It is a great freedom to be able to open express opinions and beliefs on any topic without fear of retribution, abuse, or arrest. We are lucky, Being Frank Community, that we have such a freedom. Many others around the globe have no such freedom. I take for granted that I can challenge the radical view in this country of this government’s stance and lack of action on the problem of abortion. I take for granted that having an opinion directly contradicting a public authority will not get me censored or arrested. Unfortunately, for the people of Vietnam, doing any of the above will get you in hot water with the government.
Last month, a Catholic blogger in Vietnam was arrested for criticising the public media for distorting Pope Benedict XVI’s speech in June to Vietnam bishops. It just goes to show how Communism is an incredibly petty and controlling ideology wrought with systemic insecurities in its ability to perform as a political system, enough to silence any and all that criticise it.
From the CNA article, here is how Pope Benedict’s speech was distorted:
On August 24 the state media outlet Vietnam Net published an article titled “A good Catholic is a good citizen.” In that piece it quoted several phrases from Pope Benedict’s June 27 speech to visiting Vietnamese bishops.
Perhaps the most serious distortion of the article was its abuse of the Pope’s statement that the Church’s intention is “certainly not to replace government leaders,” Fr. An Dang said. This phrase was interpreted as evidence the Vatican had advance knowledge of a plot of Catholic priests to overthrow the government. The article called on all Vietnamese bishops to identify such attempts at once.
“The next day, television channels, radio stations, and newspapers re-broadcast the article with great emphasis and calls for urgent arrests and punishments against some Catholic priests in Thai Ha and Vinh diocese,” Sr. Emily Nguyen reported.
Another of Pope Benedict’s phrases, about how it is possible to have a “healthy collaboration” between the Church and the political community, was used to accuse Vietnamese church leaders of not following a policy of peaceful dialogue with the government and of maintaining a hostile attitude.
I thank God for the freedom to blog without fear of losing my freedom. But it begs the question, would I, or anyone of us, do it if it brought the possible consequence of arrest?
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