To Hoang Chuong

On March 20, 2024, The Cau Ngang District People’s Court in southern Vietnam’s Tra Vinh province convicted To Hoang Chuong of “abusing democratic freedoms” under Article 331, a section of the penal code 2015 Criminal Code used by the government to silence dissenting voices. 

Chuong was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison. According to the Khmers Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF), Chuong was tried without access to a lawyer. 

Chuong was hit in the head when he was interrogated, resulting in swelling and pain. To Hoang Chuong and his co-defendant, Thach Cuong, were arrested on July 31, 2023 because they passed out copies of the United Nations’ “Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,” which states that indigenous peoples have the right to maintain and develop their political, economic and social systems or institutions. 

Chuong was held incommunicado after arrest. 

The indictments for Chuong and Cuong also accused them of using their Facebook accounts to live-stream videos and to post and share photos and video clips.

The contents of the articles, photos and video clips “affected the national and religious unity, distorted the history of Vietnam and the authorities and insulted the prestige” of police and local authorities, according to the Tra Vinh provincial Department of Information and Culture.