VietNamNet Bridge – In an interview published in the website of the Authority of Foreign Information Service on May 13, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Bac Son said the media needs to guide the people to turn their patriotic feeling into the practical action to build an ever more powerful economy and defense to serve the national construction and defense and the protection of islands and sea.”

Illustrative image. – File photo

Minister Son said that in face of the people’s indignation against China’s brazen violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty, the media has simultaneously lodged its protest against it with its determined and powerful attitude.

At the same time, the press has also made public in time patriotism and support of the people in every corner of the country as well as of the Vietnamese abroad towards the Party and the Government.

“The press has brought news with patriotism of hundreds of thousands of reporters who have been sticking to the sites and event days and nights. Through the reports of the press, the people nationwide have grasped fully information, support and encouragement of the forces which are undauntedly struggling to defend the national sovereignty, reflecting the solid confidence in the Party and the Government,” the Minister further stressed.

He also stressed that the press needs to be vigilant to bring official news and be cautious to avoid being off guard. If the news is not complete and not precise, it would lead to groundless rumors and distorted guessing, thus affecting the overall situation.

He affirmed that our nation’s glorious history has proved that the Party’s clear-sighted and talented leadership, patriotism and undauntedness of the people in the just cause of defending national independence and sovereignty, in combination with the support of the international community will become the strength of the time, helping our country overcome all ordeals.

In the time to come, our press needs to continue to display its role and responsibility before the Fatherland, the people, expressing the fighting spirit of the revolutionary press. I believe that the press will always be the shock troop in the ideological front and will continue to make its worthy 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 and conforms to the situation of the press in the past few days?

The press is fast and sensitive in reflecting the event. It shows the responsibility in carrying out the propaganda of protecting sovereignty over islands and sea, reserving the volume, the amount of time and important position to carry the news on China’s illegal placing its oil rig in Vietnam’s waters.

Our press has been persistent for many years to disseminate information so that the people at home and the overseas Vietnamese can understand better and raise the high sense of sovereignty over the territories, territorial waters and exclusive economic zone. We should concentrate further the foreign relations information and mobilize the aggregate strength of the forces in the political system, in which the mass media plays an especially important role.

In carrying out the propaganda about sovereignty over islands and sea, it is necessary to have the strategy and tactics in information, in determining the concrete objects and locations so as to be able to select the suitable information mode.

China has revealed its scheme

A number of Chinese papers have intimidatory allegations and imprecise information on the event. So the Vietnamese communications shall not neglect it, shall it?

I think China’s wrong act is reflected through its scheme. Even Chinese press has carried distorted information, truth and justice are always on our side. The distorted information Chinese press and media have carried shows its true nature.

Our press has opposed in time these distorted allegations, and at the same time reaffirmed Vietnam’s true evidences of its sovereignty as well as the evidences of China’s brazen violation by sending its oil rig to Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone.

We need to continue to push ahead the measures in the diplomatic and political struggle through the media so that the world’s people as well as the Chinese people can be able to understand well the truth and see clearly China’s violation of international law, making negative impact on peace, stability and prosperity in the region and the world, its violation of the fundamental principles that direct the settlement of the sea issues between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the People’s Republic of China signed on October 11, 2011 in Beijing with the witness of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and General Secretary Hu Jintao.

A series of the world news carried the information on China’s ships which were attacking aggressively Vietnam’s ships when China illegally brought its oil rig into Vietnam’s waters, so how do you judge the support of the world’s media to Vietnam?

International media has reflected the nature of the thing that China had sent its oil rig into Vietnam’s continental shelf, violating Vietnam’s sovereignty. International media has reflected objectively through the statements of individuals and organizations, diplomatic representatives and officials at different levels in different countries, expressing their concern, worries and protest against China’s provocative and intimidatory acts.

Public opinion from Japan, India in the region and in the EU have demonstrated the worries over China’s unilateral provocative acts. I believe that public opinion has always stood by the side of truth and international media will continue to condemn the acts that have seriously violated international law.

Patriotism with action

Social networks are becoming hot, but there is information which is not precise about the issue. So what does the press have to do in face of this situation, Mr. Minister?

In the past few days, the reaction against China’s wrong acts that has violated Vietnam’s sovereignty has been constantly updated on the social networks. This has reflected the Vietnamese people’s patriotism and feelings towards their Fatherland. A lot of young people nationwide have posted the Fatherland’s flag in their webpages, reflecting their seething zeal to be ready to sacrifice for the country. This deserves being respected and taken pride in.

Besides, there are still a lot of ideas and information with different awareness around this issue. Some have expressed their fanatical or inciting viewpoints, even some information has distorted the truth.

I think, more than ever, the press needs the demonstrate its role of shock force to lead and guide public opinion, first of all, with the precise information and timely dissemination of the policies of the Party and the Government in all mass media, in which attention should be paid to the media on websites which are popular and spillover all over the world.

The press should guide the people to turn their sentiments and patriotism into the practical action to build an ever more powerful economy and national defense in service of the national construction and defense and the protection of border, islands and sea.

Source: Vietnam Plus