MEDIA IMMEDIACY: ASIA ONLINE

Nhan Dan newspaper www.nhandan.org.vn
Nhan Dan newspaper, the Central Organ of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the voice of the Party, State and people of Vietnam, published the first issue on March 11, 1951 in the War Zone of Viet Bac during the Resistance War against French colonialism. Nhan Dan continues the traditions of Thanh Nien (the Youth) newspaper which was founded by President Ho Chi Minh and published its first issue on June 21, 1925 and its successors Tranh Dau (the Struggle ), Dan Chung ( the People), Co Giai Phong ( the Liberation Flag), Su That ( the Truth). Nhan Dan Daily has a circulation of 180,000 copies, Nhan Dan Weekend has 110,000 copies and Nhan Dan Monthly has 130,000 copies.

Vietnam Insight http://vinsight.superb.net/
Edited by in San Jose, California, Vietnam Insight bills itself as "a forum in English carrying the voice of opposition against the oppressive regime in Vietnam to the outside world." "Vietnam Insight provides information on the Vietnamese struggle for freedom and democracy, insight of Vietnam's situation and Hanoi's maneuvers that are often misrepresented by communist propaganda, and a forum for the Vietnamese aspirations." Such alternative sources often pick up stories mainstream media never cover:

August 22, 2000: Buddhist monk and prominent dissident Venerable Thich Quang Do, Head of the Institute for the Propagation of the Dharma (Vien Hoa Dao) of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) has written to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan expressing grave concern that the Dalai Lama will be absent from the Millennium World Peace Summit to be held at the United Nations in New York from August 28-31st. His Holiness was omitted from a list of 1,000 religious and spiritual leaders invited to take part in the Summit, the goals of which are "the quest for peace, global understanding and international cooperation."

    Following protests from many religious leaders, including Nobel Peace laureates such as Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu (South Africa), Mairead Maguire (Ireland) etc., the Dalai Lama was invited to attend the last two days of the Summit which are held in a hotel, not in the United Nations, and to pronounce the closing address. He declined the invitation.
    Thich Quang Do also raised the case of Vietnam, where "the great religions are persecuted today and their followers are harassed and detained. The UBCV, which is adhered to by 80% of the population and has a two-thousand-year tradition in Vietnam is banned by the Government. Like many other UBCV monks, I have spent almost two decades in prison, exile and under house arrest. But unlike my less fortunate brothers, I had the good luck to be released in September 1998, thanks to pressure from world governments, international organisations and eminent international figures. One of these figures was His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who joined a Committee of Nobel Prize Winners to appeal for my release". Thich Quang Do regretted that, because of Government persecution, "the voice of repressed UBCV Buddhists will not be heard at the World Millennium Peace Summit".
              http://vinsight.superb.net/2000news/0822.htm

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