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VIETNAM <br />19 <br />In January the editor in chief of the Saigon Tiep Thi Web site was forced from his <br />position following the publication in late 2010 of sensitive articles. <br />In February Nguyen Anh Tuan, the founder and editor in chief of the news Web <br />site VietnamNet- -whom the ministry reprimanded in December 2010 for <br />publishing an international NGO's annual corruption survey- -was pressured to <br />resign. Authorities also refused to renew the press card issued by the government <br />to the author of the offending article. <br />Libel Laws/National Security: The law requires journalists to pay monetary <br />damages to individuals or organizations whose reputations were harmed as a result <br />of reporting, even if the reports were accurate. Independent observers noted that <br />the law severely limited investigative reporting. There were some press reports on <br />topics that generally were considered sensitive, such as the prosecution on <br />corruption charges of high- ranking CPV and government officials, as well as <br />occasional criticism of officials and official associations. Nonetheless, the <br />freedom to criticize the CPV and its senior leadership remained restricted. <br />Publishing Restrictions: Under government regulations the Ministry of <br />Information and Communication has the authority to revoke licenses for foreign <br />publishers, and each foreign publisher must reapply annually to maintain its <br />license. Foreign- language editions of some banned books were sold openly by <br />street peddlers and in shops oriented to tourists. Foreign- language periodicals <br />were widely available in cities, although the government occasionally censored <br />articles. <br />In October the Ministry of Culture's state -owned Fine Arts Publishing House <br />recalled all first - edition copies of Killer with a Festering Head, a cartoon book by <br />Nguyen Thanh Phong, two weeks after its release. According to media reports, the <br />ban occurred because government censors deemed some of the book's <br />illustrations - -which satirized contemporary Vietnamese life and social issues - -to be <br />violent, politically sensitive, or broaching sensitive topics. <br />Nongovernmental Impact: The law limits satellite television access to senior <br />officials, foreigners, luxury hotels, and the press, but in practice persons <br />throughout the country were able to access foreign programming via home satellite <br />equipment or cable. Cable television, including foreign- origin channels, was <br />widely available to urban -area subscribers. Television providers are required to <br />register with the Ministry of Information and Communication, and edit and <br />translate foreign programming before it is broadcast. Regulations stipulate that <br />