VIETNAM: Attacks on Journalists A Wake-Up Call
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On Jan. 6, 'Nguoi Lao Dong' (‘The Labourer’) newspaper correspondent Tran The Dung, who was investigating smuggling in Dong Dang town in the northern province of Lang Son, was beaten up by a gang of suspected chicken smugglers. The Lang Son and Mon Cai border gates between Vietnam and China are busy ports where motorbikes, carts and other vehicles cross to carry goods to and from China. Cheap products from China are often found to be smuggled and sold in Vietnam. Also attacked in separate incidents on the same day were two reporters from 'Tien Phong' newspaper. Witnesses say that Vo Minh Chai was beaten up while colleague Minh Thuy was chased by two knife-wielding men while they were investigating illegal land encroachment issues in the central province of Ha Tinh. According to witnesses, Dung was attacked by eight men on the road while bystanders ignored his plea for help. Reports say he suffered multiple injuries to his chest, stomach and ribs, but is now recuperating in the hospital. Media reports showed Dung’s badly beaten, swollen face as he sat in hospital. "Dung was in a border area where lots of unlawful things happen so it wasn't really a surprise that it happened," said a Vietnamese editor, who asked not to be identified. She said that past cases of journalist beatings involved either private security forces or local gang members. "It is dangerous for journalists working on a story about smuggling in Vietnam. Smugglers are bullies and they resort to violence when confronted," another journalist for a magazine said. Still, she expressed surprised at the brazen act of the suspects even in the presence of police authorities. According to reports, when Dung managed to escape his attackers, a car driven by one of the suspects stopped him and took him to the police station for some reason. The suspect was not detained. "This is surprising because the suspects seem to want to challenge authorities when they took Dung to the policemen who did nothing to capture the attackers," the magazine journalist said. She added that some of these gang members are "former criminals" and "sometimes own hot weapons". Smuggling, she said, is common in areas of Vietnam that are difficult to access but are danger zones for those wanting to do some investigative work. For fear of retaliation and threats, local residents keep silent when they witness such violence, she said. 'Nguoi Lao Dong' managing editor Duong Quang said that the Lang Son police department is currently investigating the case. Media organisations and publications such as the Vietnam Journalists Association and the local press association in Ho Chi Minh have condemned the incident and have extended assistance to Dung. "Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and other organisations have given money to the victim and encouraged him and us here at 'Nguoi Lao Dong' to continuously fight against the smugglers," he told AMF in an e-mail interview. Observers add that this incident opened up questions on how lax local authorities are in implementing the law against such groups. Some even suspect that criminal groups bribe the police and thus enjoy 'protection'. "Some local authorities are cooperating with them (smugglers) so they think they can do anything," the magazine journalist explained. Besides, she added, chicken smuggling is "not a serious offense" here. "Smugglers are released easily and may seek revenge to whoever reported them, including journalists." This is why not many local journalists cover the said issue, she explained. "[The incident] does show that the government is doing a bad job at containing smuggling, and society is at risk," said the Vietnamese editor. The incident has also created a stir in the local media, which have covered the incident as well. "To be honest, this is the least the Vietnamese media can do. At least it doesn't involve the central government so they can talk more freely," said the editor, referring to the government's tight control of the media. In a way, she added, 'making noise' about this incident is "easier" because "it's a smugglers' thing" and not a press freedom issue. Some journalists say that media organisations are in the best position to protect their own staff. "This is the reason why there are very few independent journalists in Vietnam," the editor said. She does not think that the incidents will prevent journalists from writing about similar issues in the future, but says the attacks are a lesson for others. "Maybe next time around, journalists will plan more carefully when covering 'sensitive' areas, such as not bringing conspicuous cameras, developing wider networks, and strengthening individual relationships with contacts," she added. When asked about the impact of the incident to the budding investigative journalism reporting in Vietnam, a veteran journalist based in Ho Chi Minh City said that he's not really concerned. "I don't think it will have much negative effect. It's part of the risks of being journalists but this will not prevent them from reporting on important issues," he said. (END/IPSAP/AMV/LLC/JS/140110) |
Aung Htun (not his real name) is one of the young video journalists featured in the award-winning feature documentary 'Burma VJ (Reporting from a Closed Country)'. 
