Hoang Ngoc Giao

Immediate Concerns

Mai Phan Loi has reported that lawyer Hoang Ngoc Giao was released from prison. Giao, who was arrested in Dec. 2022 and later charged with tax evasion, was released at the same time as Hoang Thi Minh Hong and Tran Huynh Duy Thuc, just ahead of To Lam’s visit to the U.S. in late September. Giao directed the Institute for Research on Policy, Law and Development (PLD), a non-governmental organization of applied research, where he focused on issues of anti-corruption and transparency. He also provided commentary to international media about land policy and current events and joined in discussions on the GTV channel, founded by Mai Phan Loi. Loi, a journalist and press freedom advocate, was himself convicted of tax evasion and served over two years in prison before being released early in Sept. 2023.

Background

Hoang Ngoc Giao is a lawyer, director of Hoang Giao and Associates law firm. Giao is also an arbitrator of Vietnam International Arbitration Center (VIAC), and has just been elected chairman of the Vietnam-China International Trade Arbitration Center (VCITAC)

Profile photo: Hoang Ngoc Giao’s picture, taken by the Hanoi public security forces. Source

History of Activism

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hoang Ngoc Giao is well known as a lawyer with years of experience in teaching and conducting law research. In October 2022, Giao was elected chairman of the Vietnam-China International Trade Arbitration Center (VCITAC). The VCITAC is a private, commercial entity that provides services including resolving contractual disputes and settling litigated claims, mostly between private enterprises. 

The Institute for Research on Policy, Law and Development (PLD) is a non-governmental organization of applied research, a member of the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA). PLD conducts research and assessment and performs consultancy on issues related to Policies and Laws in various areas of economic and social development. Some topics include freedom of movement (calling to abolish the house registration system), anti-corruption, governance transparency, and budgets for state-controlled associations. 

In early 2020, Giao called for the establishment of “an independent committee” to investigate the Dong Tam case.

Giao joined in various talk shows on the GTV channel, founded by NGO leader Mai Phan Loi. Giao talked about different topics where land rights were included.

He also made commentary for the BBC (video on death penalty case, US-Vietnam relations, the Dong Tam incident, and the Formosa environmental disaster).

Giao used to hold the post of Deputy Director General of Vietnamese Government Border Board. With knowledge gained from this experience, Giao often commented on Vietnam's relations with China and the United States (not many of his opinions are controversial inside the country, however). 

In November 2022, Giao and PLD presided over a seminar on giving suggestions for amending the Land Law.

Giao has long been an active legal scholar in Vietnam’s political environment, but he has acted most of the time in line with the expectations of the Vietnamese government.