Journalists protest assaults against them

VietnamNet Bridge reports:

"Over the past five years, there have been about 40 cases in which journalists were assaulted, five of which have occurred recently, said deputy chairman of the Vietnam Journalists Association Pham Quoc Toan."

Among the recent cases was a police assault of two journalists covering a forced land eviction last April, and a journalist who was assaulted by a group of people in Lang Son province last January while working on a report about smuggling. Reporters are particularly vulnerable by attacks from the subjects of their investigation when writing about corruptiion cases.

The Vietnam Journalists Association has called for regulations to protect the rights of journalists and their activities, such as recording, photographing, shooting, getting information or material.

Source: VietnamNet/Tuoi Tre, June 13.