It isn’t clear when the speakers will be turned on, and officials have not provided much of a rationale for the plan, so it will be interesting to see how this old-school revival crackles to life.
The government in Hanoi has unveiled plans to roll out loudspeakers for daily announcements, starting this year. Labelled as archaic and redundant by the city’s residents, this old-school propaganda method harkens back to the cold war era. The use of loudspeakers was retired by the city’s mayor in 2017, but it started to make a comeback in limited capacity during Covid-19.
Hanoi is famous for its noise pollution, with the sounds of horns blasting, construction hammering, street vendors yelling, and bars blaring out karaoke being the everyday norm for the residents. But if the government is to have its way, there will be one more source fighting to be heard over the sound space – loudspeakers blaring out daily state pronouncements. The new plan is to cover the entire city in these speakers by 2025.
Vietnam is a conservative, communist country, where the excesses of Western culture are often not tolerated. This is a country which has severe penalties for drug offences, a blanket ban on online casinos and frequent government monitoring of internet activity. So, from an outsider’s view, you may not be surprised by the revival of loudspeakers. Residents, however, are not pleased, with some analysts saying it is an effort at social control by the city government.
Vietnam isn’t the only country open to using old-school methods of propaganda. Myanmar, on the other side of South-east Asia, is now relying on low-tech methods in conflict zones, where it has implemented restrictions on the Internet for many months. In regions associated with fierce resistance to the 2021 military coup, it has been reported that propaganda pamphlets used to spread misinformation, intimidation and sow divisions within the population, have been airdropped in by military planes and helicopters.
While remaining conservative in many areas, the Vietnamese government is trying to focus on digital technology, so it seems at odds that they want to go backwards with such things. These speakers were integral during the war time to warn people of incoming bombers and provide updates on the frontline, but, these days, technology allows people to check news and information sources independently, and many people prize this independence. Some residents suggest the government could use a neighborhood smartphone app instead, which would be more in keeping with their future-oriented digital strategy.
Many of the Vietnamese are simply baffled by their government’s archaic decision, especially considering they were retired for being obsolete back in 2017. Some believe reintroducing loudspeakers will likely only benefit a few local officials, who may desire the power, money and prestige that comes with overseeing such a project. Others have quipped that perhaps the people pushing for this policy also own a loudspeaker company.
But what can the local people do? Many will support it simply because they support the ruling of the Communist party, however, those who are against the idea don’t have much power, with the only platform they can complain about it being social media. With crackdowns on social media not uncommon throughout Vietnam, even this may not help.
It isn’t clear when the speakers will be turned on, and officials have not provided much of a rationale for the plan, so it will be interesting to see how this old-school revival crackles to life.
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Source: Vietnam Insider