Profile

Dao Thu

Current Status: At risk

Photo of Dao Thu

Other Names: Đào Thu

Date of Birth:

Gender: F

Ethnicity: Kinh

Occupation: Teaching professional

Areas of Activism:

  • Environment
  • Sovereignty

Known Affiliations:

“If I see something that’s wrong, I have to point it out.” It takes strength and courage to be an activist in Vietnam. Teacher Dao Thu Hue is one of the women we spoke to about the lifestyle of a female activist – watch the full interview now!

Details - Background, History of Activism.

Dao Thu is a teacher at the School of Languages and International Studies at Vietnam National University. Her area of study is Chinese Studies.

Profile photo souce: Facebook Dao Thu

Dao Thu participates in activities of the No-U football group, which is called a “reactionary organization” by state media. She also protests on the issues of environment and national sovereignty.

Facebook Dao Thu

Interview with Dao Thu Hue, The 88 Project, October 25, 2019

October 27, 2018: prevented from leaving her home

  • Surveillance
  • Travel restriction
October 27-28, 2018
Public security
Tay Ho district, Ha Noi (map)

freedom of movement

On October 27, Dao Thu reported an incident on her Facebook.

In the afternoon of October 27, public security forces went to Thu’s house and watched her. In the early morning of October 28, a security officer of Tay Ho Ward, named Duy, stopped her from going out to exercise at 5:40 am.  

At 7:10 AM, three security officers, including Duy, and some local government officials, kept her bicycle when she was on the way to teach at university, causing her to have to cancel class. These actions were reported on her Facebook.


At 12:00 PM, she was still under surveillance. She was able to ride her bicycle to the university in spite of being followed. After her class finished, two men were waiting for her at the park area, asking her if she planned to go somewhere. She declined to answer and went home safely at 17:30 PM, with the two men following her all the way.


At 19:00 PM, her house was again under surveillance. The reason for the surveillance remains unknown.

October 1, 2019: put under house arrest on China’s National Day

  • Surveillance
  • Travel restriction
October 1, 2019
Public security
Her private house in Ha Noi (map)

  • freedom of peaceful assembly
  • freedom of movement
  • respect of privacy, family, home, and correspondence

On China’s National Day, several activists were watched at home, followed while in public, and even forced to return home, probably in an attempt to quell public demonstrations. Meanwhile, the authorities also mobilized a powerful security force to surround and protect China’s Embassy in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang City.

Activist Dao Thu Hue was in the same situation. At 6:45 AM, at least three security officers prevented her from going to the university where she teaches. She then managed to escape from surveillance and went to the Ward’s People’s Committee Office to report the situation. 

However, when she arrived at the office, the man who had been following her also arrived there. She quickly walked into the reception room to report the case but was challenged by officers. Some of them, who were familiar with her activism, quickly left, while an official representative, namely Khoa, refused to take her statement because she didn’t have her identity card with her at that time. Even though she showed him the evidence of surveillance and pointed out two followers who reached the office and were sitting outside in the corridor, the man kept ignoring her case. 

Therefore, she had to look for another officer and reached the president, who directly commanded Khoa to take her report. After finishing, the two men continued to follow her while walking to her house. They only stopped their surveillance in the late afternoon.

Profile last updated: 2019-12-15 01:02:59

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