Any action to obstruct or prevent performance of Vietnamese national anthem deemed illegal: spokesperson

Spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang on December 9 stated it is illegal to prevent the performance of the Vietnamese national anthem.

Illustrative photo (Source: VNA)

She made the affirmation when commenting on the incident when the Vietnamese national anthem was muted on the YouTube platform during the live broadcast of the flag raising ceremony before a football match between Vietnam and Laos on December 6 within the framework of the AFF Suzuki Cup 2020 taking place in Singapore. 

At the ministry’ virtual press conference on December 9, Hang noted that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, as the agency responsible for performing state management function, must take necessary measures to preserve and promote the value of the national anthem.

All individuals and organisations are not allowed to take any action to prevent the dissemination of the Vietnamese national anthem, the spokeswoman stated.

Earlier, on December 7, leaders of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism had worked with related agencies on the incident. The ministry reiterated that Vietnamese law prohibits any organisation or individual, in any form, from preventing or obstructing the performance of the anthem directly or indirectly (including online)./.

VNA