LIV Executive Director, Tran Quynh Vi, Cited in FairPlanet’s Feature on Vietnam’s Ongoing Disinformation Campaign

LIV Executive Director and Editor-in-Chief of The Vietnamese Magazine, Tran Quynh Vi, was cited in FairPlanet’s feature article, “INSIDE VIETNAM'S TOP-DOWN DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN.” Written by Hướng Thiện and published on March 31, 2024, the article discusses the monopoly held by the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) on domestic news outlets and the ongoing attempts to stifle criticism and dissent on social media platforms. Highlighting various tactics employed by the CPV to restrict freedom of speech and expression, the article focuses on the deliberate mistranslations of international news, the omission of news that might challenge the legitimacy of the CPV, crackdowns on domestic press, and the troubling collusion between Western social media companies and the Vietnamese government.

Established in Berlin in 2014, FairPlanet is a global non-profit social enterprise and solutions media organization committed to human rights, environmental justice, and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They regularly report on various social issues to raise awareness and create impactful changes and progress worldwide. 

"I am really particularly concerned about the safety of journalists and of the people in Vietnam," Tran Quynh Vi says in response to the escalating surveillance and censorship measures being implemented by the CPV on social media. 

In addition, she emphasizes that social media companies should do more to protect their users in Vietnam rather than accede to the demands of the communist party. "I hope that Western social media companies, such as Facebook, would care about the people they serve in the region."

The CPV has been actively intensifying censorship on all forms of press and the distribution of news. This has led to the spread of several misleading narratives and misinformation in Vietnam and the relentless persecution and incarceration of activists and journalists who advocate for human rights and freedom of expression. The insights shared by Tran Quynh Vi shed light on these troubling realities, making it essential to demand transparency and accountability from the government and social media companies that operate within the country.