Vietnam Orders Shops To Cover Brand Names

Police ordered shop owners to cover signs advertising Coca-Cola, Sony and other foreign brands Thursday in the second stage of a campaign against “cultural poisons.”

The effort, launched last month, reflects a conservative backlash against modernization and Vietnam’s growing contacts with other countries.

The measures come as Vietnam prepares for a major Communist Party congress in June.

The campaign’s first stage involved widespread publicity to encourage citizens and shop owners to turn in banned video and audio tapes, books and even calendars.