Vietnamese man fined for social media comments on new hefty traffic fines

Please read a version of this story in Vietnamese

A Vietnamese man has been fined US$200 for posting a question on social media about a hugely unpopular law allowing for hefty fines for traffic violations.

The government mandate, called Decree 168, which went into effect in the new year, has prompted police to crack down on seemingly minor traffic violations, arousing widespread anger among Vietnam’s millions of drivers and motorcycle riders

A truck driver known as N.V.D. posted a comment on TikTok in October asking anyone who “opposes draft Decree 168, please share your thoughts.”

His comments were about a draft form of Decree 168, which was proposed last year, approved in December and implemented on Jan. 1, People’s Public Security reported.

“Is this law for the people, or someone else?” he asked.

Police ordered him to pay 5 million Vietnamese dong (US$200) for “the act of providing, sharing fabricated information, causing confusion among people about Decree 168,” according to the People’s Public Security newspaper, which noted that N.V.D. has over 17,500 followers.

The Cyber Security and High-tech Crime Prevention Division in central Dak Nong province also ordered N.V.D. to delete three other posts about the decree.

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He is the second person to be fined for perceived criticism of the law.

Last week, Hanoi resident Dang Hoang Ha was questioned by Ministry of Public Security officials for critical comments he made on his Facebook page and was fined 7.5 million Vietnamese dong (US$300).

The ministry said the comments included “Saigon people took to the streets to protest because of Decree 168” and “Traffic police are out in force, blocking the streets.”

Ha admitted to criticizing the new fines using provocative and misleading words and promised not to do it again, according to the ministry.

In recent years the government has cracked down on social media posts it saw as a threat, jailing critics for “propaganda against the state,” under Article 117 of the criminal code and “abusing democratic freedoms,” under Article 331.

Unpopular fines

The effort over the last few weeks to discipline drivers who run red lights or ride their motorbikes on sidewalks has changed driver behavior for the better but has also led to more traffic jams, a Hanoi taxi driver told Radio Free Asia earlier this month.

The initiative has also proven to be unpopular with social media commentators, many of whom have complained about the higher fine amounts.

Fines for car drivers running red lights, for example, have risen from 4 million Vietnamese dong (US$157) to 18 million Vietnamese dong ($709), while fines for the same offense for motorcyclists went from 1 million Vietnamese dong ($39) to 4 million Vietnamese dong ($157).

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N.V.D.’s comments in October included a remark that said anyone who committed a violation could lose half a year’s salary, which was “nothing short of strangling people,” according to a screenshot published by People’s Public Security.

A source familiar with the matter, speaking to RFA on condition of anonymity for safety reasons, said N.V.D. was offering feedback on the draft decree because of his experience as a long-haul truck driver who transported agricultural products from the Mekong Delta to various provinces and cities.

However, since Decree 168 took effect, N.V.D. has stopped accepting long-haul jobs because one of its regulations requires drivers to take a break after every four hours and limits drivers to a maximum of 10 hours per day and 48 hours per week.

Many drivers told RFA that Decree 168’s restrictions on driving hours were unreasonable and would lead to increased transportation costs and reduced driver income.

Translated by Anna Vu. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster.