THE
GOVERNMENT
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SOCIALIST
REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM
Independence - Freedom - Happiness
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No.
67-CP
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Hanoi
,October 31, 1996
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DECREE
ISSUING THE REGULATION ON THE INFORMATION AND
PRESS ACTIVITIES OF FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS AND FOREIGN AGENCIES AND
ORGANIZATIONS IN VIETNAM
THE GOVERNMENT
Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the
Government of September 30, 1992;
Pursuant to the Law on the Press of December 28, 1989;
Pursuant to the Law on Publication of July 7, 1993;
In order to ensure the freedom of the press and the unified management of the
information and press activities of foreign correspondents and foreign agencies
and organizations in Vietnam;
At the proposals of the Minister of Culture and Information and the Minister of
Foreign Affairs,
DECREES:
Article 1.- To issue together with this
Decree:
The Regulation on the Information and Press
Activities of Foreign Correspondents and Foreign Agencies and Organizations in
Vietnam.
Article 2.-
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2. Any agency, organization or individual that
commits an act of violating the provisions of this Regulation shall, depending
on the seriousness of the violation, be dealt with in accordance with current
provisions of Vietnamese law.
Article 3.- This Decree
takes effect from December 1st, 1996. The previous provisions of the Government
which are contrary to the Regulation issued together with this Decree are now
annulled.
The Minister of Culture and Information and the
Minister of Foreign Affairs shall have to issue before December 31, 1996 a
Circular guiding the implementation of the Regulation issued together with this
Decree.
Article 4.- The Ministers,
the Heads of the ministerial-level agencies and the agencies attached to the
Government, the Presidents of the People’s Committees of the provinces and the
cities directly under the Central Government shall have to implement this
Decree.
ON BEHALF OF
THE GOVERNMENT
FOR THE PRIME MINISTER
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Nguyen Khanh
REGULATION
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Chapter I
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 1.- The foreign information and
press activities in Vietnam mentioned in this Regulation include:
1. The professional activities of foreign
correspondents; the establishment of resident press bureaus, the appointment of
correspondents; the use of journalistic facilities.
The foreign correspondents’ journalistic
activities include: shooting of films on current events, taking press
photographs, conducting interviews, audio and visual recording and making
visits to localities and establishments.
2. The information and press activities of
foreign representative agencies and foreign organizations include: publishing
and circulating bulletins, convening press conferences; installing photo cases;
organizing film shows; exhibitions, seminars and other press-related
activities.
Article 2.- The objects
mentioned in this Regulation include:
1. Foreign correspondents based in Vietnam or
entering the country for short-term missions; bureaus of foreign news or press
agencies that are allowed to operate in Vietnam.
2. Diplomatic representative missions, consular
offices and international inter-governmental representative offices in Vietnam
(hereafter referred to as foreign representative agencies).
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4. Foreign delegations visiting Vietnam at the
invitation of Party, State, Government and/or National Assembly leaders or the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
5. Foreign delegations visiting Vietnam at the
invitation of the agencies not defined in Item 4 of this Article.
Article 3.- The Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (hereafter referred to as
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) is the agency which, by assignment of the
State, performs the managerial function over and issues permits for, the press
activities defined in Item 1, Article 1 of this Regulation.
Article 4.- The Ministry of
Culture and Information of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (hereafter
referred to as the Ministry of Culture and Information) is the agency which
performs the managerial function over and issues permits for the information
and press activities defined in Item 2 Article 1 of this Regulation.
Article 5.- All information
and press activities in Vietnam by the persons and agencies specified in
Article 2 of this Regulation must be carried out in accordance with the current
laws and regulations of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; in conformity with
the provisions on the entry and exit, residence and traveling of foreigners in
Vietnam. The aforesaid activities must also conform to Item 5, Article 6 and
Article 10 of Vietnam’s Law on the Press.
Chapter II
THE JOURNALISTIC ACTIVITIES OF FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS
Article 6.- A foreign
correspondent wishing to enter Vietnam for short-term journalistic activities
must send his/her application directly to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (the
Information and Press Department) or through an overseas diplomatic representative
mission of Vietnam at least 15 days prior to his/her scheduled entry.
The application, attached to a curriculum vitae
stipulated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must clearly state the purpose,
detailed program and projected length of stay in Vietnam.
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Article 7.- During his/her
stay in Vietnam, a foreign correspondent entering the country for short-term
journalistic activities must constantly carry with him/her the
"PRESS" permit granted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; must work
in accordance with the purpose and program already approved in the permit; and
at the same time must place himself/herself under the guidance of a specialized
Vietnamese agency.
No other form of guidance shall be accepted.
The registered program may be supplemented or
changed in terms of time or contents if the Ministry of Foreign Affairs so
permits.
Article 8.- A foreign news
or press agency wishing to establish its bureau(s) in Vietnam must send an
application signed by the agency�s head to the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs. The application must supply the essential information about
the agency; the name of the bureau(s) to be established in Vietnam; its functions
and tasks.
Article 9.- Within 90 days
from the date written on the notice permitting the establishment of the
resident press office in Vietnam, the requesting foreign news or press agency
must send another application signed by the agency’s head to the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs for permission to send the correspondent(s). The application
must clearly state the necessary number of correspondents and the curriculum
vitae and a summary history of each correspondent.
Within 30 days after receiving the notice of
approval, the correspondent(s) of the bureau(s) must go to the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs to present the letter of appointment by the managing news or
press agency and receive the permit to establish the bureau(s) in Vietnam from
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
If the foreign news or press agencies and
foreign correspondents fail to complete all the procedures within the time
limit defined in Paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article, the permit to establish the
bureau(s) and accept correspondent(s) shall be automatically invalidated.
Article 10.- When the need
arises to replace a correspondent(s) or change the number of correspondents,
the press bureau(s) must notify the Ministry of Foreign Affairs thereof at
least 15 days in advance and must complete all necessary procedures defined in
this Regulation concerning the application to send correspondents for
journalistic activities in Vietnam.
Article 11.- The resident
press bureau is allowed to employ a technical staff in service of its
professional activities.
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The technical staff and the correspondents�
next of kin shall not be entitled to enjoy the correspondent’s status and must
observe the current laws and regulations of Vietnam.
Article 12.- A foreign
correspondent in Vietnam shall be issued a "Foreign Correspondent
Card" by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs valid for six months. If the card
holder wishes to continue to work as a correspondent in Vietnam, he/she must
fill out the procedures for an extension not later than 15 days before the card
expires.
Article 13.- In order to
perform the journalistic activities defined in this Regulation, the
correspondent must send a request for each activity to the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs at least 5 days in advance and shall perform the activity only after
being granted the "press activity permit" by the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs.
Article 14.- The resident
press bureaus and the foreign resident correspondents in Vietnam are allowed to
rent offices and hire Vietnamese nationals to work in the offices through a
specialized Vietnamese agency in accordance with the current law of Vietnam.
Article 15.- The resident
press bureaus and the foreign resident correspondents in Vietnam who want to
hire collaborators must abide by the current provisions of Vietnamese law. The
collaborator-hiring contract must be registered with the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs.
Article 16.- The resident
press bureaus must notify the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of their closure at
least 30 days in advance and return the establishment permit to the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs. The foreign correspondent must notify in writing the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs of his/her exit not later than 15 days before the end of
his/her working term and departure from Vietnam; and must return the
"foreign correspondent card" to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
before leaving Vietnam.
Article 17.- With regard
to foreign correspondents accompanying the delegations defined in Items 4 and
5, Article 2 of this Regulation, the hosting agency should fill the necessary
procedures with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Article 18.- For their
professional activities, foreign correspondents based in Vietnam or entering
the country for short-term journalistic activities are allowed to carry the
necessary equipment such as cameras, video recorders and audio recorders... The
carrying of such equipment in and out of Vietnamese territory must conform with
the current law and other regulations of Vietnam.
Where the persons or agencies defined in this
Article have the need to carry, install or use devices to receive and transmit
news and pictures via satellites, they must ask for permission and consent of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Vietnam Post General Department.
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Article 20.- Foreign
correspondents entering Vietnam as tourists or to visit their next of kin must
not carry out journalistic activities. In special cases, the consent of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs is required.
Chapter III
INFORMATION AND PRESS ACTIVITIES OF FOREIGN
REPRESENTATIVE AGENCIES AND FOREIGN AGENCIES
Article 21.- Publishing
and circulation of bulletins, materials and publications:
The publishing and circulation of bulletins,
materials and publications by the persons and agencies defined in this Chapter
must be done in accordance with the Law on the Press, the Law on Publication
and other current regulations of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam:
1. A "foreign representative agency"
which wants to publish and circulate materials, books and newspapers, drawings
and photos, bulletins or bulletin supplements, video tapes, audio tapes,
software programs... in the Vietnamese language or in a foreign language must
send a note about the purposes, contents, title, publishing period, size,
printing place, quantity and target audience of the said materials to the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs which shall consider and recommend the filling of
procedures to request permission from the Ministry of Culture and Information.
2. A "foreign agency" which wants to
publish and circulate materials, books and newspapers, drawings and photos,
bulletins or bulletin supplements, video tapes, audio tapes, software
programs... in the Vietnamese language or in a foreign language must complete
the procedures to apply for permission from the Ministry of Culture and
Information.
Only after receiving the permit from the
Ministry of Culture and Information can the publication and circulation of the
said bulletins, materials and publications be carried out.
Article 22.- Press
conferences with the participation of Vietnamese citizens:
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2. A "foreign agency" which wants to
hold a press conference must register with the Ministry of Culture and
Information.
Within 24 hours after receiving the written
request for permission, the Ministry of Culture and Information must reply. If
there is no reply, the press conference shall be deemed accepted.
The organization of a press conference by a
foreign delegation visiting Vietnam defined in Item 4 and 5, Article 2 of this
Regulation shall conform with the agreement between the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs or the hosting agency and the Ministry of Culture and Information
within the framework of the delegation�s working schedule.
Article 23.- Installing
the photo case in front of the agency’s office.
1. A "foreign representative agency" which
wants to install a photo case in front of its office must send to the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs a note clearly stating the objective and the contents and
size of the photos; the photo case must be installed at a place compatible with
the surrounding landscape and the urban environment.
Only after being approved by the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs can the installation of a photo case and any change to the
original request for installing the photo case be carried out. The Ministry of
Foreign Affairs shall consult the Ministry of Culture and Information before
making a decision and notifying the requesting agency of the decision.
2. A "foreign agency" which wants to
install a photo case in front of its office must send a request to the Ministry
of Culture and Information and complete the procedures as required.
Article 24.- Film shows,
exhibitions, seminars and other press-related activities with the participation
of Vietnamese citizens:
1. A "foreign representative agency"
which wants to organize film shows, exhibitions, seminars and other
press-related activities with the participation of Vietnamese citizens must
send to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs a note about the contents, venue and a
list of the guests. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall consider and register
with the Ministry of Culture and Information.
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Only after being approved by the Ministry of
Culture and Information can these activities be carried out.
ON BEHALF OF
THE GOVERNMENT
FOR THE PRIME MINISTER
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Nguyen Khanh