September 16, 2010
Contact:
Duy Hoang
+1.202.470.0845 Viet Tan launches “No Firewall Campaign”
Viet Tan launched a new website and blog today to assist Vietnamese internet users learn about circumvention techniques and digital security. With 25 million citizens now online, authorities in Vietnam have stepped up efforts to restrict internet freedom and monitor computer users.
In recent months, Vietnamese authorities have waged hacker attacks against independent Vietnamese-language blogs and websites featuring pro-democracy content. Internet police working under the Ministry of Public Security have spread malicious software to steal passwords and spy on bloggers and human rights activists. In April, the People’s Committee of Hanoi ordered all retail establishments offering internet services in the capital, including hotels and internet cafes, to install “green dam”-like software to monitor users. And local internet service providers in Vietnam remain under government order to block popular social networking sites such as Facebook and Multiply.
To help Vietnamese internet users to access securely the websites of their choosing and avoid the prying eyes of security police, Viet Tan has translated into Vietnamese well-regarded handbooks on circumvention and digital security from leading NGOs and made the materials available at www.nofirewall.net and http://nofirewall.blogspot.com.
Viet Tan believes that a free internet is essential to Vietnam’s socio-economic development and to increasing the political space in the country. The No Firewall Campaign is part of Viet Tan’s ongoing effort to advocate for internet freedom, empower a blogger movement and support civil disobedience in Vietnam.
About Viet Tan
The mission of Viet Tan is to overcome dictatorship, build the foundation for a sustainable democracy, and demand justice and human rights for the Vietnamese people through a nonviolent struggle based on civic participation.
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