Nguyen Phuong Nga, spokesperson for the Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs, made the statement at a regular press briefing in Hanoi on October 22 after the US House of Representatives on October 21 passed resolution H.RES.672 on freedom of the Internet in Vietnam. 

The US House of Representatives’ adoption of the resolution on a Vietnamese issue is not consistent with the norms of relations between nations or the growing ties between Vietnam and the US, said Ms Nga.

She said Vietnam always respects and safeguards its citizens’ fundamental rights to freedom, including freedom of the press and freedom of speech. In Vietnam no one is arrested, detained or tried for expressing their viewpoints.

She noted that never before has the Internet developed as rapidly in Vietnam as it does today. The country now has nearly 22 million Internet users, making up more than 25 percent of its total population while the the average level in Asia is 18.17 percent. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has listed Vietnam among the top 10 countries which achieved the fastest Internet development in the world between 2002-2007. 

Ms nga concluded by saying that the Vietnamese State ensures that the Internet develops in a healthy and lawful manner, making a significant contribution to the exchange of information and promoting the citizens’ understanding of the country’s stability and development.