Police complete investigation into prominent blogger in Vietnam, Radio Free Asia, February 2, 2023
Facebook post about investgiation end and charges, Feb. 16, 2023
Nguyen Lan Thang
Current Status: Pre-trial detention
Other Names: Nguyễn Lân Thắng, Nguyễn Lân Ké
Date of Birth: December 18, 1975
Gender: M
Ethnicity: Kinh
Occupation: Journalist
Areas of Activism:
- Democracy
- Human rights
- Sovereignty
Known Affiliations:
February 2023:
Hanoi police say the investigation against blogger and activist Nguyen Lan Thang is complete and that he will be charged with spreading “anti-state propaganda” according to Article 117.
Later in the month, it was reported that the government has concluded its investigation into Thang and has charged him with spreading “anti-state propaganda” according to Article 117. Thang’s lawyers were allowed to meet with him on February 16 to plan their defense. Thang is accused of spreading 12 videos and two books with contents that allegedly defame the Party and the State. Thang said he’d gained over 10 pounds (6Kg) while in detention and was afraid unhealthy prison food would exacerbate his high blood pressure and other pre-existing conditions. A trial date has not yet been set.
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Nguyen Lan Thang was arrested on July 5, 2022, on the charge of Article 117, conducting "anti-state propaganda." He has been held incommunicado from his family and lawyers since his arrest.
Thang was arrested on his way to a coffee shop in Hanoi, the family said. The police later went to search his house and took away laptops, mobile devices, books and other items. Although he has been involved in political activism for at least 10 years and has a Facebook page with over 150,000 followers, Thang has not been very active since the birth of his second child two years ago, and his Facebook account had been administered by other people for many months prior to his arrest. It is not clear why the government decided to arrest Thang now.
Details - Background, History of Activism.
Nguyen Lan Thang is the third generation of Nguyen Lan family, one of families in Vietnam that has been known for having a long and prominent traditional fondness for learning. He is the grandson of the prominent scholar Nguyen Lan, whose Dictionary of Vietnamese is widely used. Seven of Nguyen Lan’s eight children have doctorate degrees; several teach at universities. One of them was a delegate in the National Assembly.
Thang was an active leader of the Communist Youth League during high school. Despite graduating from the University of Architecture Hanoi, he soon after quit his job and became an independent journalist from 2011 onwards.
Profile photo source: Vietnamnet
Nguyen Lan Thang is active on civil society development and human rights. Thanks to his talents in photography, he was familiar with netizens for a larger number of updated pictures and videos on issues such as demonstrations or land grabs by the government, on which state-owned media was prohibited from reporting. He is on the blacklist of police and is often harassed.
On October 30, 2013, Thang was detained at Noi Bai airport after returning home from a 6-month trip to the Philippines and Thailand, where he and a group of Vietnamese bloggers attended a study program on civil society and met U.N. Human Rights officials to present Declaration 258, signed by 100 supporters, and to report about human rights violations in Vietnam. He was then released the next day.
In 2014, authorities prevented him from traveling to the US for attending events on the World Press Freedom Day.
In 2015, a group of people went to his private house to threaten his family on October 21. Two days later, Nguyen Lan Thang and his wife, Le Bich Vuong, were attacked at a kindergarten when they were picking up their three year-old child. On October 24, a group of strangers splashed the door of his house with red paint.
In March 2017, Tran Nhat Quang, leading a group of public opinion shapers that was established by the government as polemicists to detect online anti-government sentiments and direct the public opinion, went to Thang's house and made noise by playing music, shouting, and insulting him with a loudspeaker.
Vietnamese Bloggers Highlight Restrictions in Talks With Diplomats, Radio Free Asia, August 07, 2013
Vietnam's Social media, Nguyen Lan Thang, September 20, 2013
Vietnam: Tale of Two Bloggers, Peter Mackle Award, October 31, 2013
Nguyễn Lân Thắng muốn thay đổi xã hội VN bằng hoạt động 'ngay trong nước', Voice of America, November 1, 2013
Vietnam: Arbitrary arrests and harassment of bloggers and activists continue, Worldwide Movement For Human Rights, May 07, 2014
Vietnam Gov’t Supporters Attack Wife of Well-known Blogger in Hanoi-based Kindergarten, Defend the Defenders, October 23, 2015
Vì sao Nguyễn Lân Thắng bị Dư luân viên tấn công?, Ba Sàm, October 23, 2015
Nguyễn Lân Thắng: 'tôi chấp nhận rủi ro', BBC, October 25, 2015
Tà Quyền Thuê Thương Binh Quấy Nhiễu Anh Nguyễn Lân Thắng, VN News, August 9, 2018
Thương binh đem loa công suất lớn 'hỏi thăm" ông Nguyễn Lân Thắng, Radio Free Asia Tiếng Việt, August 8, 2018
“Thương Binh” bao vây tư gia của nhà hoạt động Nguyễn Lân Thắng, Người Việt, August 09, 2018
Tư gia nhà hoạt động Nguyễn Lân Thắng bị quấy nhiễu, RFA Tiếng Việt, August 9, 2018
Vietnamese Blogger, Rights Activist Detained by Police, Radio Free Asia, August 9, 2018
Thư gửi các bạn đoàn viên huyện Vạn Ninh, Radio Free Asia Vietnam, August 23, 2018
August 8, 2018: family harassed by veterans
Harassment at private residence
August 08-09, 2018
No 32, 221 Alley, Thinh Quang, Thai Thinh Street, Dong Da District, Ha Noi (map)
- liberty and security of the person
- equal protection of the law
- respect of privacy, family, home, and correspondence
- freedom from discrimination
On August 8, 2018, a group of four-five injured war veterans went to Nguyen Lan Thang’s house and demanded him to come out and talk. Nguyen Lan Thang was outside at this time.
They accused him of mocking Ho Chi Minh’s image and defaming the regime, which they sacrificed themselves to build up and protect.
They brought a loudspeaker and kept making noise in front of his house. After Thang’s neighbors complained, the group gave an excuse that they were doing a “mission," then continued shouting and playing music.
Thang’s wife made a phone call for police, but they did not come, even after promising to do so.
The group of veterans then bought food and ate right outside Thang’s house. They didn’t leave until around 7:00 pm, after calling someone to report that they had done their work.
On August 09, 2018, as they promised before leaving the prior day, they came back to his house and took similar actions.
Vietnamese Blogger, Rights Activist Detained by Police, Radio Free Asia, August 9, 2018
Arrested July 5, 2022. Charged under Art. 117 (2015 Code).
unknown
Le Van Luan
- freedom from arbitrary arrest or detention
- liberty and security of the person
- freedom of expression
Thang was arrested on his way to a coffee shop in Hanoi on July 5, the family said. The police later went to search his house and took away laptops, mobile devices, books and other items. Thang is suspected of spreading “anti-state propaganda” under Article 117. Although he has been involved in political activism for at least 10 years and has a Facebook page with over 150,000 followers, Thang has not been very active since the birth of his second child two years ago, and his Facebook account has been administered by other people for many months. It is not clear why the government has decided to arrest Thang now.
Vietnamese blogger arrested on ‘propaganda’ charge, Radio Free Asia, July 5, 2022
Công an Hà Nội bắt tạm giam bị can Nguyễn Lân Thắng, Vietnam Net, July 5, 2022
Profile last updated: 2023-02-22 16:01:06