Vietnam lays base for Net controls (fwd)

[AnHai Doan <anhai@cs.washington.edu>]

>From AVSL:
VIETNAM LAYS BASE FOR NET CONTROLS

Reuters

HANOI - Vietnam edged closer to the information superhighway on Tuesday,
setting out rules aimed at allowing it to patrol domestic cyberspace by
placing Internet gateways and usage under state control.

A senior official at the General Department of Post and
Telecommunications told Reuters new regulations stipulated the formation
of a board to establish Internet operations in Vietnam, and government
controls on information content.

He said the measures come into effect this month, but added that
officials were still working on details and planned to meet in two
months time to discuss implementation.

``Everything will depend on the results of this meeting...but what we
should do is restructure the existing Net system in Vietnam,'' he said
by telephone.

Vietnam has a handful of providers at present who offer limited
electronic mail access to the Internet, but has yet to establish a full
commercial node.

The government imposed strict temporary regulations last year banning
direct access by private individuals and setting out measures providing
for the monitoring of information and subscribers.

State media said the latest regulations stipulated that information
available on the Internet should not violate domestic laws, which cover
distortions of the truth, state secrets and subversion.

Tuesday's Saigon Times Daily added that Internet users would be banned
from accessing the information superhighway direct via public telephone
lines.

The official was unable to provide a date for when Vietnam's
state-controlled Internet might become available.
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