RSF: Need to be honest and objective!

16/5/15





In recent years, Reporters Without Borders (RWB), or Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) has often issued incautious and biased assessments of Vietnam’s press freedom situation. Early this year, RSF continued its judgements distorting Vietnam’s press freedom situation in spite of truth and reality. In its annual reports, RSF rated Vietnam as one of the worst countries for press freedom.
RSF is a France-based international non-profit, non-governmental organization that promotes and defends freedom of information and freedom of the press. The organization has consultant status at the United Nations
 On website williamblum.org of American expert William Blum in January 20th 2015, there is an article “Murdering journalists... them and us”. The article mentions some events related to freedom of press showing Western hypocrisy. There are cluster of murders of journalist and assaults of media agencies like assault on Serbia’s state-run media in 1999, Al-Jazeera’s office in 2003 in Baghdad killing 3 reporters and injuring 4 others, in the same year, Palestine hotel in Baghdad killing two foreign cameramen, in 2007 two Reuters’ reporters killed in Iraq, etc. RSF always claims its missions are to continuously monitor attacks on freedom of information worldwide; denounce any such attacks in the media; act in cooperation with governments to fight censorship and laws aimed at restricting freedom of information; morally and financially assist persecuted journalists, as well as their families and offer material assistance to war correspondents in order to enhance their safety, but, it likely ignores all these incidents. For that, it’s not so strange when some accuses on RSF said that this organization had discriminations and selection on events of journalists. The selection is likely directed by the U.S. State Department to ignore anti-press incidents in the U.S. and its allies.
 So, it is ironical when comparing “RSF’s supreme cause” with incident of a Sudanese reporter photographer who came back home after 6 years imprisoned in Guantanamo prison which belongs to the U.S. on Vietnamses VOA in 2010. According to the news of incidents, cameraman Al-Haj of Al-Jazeera who had been detained by Pakistan’s military in 2001 came back home after 6 years being held without any indictment. After being released, he told Al-Jazeera even mouse was treated more humanely than Guantanamo’s detainees, and it was worse day by day. Where is RSF - who always self-proclaims as the guard of justice and freedom for press? Why doesn’t it speak for these journalists? Maybe it is busy in interfering and slandering other countries’s press freedom situation. This behavior is a symbol of implementing conception of double standard. It is prejudice, unfair and immoral against the principle that all are equal and free, especially before laws.
 To Vietnam, not just Vietnamese VOA, RFA, BBC… always interview Benjamin Ismail who is RSF’s envoy in Asian and help him to falsely accuse the Party and State of Vietnam, and request Vietnam to do this or that for press freedom. And, dispite the real development of Vietnam press, RSF’s reports shamelessly continue their allegations about Vietnam’s press freedom.
 There is an obvious truth that through all this years, RSF always ignores robust development on all aspects of Vietnamese press and media. According to statistics of Ministry of Information and Communication, to 2014, Vietnam has 845 press agencies with 1,111 publications, 67 broadcasting stations and a large number of television channels, a lot of electronic magazines and newspapers, news websites… Also, according to the Vietnamese Journalist Association, there are 21,688 members operating in 63 provinces with 19 inter-branches and 206 branches. And, there are now 18,000 reporters granted press cards.
 Though, there’s still short-comings in operating process, such as violating rules and principles of journalism, intensifying content to attract viewers, spreading contents that nagatively affect social culture and national traditions…, Vietnam’s press has done good jobs in speaking for the State, reflecting people’s aspirations, protecting civilians’ rights and bridging the gap between the government and people. Vietnam’s press also plays pioneer in fight against corruption and waste. Those statistics are undeniable facts, but RSF has rejected them, because of admiting the truth, RSF will no longer have excuses to distort and slander against the Party and State of Vietnam.
 To organize and manage all social activities and relations in harmony with country’s development direction, each country has its own laws. To extent of profession, law system sets specific requirements for each jobs like license, card or qualifications. For journalism, not every one is assumed reporter or journalist if he or she does not meet criterions. So, we can not consider bloggers, facebookers, twitters or any members of social networks or websites as reporters or journalists. But, RSF seems not to acknowledge that, with its ploy of deceiving the public, RSF has turned these elements into “journalists” in an attempt to propagandize and falsely accuse the State of Vietnam of violating press freedom to protect some offenders who are “conducting propaganda against the State of Vietnam”, “abusing rights of freedom and democracy to infringe upon the interests of the State, the legitimate rights and interests of organizations and/or citizens”… For these manners of RSF, we can not believe in any allegations and reports of this organization about Vietnam’s freedom of press. Prestige and reputation of any organization build on an honest, fair and objective attitute. Whether RSF reviews its prestige and image towards the public?./.
Chia sẻ bài viết ^^
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All comments [ 13 ]


yobro yobro 16/5/15 16:51

This organization is not trustful, and we can assert that it is a tool of the U.S. and Western countries to spread their value of human rights and freedom.

Red Star 16/5/15 16:53

Right, RSF, HRW, Amnesty International or RFA, RFI, BBC, they are all means of propaganda served for America and the West.

John Smith 16/5/15 16:54

Just don't care about its bullshit reports and allegations!

Gentle Moon 16/5/15 16:56

Vietnam’s press has done good jobs in speaking for the State, reflecting people’s aspirations, protecting civilians’ rights and bridging the gap between the government and people.

LawrenceSamuels 16/5/15 16:58

We must have programs, campaigns to propagandize against RSF's distorted reports and its biased activities.

For A Peace World 16/5/15 17:00

So shameful that RSF claim themself as a guard for journalists and freedom of press!

Socialist Society 16/5/15 17:03

I agree with you, Hoang Lan, we must protest against RSF and any other organizations that operate opposite to their objectives and slander our country's situation of freedom.

Me Too! 16/5/15 17:04

It’s not so strange when some accuses on RSF said that this organization had discriminations and selection on events of journalists.

Voice of people 16/5/15 17:07

Say one thing and do another, RSF's words and deeds are inconsistent and untrustful. Why does any of its reports have value and influence?

Vietnam Love 16/5/15 17:11

RSF has turned those elements like bloggers Me Nam, Nguoi Lot Gach,... into “journalists” in an attempt to propagandize and falsely accuse the State of Vietnam of violating press freedom. So unreasonable!

Anthony Jones 16/5/15 23:45

It's better to stop hostile actions like that, beacause nobody will believe that in the digital era.

Unknown 16/5/15 23:52

in Vietnam, there are too many kind of newspapers. Vietnam's also one of countries with the most internet users in the world.

Unknown 16/5/15 23:57

in any country, every behaviors must obey laws, otherwise disordered society

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