HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Vietnam’s communist rulers have ordered a crackdown on anti-government blogs, two of which immediately pledged fresh defiance Thursday against the one-party state.

The government does not allow freedom of expression or the media, but has been struggling against dissent being propagated over the Internet. The Communist Party fears that public criticism or even honest discussion about its failings could lead to social instability and — ultimately — loss of power. It labels democracy and free speech activists as “terrorists.”