Vietnam paper fires blogger

       One of Vietnam's most popular and boldest bloggers has been fired by his newspaper after the ruling Communist Party complained to editors about his writings.
       Huy Duc, who writes his blog under the pen name "Osin", was dismissed this week because his postings did not reflect the editorial positions of Saigon Tiep Thi , said Tran Cong Khanh, an editor at the newspaper.
       Mr Khanh cited a recent Osin posting that praised the fall of the Berlin Wall and criticised the former Soviet Union's Communist leaders, saying their rule had led to years of misery for the people of Eastern Europe. Mr Duc referred to the wall as "the wall of shame".
       "The attitude of his entry did not reflect that of our newspaper, and we can't use him anymore," Mr Khanh said.
       Mr Khanh said the newspaper made the decision to dismiss Mr Duc on its own, without direct pressure from the government, which strictly monitors Vietnam's state-controlled media.
       But he acknowledged the Propaganda and Education Commission, the Communist Party's media watchdog, had complained about roughly 100 of Mr Duc's blogs and newspaper stories.
       Mr Duc's Osin blog has tested the limits of free expression in Vietnam, frequently featuring articles critical of government leaders and their policies.
       He has chided leaders for chartering Vietnam Airlines planes to fly abroad,and criticised a controversial bauxite mining project in Vietnam's Central Highlands.