In Vietnam, illegal copying and distribution of books are banned by the government. Liberal Publishing House publishes and distributes books Vietnam’s government does not wants its citizens to read.
- Title: The rise of Samizdat publishing in Vietnam
- Publish Date: January 14, 2020
- Publisher: Al Jazeera
Excerpt:
The government has long censored and controls its media and publishing industries and imposed tight restrictions on them.
The Law on Publishing prohibits “propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,” the “spread of reactionary ideology” and “the disclosure of secrets of the [Communist] Party, State, military, defence, economics, or external relations.”
Liberal Publishing House has published 11 books from eight authors during the past year on politically sensitive topics including China’s role in Vietnam and controversial legislation on Special Economic Zones. It has also released a legal handbook for jailed activists.
It is the first Samizdat in Vietnam to launch a website and Facebook page.
“We have tens of thousands of readers despite police repression and state censorship,” Ha said. “Many of them are members of the Communist Party.”
There is no way to verify these claims, but in October, Vietnamese authorities cracked down on Liberal Publishing House, its distribution network and readers.
In November, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch released a joint statement calling for an end to the intimidation and harassment of people either associated with the publisher’s activities or trying to obtain copies of Samizdat books.
By printing books they can make independent information look professional and legitimate to readers. If (readers) can hold it in their hands they trust it more.
BY TRINH HUU LONG, CO-FOUNDER, LEGAL INITIATIVES FOR VIETNAM.
According to Amnesty International’s Vietnam campaign team, police have questioned nearly 100 people for either owning or reading books printed by Liberal Publishing House.
“They know how dangerous and damaging [Samizdat publishing] is to their regime,” said Trinh Huu Long, a democracy activist and co-founder of Legal Initiatives for Vietnam.
“By printing books, they can make independent information look professional and legitimate to readers. If they can hold it in their hands they trust it more. It’s valuable.”
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