leaders, politically and morally degraded cadres and party members, opportunists, and revisionists. Regarding the forces, they closely link domestic groups with overseas ones to create “virtual spaces”, setting up abroad servers websites; connecting with political opportunists of “Association”, “League” who call themselves “democracy” and “human rights” activists to spread distorted information serving their own purposes. Besides, they also hire hackers to penetrate computer systems of national critical agencies to steal secret documents.

Being vigilant and countering the false information to foil the “Peaceful Evolution” strategy on the Internet has become a critical and urgent task of our Party, State and people. To be successful, the State should implement synchronous measures, including institutions (bill, ordinance, decree, etc), technical methods, and promote the strength of all groups, forces and people to purify the Internet. Accordingly, levels should strengthen and enhance the quality of propagation, information orientation for people and uphold the role of the press and media on Internet. To protect the freedom of information, purify the information in the society, sectors, particularly functional bodies should strictly adhere to information providing mechanism (speaker) with the press and media to fast and accurately spread information, refuting all distorted and harmful one. Moreover, through official information, it is necessary to actively provide orientation for domestic and abroad people toward “hot” issues to make them unanimous on the Party’s lines, State’s laws and policies. Especially, it is important to conduct propagation so that people are aware of the hostile forces’ plots and schemes of sabotage on Internet; clarifying the complicated matters of public concern, not to let people lack or  be confused by information.

What’s more, it is necessary to pay attention to building, consolidating and enhancing the effectiveness of the specialized force. To do that, it is necessary to hold extensive classes in writing technics and skills, persuade and stimulate their self studying and self training. Meanwhile, more investment should be invested in materials and facilities to help them promote their ability during the struggle against harmful information on the Internet.

Finally, there should be regulations and rules on Internet in conformity with the law; classified documents should be strictly controlled; cadres and staffs’ working environment, internal affairs and their social relations should be closely supervised; speech and information regulations must be followed when using social networks in case hostile forces may distort the information for their plots.

Minh Son

Your Comment (0)