Vietnam’s Censoring of ‘Barbie’ Is a Reflection of the Party’s Paranoia – The Diplomat

ASEAN Beat | Politics | Southeast Asia

Vietnam’s determination to ban the extremely anticipated movie “Barbie” resulting from issues over an alleged “offending picture of the nine-dash line” has despatched shockwaves by Hollywood and sparked widespread curiosity amongst international audiences. Warner Bros., the studio behind the film, has defended itself by releasing the picture in query, describing it as a “child-like crayon drawing” devoid of any political connotations. This begs the query of how the Vietnamese movie censoring committee got here to understand this seemingly harmless drawing as China’s contentious “nine-dash line” maritime declare. The reply sheds gentle on the problematic nature of Vietnam’s system of state censorship and its potential international impression, notably given the heightened tensions within the South China Sea.

“Barbie” is the newest sufferer, or wrongdoer, relying in your view, of Vietnam’s stringent system of cultural censorship, which filters out all the pieces perceived to pose a menace to nationwide stability or the picture of the ruling Communist Celebration of Vietnam (CPV). This extends past pictures and data associated to the territorial disputes with China, delving into the ruling regime’s historic narrative and the nation’s politics. Whereas media protection of the “Barbie” imbroglio has largely targeted on the territorial side, a extra nuanced and sophisticated dynamic is at play.

This isn’t the primary time Vietnam has wielded its cultural censorship equipment with decisive pressure. In 2019, the federal government swiftly pulled the movie “Abominable” from theaters after an web person posted a scene from the film that includes the “nine-dash line.” The movie distributor, CGV Vietnam, confronted fines and all associated supplies, together with digital recordsdata and posters, have been ordered to be destroyed. Authorities officers have been reprimanded for letting the film bypass inspection, resulting in the dismissal of the pinnacle of Vietnam’s Cinema Division. Comparable actions have been taken towards the film “Uncharted” in 2022, in addition to different overseas productions like “Pine Hole,” “Madam Secretary,” and “Loopy Wealthy Asians.”

Whereas many nations within the area have expressed issues about cultural merchandise selling China’s unfounded territorial claims, Vietnam stands out as essentially the most vocal and proactive in censoring overseas motion pictures perceived to have capitulated to Chinese language calls for.

On Vietnamese social media and worldwide platforms, the tough actions taken by the Vietnamese authority have garnered help. Nonetheless, these netizens typically overlook the underlying impetus behind the nation’s swift and assertive banning of movies – a motivation that’s removed from righteous. As a one-party authoritarian regime, censorship lies on the coronary heart of the federal government’s agenda and serves its pursuits. With a complete authorities division devoted to filtering out delicate content material that might doubtlessly hurt the ruling regime, it doesn’t come as a shock that Vietnam’s means to react shortly and boldly surpasses that of extra democratic neighbors such because the Philippines.

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Final 12 months, Vietnam revised its Cinema Legislation in an try to draw overseas movie productions to make use of the nation as a taking pictures location. However the revised legislation additionally consists of a variety of grounds on which content material will be banned, together with any manufacturing deemed to comprise “reactionary concepts and social evils.” Consequently, any cultural product, irrespective of how tangentially associated to the nation’s politics, is weak to prohibition. Such stringent censorship not solely stifles freedom of speech inside Vietnam but in addition hampers the artistic growth of its movie trade. Acclaimed Vietnamese motion pictures have been compelled to omit scenes deemed unfit by the authorities, and fines have been imposed on internationally acknowledged movies collaborating in worldwide festivals with out authorities permits, overshadowing the artistic and industrial achievements of films like “Ròm” or “Vị.”

Circling again to the “Barbie” film, the scene disclosed by Warner Bros. exposes the authorities’ paranoia and a “higher secure than sorry” method to cultural censorship. Invoice Hayton, an skilled on Vietnam, advised The New York Occasions that regardless of the tough actions of the Vietnamese censors, he “actually can’t see what the fuss is about.” Hayton prompt that this might need been an try by Vietnam’s censors to display their loyalty and usefulness to the regime.

The censorship of “Barbie” not solely highlights the regime’s hyper-paranoia relating to the South China Sea disputes but in addition reveals a broader implication, specifically its potential international affect. The stringent measures taken by Vietnamese authorities have prompted different nations to think about related actions towards “Barbie” and ignited discussions amongst U.S. lawmakers who’re already involved about China’s affect on Hollywood.

Whereas it’s essential to scrutinize Hollywood productions to forestall the dissemination of unlawful territorial claims, it’s equally vital to train warning and resist the temptation to be swayed by the choices of a closely censored state. Succumbing to the affect of a regime identified for its management over cultural merchandise may set a harmful precedent, doubtlessly resulting in a worldwide wave of censorship that undermines the very foundations of democratic societies.

Balancing the necessity for accountable oversight with the preservation of democratic values is a fragile activity. As discussions unfold, nations should method the promotion of censorship with meticulous consideration, guaranteeing that any measures applied don’t inadvertently impede the progress of democracies worldwide.