Vietnamese man convicted for anti-government blog

By: Jessica Ties
Impunity Watch, Asia

HANOI, VietnamFrench-Vietnamese blogger, Professor Pham Minh Hoang, was convicted on national security charges and sentenced to serve three years in prison followed by three years of probation for posting anti-government statements to his blog.

Pham Minh Hoang was sentenced to three years in jail for anti-government blog (Photo Courtesy of Vietnam Network).
Pham Minh Hoang was sentenced to three years in jail for anti-government blog (Photo Courtesy of Vietnam Network).

Hoang was convicted after the presiding judge found that Hoang used his blog to post article’s that “blackened the image of the country.” The conviction comes not only as a result of Hoang posting 33 articles against the government but also because he is a current member of the Viet Tan group. Viet Tan, a U.S. based group that promotes democracy in Vietnam, is considered a terrorist organization by the Vietnamese government which has banned membership in the organization.

Professor Hoang asked the court for leniency and claimed that he was unaware that he was breaking the law when he wrote the articles and would not have written them if he had known “the stories could affect the prestige of the state…” Hoang also stated to the court, “my writings were not aimed at overthrowing anyone…I only pointed out the negative things in society, and I think the country needs to be more democratic.”

Hoang’s dual citizenship with France has caused the French foreign ministry to express serious concern at Hoang’s case and the charges that had been brought against him.

Political critics and activists have been forced to serve long prison sentences since the Vietnamese government began severely limiting freedom of expression in 2009. Activists for democracy have commonly found themselves charged with subversion and sentenced to serve up to 15 years in prison for asserting opinions that are considered offensive to the Vietnamese government.

For more information, please see:

Vietnam Network – Former Lecturer Sentenced for Activities Aimed at Overthrowing Gov’t – 11 August 2011

Amnesty International-Viet Nam Urged to Release Jailed Blogger – 10 August 2011

BBC – Vietnam Jails Dissident Blogger Pham Minh Hoang – 10 August 2011

Forbes – Vietnam Jails French-Vietnamese Teacher Over Blogs – 10 August 2011

Author: Impunity Watch Archive