In an interview published in the website of the Authority of ForeignInformation Service on May 13, Minister of Information andCommunications Nguyen Bac Son said the media needs to guide the peopleto turn their patriotic feeling into the practical action to build anever more powerful economy and defense to serve the nationalconstruction and defense and the protection of islands and sea.”
MinisterSon said that in face of the people’s indignation against China’sbrazen violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty, the media has simultaneouslylodged its protest against it with its determined and powerful attitude.
Atthe same time, the press has also made public in time patriotism andsupport of the people in every corner of the country as well as of theVietnamese abroad towards the Party and the Government.
“Thepress has brought news with patriotism of hundreds of thousands ofreporters who have been sticking to the sites and event days and nights.Through the reports of the press, the people nationwide have graspedfully information, support and encouragement of the forces which areundauntedly struggling to defend the national sovereignty, reflectingthe solid confidence in the Party and the Government,” the Ministerfurther stressed.
He also stressed that the press needs to bevigilant to bring official news and be cautious to avoid being offguard. If the news is not complete and not precise, it would lead togroundless rumors and distorted guessing, thus affecting the overallsituation.
He affirmed that our nation’s glorious history hasproved that the Party’s clear-sighted and talented leadership,patriotism and undauntedness of the people in the just cause ofdefending national independence and sovereignty, in combination with thesupport of the international community will become the strength of thetime, helping our country overcome all ordeals.
In the time tocome, our press needs to continue to display its role and responsibilitybefore the Fatherland, the people, expressing the fighting spirit ofthe revolutionary press. I believe that the press will always be theshock troop in the ideological front and will continue to make itsworthy contribution to the defense of sovereignty over islands and sea.
Defining tactics and strategy of information
*How do you judge the information that is correct, hits the target andconforms to the situation of the press in the past few days?
Thepress is fast and sensitive in reflecting the event. It shows theresponsibility in carrying out the propaganda of protecting sovereigntyover islands and sea, reserving the volume, the amount of time andimportant position to carry the news on China’s illegal placing its oilrig in Vietnam’s waters.
Our press has been persistent for manyyears to disseminate information so that the people at home and theoverseas Vietnamese can understand better and raise the high sense ofsovereignty over the territories, territorial waters and exclusiveeconomic zone. We should concentrate further the foreign relationsinformation and mobilize the aggregate strength of the forces in thepolitical system, in which the mass media plays an especially importantrole.
In carrying out the propaganda about sovereignty overislands and sea, it is necessary to have the strategy and tactics ininformation, in determining the concrete objects and locations so as tobe able to select the suitable information mode.
China has revealed its scheme
*A number of Chinese papers have intimidatory allegations andimprecise information on the event. So the Vietnamese communicationsshall not neglect it, shall it?
I think China’s wrong act isreflected through its scheme. Even Chinese press has carried distortedinformation, truth and justice are always on our side. The distortedinformation Chinese press and media have carried shows its true nature.
Ourpress has opposed in time these distorted allegations, and at the sametime reaffirmed Vietnam’s true evidences of its sovereignty as well asthe evidences of China’s brazen violation by sending its oil rig toVietnam’s exclusive economic zone.
We need to continue to pushahead the measures in the diplomatic and political struggle through themedia so that the world’s people as well as the Chinese people can beable to understand well the truth and see clearly China’s violation ofinternational law, making negative impact on peace, stability andprosperity in the region and the world, its violation of the fundamentalprinciples that direct the settlement of the sea issues between theSocialist Republic of Vietnam and the People’s Republic of China signedon October 11, 2011 in Beijing with the witness of General SecretaryNguyen Phu Trong and General Secretary Hu Jintao.
*A series ofthe world news carried the information on China’s ships which wereattacking aggressively Vietnam’s ships when China illegally brought itsoil rig into Vietnam’s waters, so how do you judge the support of theworld’s media to Vietnam?
International media has reflected thenature of the thing that China had sent its oil rig into Vietnam’scontinental shelf, violating Vietnam’s sovereignty. International mediahas reflected objectively through the statements of individuals andorganizations, diplomatic representatives and officials at differentlevels in different countries, expressing their concern, worries andprotest against China’s provocative and intimidatory acts.
Publicopinion from Japan, India in the region and in the EU have demonstratedthe worries over China’s unilateral provocative acts. I believe thatpublic opinion has always stood by the side of truth and internationalmedia will continue to condemn the acts that have seriously violatedinternational law.
Patriotism with action
*Social networks arebecoming hot, but there is information which is not precise about theissue. So what does the press have to do in face of this situation, Mr.Minister?
In the past few days, the reaction against China’swrong acts that has violated Vietnam’s sovereignty has been constantlyupdated on the social networks. This has reflected the Vietnamesepeople’s patriotism and feelings towards their Fatherland. A lot ofyoung people nationwide have posted the Fatherland’s flag in theirwebpages, reflecting their seething zeal to be ready to sacrifice forthe country. This deserves being respected and taken pride in.
Besides,there are still a lot of ideas and information with different awarenessaround this issue. Some have expressed their fanatical or incitingviewpoints, even some information has distorted the truth.
Ithink, more than ever, the press needs the demonstrate its role of shockforce to lead and guide public opinion, first of all, with the preciseinformation and timely dissemination of the policies of the Party andthe Government in all mass media, in which attention should be paid tothe media on websites which are popular and spillover all over theworld.
The press should guide the people to turn their sentimentsand patriotism into the practical action to build an ever more powerfuleconomy and national defense in service of the national constructionand defense and the protection of border, islands and sea.-VNA