VietNamNet Bridge - Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has asked relevant bodies to clarify VinaPhone’s messages inviting its subscribers to watch a video clip about the death of an 8-year-old boy at the Hanoi-based Central Children's Hospital.

The advertising message from VinaPhone.

On April 22, many subscribers of VinaPhone, one of the three largest mobile networks in Vietnam, saw an advertising message with the controversial content. "An 8-year-old boy died suddenly at the Central Children's Hospital” and “More than 10,000 cases of measles across the country” are Vietnam’s most-watched video clips at present. Typing DK VCLIP 9234 and sending to 9234 ....".

After reading this message, many subscribers were very angry. They said that while the community is in pain over the deaths of many babies from measles, VinaPhone is trying to profit from the epidemic and use the death of a child to attract customers.

Ms. Ngo Thi Minh, Deputy Head of the National Assembly’s Culture, Education and Youth and Children's Affairs says that seeking profit on the pain of others, particularly children, is unacceptable. Vietnam signed the UN Convention on the Rights of the Children in 1990, under which human rights must be respected, especially children’s rights, in the mass media.

On April 24, the Prime Minister asked the Ministry of Information and Communication to clarify the case and take timely measures to deal with it.

VinaPhone has issued notices to offer an apology to its clients. It explained that on April 22, it had posted video clips with updated information about the harmful effects as well as guidelines on how to prevent measles on its Vclip page. Its aim, the company said, was to support its clients, and warn them about how to prevent measles.

However, due to "negligence in composing advertising messages, the video clip titles are unsuitable, causing clients to misunderstand."

Le Ha