Directive No. 02/CT on inspecting and handling books, newspapers, paintings, photographs, calendars, and other publications printed, imported, stored, and circulated illegally

DIRECTIVE

Regarding the inspection and handling of books, newspapers, paintings, photographs, calendars, and other publications printed, imported, stored, and circulated illegally

khác in, nhập khẩu, tàng trữ, lưu hành trái phép ||| otherwise printing, importing, storing, circulating illegally

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For many years, the publication market throughout the country has circulated numerous types of books, newspapers, paintings, photographs, calendars, and other publications that have been pirated and smuggled, including those with reactionary, pornographic, violent, superstitious, and illegal content under the Law on Publishing and the Law on Press. This phenomenon has caused many negative cultural and social consequences.

To implement the Law on Publishing, the Law on Press, Decree No. 87-CP dated December 12, 1995 of the Government, Directive No. 814-TTg dated December 12, 1995 of the Prime Minister, and Directive No. 64CT-TW dated December 25, 1995 of the Central Committee of the Communist Party (Term VII) on strengthening management of cultural activities and cultural services, and eliminating serious social evils, from the beginning of 1996 to now, localities across the country have inspected and seized and handled more than ten tons of books with bad content or violating state regulations on publishing procedures. However, the publication market still circulates many martial arts books, children's books, travel guidebooks, language teaching books, and other publications with superstitious content that have been printed or imported illegally. Some books and newspapers with bad content and maps incorrectly depicting our national borders are still openly sold in many places. As the Lunar New Year approaches and during the spring festival at the beginning of the year, the situation of printing and selling illegal publications with superstitious content is increasing.

In order to achieve the goal of improving cultural and social life, protecting and developing national culture, safeguarding national security and territorial sovereignty, maintaining state discipline and law, the Minister of Culture and Information issues this directive to conduct inspections and handle illegal printing, importation, storage, and circulation of books, newspapers, paintings, photographs, calendars, and other publications nationwide.

1. Guiding principles:

Continue to implement the campaign to strengthen management, establish order and discipline in cultural activities and cultural services, and intensify efforts to eliminate serious social evils. Localities must regularly organize inspections and strictly deal with organizations and individuals engaged in illegal printing, importing, storing, and circulating books, newspapers, and other publications. In the short term, from now until before the Lunar New Year, forces should be concentrated to organize extensive propaganda campaigns aimed at service providers in the publication market to comply with the Law on Publishing, Decree No. 79-CP dated November 6, 1993 of the Government, Circular No. 38-TT-XB of the Ministry of Culture and Information guiding the implementation of the Law, and Article 26 of the Regulations attached to Decree No. 87/CP regarding the sale of books, newspapers, paintings, photographs, calendars, and book rentals. Alongside propaganda campaigns, forces should be organized to strictly inspect and deal with organizations and individuals who violate according to Decree No. 88-CP dated December 14, 1995 of the Government. Cases of serious violations should be referred for criminal prosecution.

2. Implementation measures:

2.1. The Chairmen of the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities are requested to direct the cultural and information, public security, market management, customs, and press sectors in their localities to immediately carry out rounds of propaganda and inspections to remove books, newspapers, paintings, photographs, calendars, and other publications with bad content or illegally printed or imported, thereby purifying the publication market and cultural environment in their localities. 2.2 Directors of provincial cultural and information departments are responsible for:

- Leading and coordinating with the press and utilizing the forces of their sector to organize appropriate forms of propaganda to encourage traders and service providers to voluntarily comply and create public support for the inspection and handling of violators. The propaganda period will start from January 15, 1997.

- Leading and coordinating with the public security, market management, and customs sectors in their localities to discover and strictly handle illegal printing, importing, storing, selling, and renting of books, newspapers, paintings, photographs, calendars, and other publications prohibited by the state. Resolutely revoke business licenses of organizations and individuals who seriously violate or repeat offenses. The simultaneous inspection and handling period will start from January 20, 1997.

- Planning and consolidating the operation of local book and publication trading and rental businesses to ensure state-owned enterprises are strong enough to control the market and meet the legitimate demand for publications among the people.

- After the Lunar New Year, organizing a summary and drawing lessons from the strengths and weaknesses of the propaganda and inspection periods, promptly rewarding organizations and individuals with outstanding achievements in detecting and handling violations to make such work regular in 1997 and subsequent years, considering the purification of the publication market as an important and ongoing task in local state management of publishing.

2.3. The General Book Distribution Corporation and provincial and municipal book distribution companies are responsible for increasing the supply of good and healthy books, paintings, photographs, calendars, and other publications in stores to meet the legitimate needs of the people, especially young people, to support the effectiveness of the inspection and handling work.

2.4. The Director of the Publishing Department and the Inspector General of the Ministry of Culture and Information are responsible for:

- Coordinating with A25 (Ministry of Home Affairs), the Market Management Department (Ministry of Trade), and the Supervision Department (General Customs Department) to guide, supervise, and inspect specialized forces in localities in implementing this directive.

- Organizing forces to cooperate in discovering and handling serious violations.

2.5. The Publishing Department, as the permanent agency of the Ministry of Culture and Information in implementing this directive, is responsible for monitoring and promptly reporting the results of its implementation.