The Economist’s latest printed edition for Asia featuring top leader To Lam on its cover has been banned in the country, sources at two local media distributors said.
The May 24 issue, which is still available in the country in its electronic version, portrays 67-year-old Lam with two stars on his eyes on a red backdrop, in a reference to the country’s national flag, with the title: “The man with a plan for Vietnam”.
The subheading on its main Vietnam story said: “A Communist Party hard man has to rescue Asia’s great success story”.
Vietnam’s foreign ministry and the ministry in charge of public information did not reply to requests for comment on the reported banning.
The Economist did not immediately reply to a request for comment outside UK business hours.
Vietnam routinely prohibits books, movies and other cultural works. Multiple media outlets are also banned.
“We were given orders to tear off the cover and the article about him (Lam), making the magazine no longer sellable.
“Later, we were ordered not to sell it at all,” said an executive at distributor Ngay Moi, declining to be named because she was not allowed to speak to media.
An employee at a second distributor, Global Book Corporation, said Vietnam’s ministry in charge of public information banned the distribution of that particular issue, without elaborating on the reasons.
A third source at distributor Xunhasaba said it did not have that issue because it had not received enough orders.
The Economist’s article described Lam as an ambitious leader who emerged “from the security state” and who “must turn himself into a reformer” to adjust the country’s economic model and make it richer.
The Economist’s cover and articles were reposted thousands of times on social media by users in Vietnam with mixed reactions. — Reuters
