Activist Nguyen Thuy Hanh, Founder of the Charity 50K Fund, Released Upon Completion of Her Sentence

Key events

• Nguyen Thuy Hanh, Activist who Raised Funds for Vietnamese Prisoners of Conscience, Completes Her Sentence
• Prisoner of Conscience Le Trong Hung Ceases His Month-Long Hunger Strike
• Vietnam Elevates Relationship with France to Highest Status
• An Unidentified Vessel Sank a Vietnamese Fishing Boat in the South China Sea

Nguyen Thuy Hanh, an Activist Who Raised Funds for Vietnamese Prisoners of Conscience, Completes Her Sentence

Nguyen Thuy Hanh, 61, an activist and founder of the 50K Fund that provides a financial lifeline for prisoners of conscience, completed her sentence and was released from prison on the morning of Oct. 7. Hanh established a fund to help the families of political prisoners pay for legal services and overcome monetary hardships. The activist, who battles with depression and cervical cancer, was detained in 2021 and charged with “distributing anti-state propaganda” under Article 117, a provision in the penal code that human rights groups have criticized as vague and arbitrary.

According to Hanh’s husband, Huynh Ngoc Chenh, she was tried in a secret trial without defense lawyers on July 31, 2021, and sentenced to three and a half years in prison. The court did not disclose the details of the hearing. 

The activist has been held in de-facto detention at the National Psychiatric Hospital for coercive treatment for depression, where she reportedly faced abuse and mistreatment. 

In a Facebook posting dated Oct. 7, Hanh announced that she had arrived home safely and had reunited with family and friends. “In the darkest moments in prison or in the hospital when I was facing a terrible mental illness, I thought of my brothers, sisters, friends, and uncles outside who were giving me all their love and trust,” she wrote. Following her release, the activist will focus on the treatment of her depression and cervical cancer, now in the mid-stage, respectively, at the National Psychiatric Hospital and the K Hospital in Hanoi. Hanh said the imprisonment had worsened her mental illness.

On Oct. 8, Congresswoman Michelle Steel wrote on X that while celebrating the freedom of Nguyen Thuy Hanh, “we must also fight for other prisoners of conscience still wrongfully detained in Vietnam.”

Last February, three civil society organizations, the Civil Society Forum, Vietnam Bauxite Forum, and the Le Hieu Dang Club, and 38 other individuals sent a petition to then-President Vo Van Thuong, urging him to free Nguyen Thuy Hanh so that she could receive better cancer treatment. The petition said the continued detention of Hanh was both illegal and inhumane since she had remained in custody despite having severe illness.

Prisoner of Conscience Le Trong Hung Ceases Month-Long Hunger Strike

Le Trong Hung, a former teacher and blogger serving a five-year sentence on charges of “distributing anti-state propaganda,” ceased his month-long hunger strike on Oct. 2.. Hung initially planned to be on the hunger strike for 50 days, starting on Sept. 4, to oppose the unjust nature of his imprisonment and to protest To Lam’s new position as the Vietnamese Communist Party general secretary. Do Le Na, Hung’s wife, wrote on social media that she learned the news during a recent visit to the Nghe An Province’s Prison Camp No. 6, where he is held.

Hung, 45, was arrested in March 2021 after he decided to run for the National Assembly as an independent candidate that same year. He received a five year prison sentence and an additional five years under house arrest in a trial in late 2021. An appellate court in Hanoi rejected Hung’s appeals in a trial in April 2022 and upheld his previous conviction.

Na wrote that her husband had lost 11.5 kg as a result of the hunger strike. Hung revealed that correctional authorities punished him for initiating the strike, forbidding him to call home and confiscating all letters sent from home due to “sensitive reasons.” When his request to make a call on Sept. 15 was approved, the blogger said he called his wife to inform her about the strike and other daily life stories in the cell, but she did not pick up. Na suspected the authorities intervened in the connection because every call made to her number around that time could not be received, even though she pressed the answer button.

Other prisoners of conscience held in the Nghe An Prison No. 6, Dang Dinh Bach, Trinh Ba Tu, and Bui Van Thuan, began hunger strikes starting on Sept. 28 to protest the abysmal living conditions at this facility and demand authorities free all political inmates. Their strike continued for 12 consecutive days as of Oct. 10. The Nghe An prison is mainly known for its harsh treatment of prisoners. According to Trinh Thi Nhung, Thuan’s wife, her husband said he had lost 5.5 kg since he began the strike, and now weighs around 62.5 kilograms. Thuan did not accept all the food items Nhung sent and refused to receive the prison's food rations.

Vietnam Elevates Relationship with France to Highest Status

General Secretary and President To Lam held discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron on Oct. 7 in Paris. They announced upgrading the bilateral relationship to a “comprehensive strategic partnership,” the highest rung in Vietnam’s diplomatic ladder. France became the first European Union member state to elevate ties with Hanoi, reaffirming To Lam’s commitment to pursuing a non-alignment strategy known as “bamboo diplomacy,” which was declared under late Nguyen Phu Trong’s leadership.

Lam arrived in Paris on Oct. 3 to attend the 19th Francophonie Summit for French-speaking countries. There, he met with several leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo. According to state media, the general secretary also met with UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay and the President of the French Senate, Gérard Larcher.

Both countries released a joint statement on establishing a comprehensive strategic partnership. The statement affirmed their respect for international law, equality and sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and each other’s political systems. Further, it addressed the crucial need to adhere to the United Nations Charter and the “promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.” The document mentions pledges to enhance cooperation in defense, security, and economic exchange. Vietnam will allow French military vessels to dock in its seaports according to Vietnamese law.

Unidentified Vessel Sinks Vietnamese Fishing Boat in South China Sea

Four fishermen setting sail from the central southern province of Binh Dinh were left drifting at sea for at least five hours after an unidentified vessel suddenly rammed and sank their boat on Oct. 6. The fishing boat, named BD 97543 TS, was attacked and capsized while fishing for tuna in an area located around 123 nautical miles from the Hon Tre Island of Khanh Hoa Province. Another Vietnamese boat found and rescued the surviving sailors at around midnight and brought them to safety.

The family of Nguyen Huu Long, 38, captain of the sunken vessel, said that at the time of the accident, the fishing personnel heard a loud noise, and then their boat shook violently. The captain sent a signal for emergency after he saw the bow being smashed open as water started to flow in. He added that no one aboard was able to see the registration number of the vessel that assaulted them. State media reported that although no casualties were recorded, the property damage was estimated at around 1.5 billion dong ($60,400).

The attack occurred after an earlier incident on Sept. 29, when 30 armed individuals carrying metal rods from a Chinese law enforcement vessel attacked a fishing boat from Quang Ngai near the disputed Paracels Islands, injuring at least 10 fishermen. Pham Thu Hang, spokesperson of the foreign ministry, said Vietnam strongly opposed the attacks and said that it “violated Vietnamese sovereignty over the Paracels.” Hang also raised the issue with the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi, urging Beijing not to “repeat similar activities.”

Quick Takes

Chinese Premier Li Qiang to Visit Vietnam

The Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Oct. 8 that Chinese Premier Li Qiang will pay an official visit to Vietnam between Oct. 12 and 14 at the invitation of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. This will become Li’s first trip to Vietnam after he took office in March 2023. State media reports that the visit will underpin the 75th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Vietnam and China next year. During a visit to China in August, To Lam suggested raising the bilateral relationship with Beijing to “a top priority and a strategic decision.”

Activist Phan Van Bach Meets His Family in Prison Visitation                     

Nguyen Thi Yeu, wife of imprisoned activist Phan Van Bach, said that the family was allowed to visit him in prison on Oct. 7. Yeu wrote that although his intestinal disease had improved, his skin issue has still not been treated. Bach told her to bring him medicine the next time she visits.. Meanwhile, Bach is mentally stable although he feels tired and looks thin. A court in Hanoi on Sept. 16 sentenced Bach to five years under Article 117 of the Penal Code in a trial that lasted under an hour. The activist is a former manager of a YouTube channel called Chan Hung TV, which discussed a variety of political and social issues.

Vietnam Insight: Learn more about Vietnam

Vietnam Strengthens Cyber Capabilities for Political Stability, National Defence, and Socio-economic Development

ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute/ Bich Tran/ Oct. 3

“One of the primary drivers behind Vietnam’s endeavors to enhance its cyber capabilities is the preservation of the Communist Party of Vietnam’s (CPV) ruling power and survival. The CPV is determined to guard against what it sees as a “peaceful evolution”—efforts by external forces to seek regime change without using military means. The late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, for example, urged all cadres, party members, civil servants and public employees to remain loyal to the Party’s principles and vigilant against signs of “peaceful evolution”, including “self-evolution” and “self-transformation”. These terms refer to the erosion of socialist ideals and the adoption of capitalist or Western values. Dissidents and opposition groups have leveraged platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, Twitter (now X), and Zalo to spread anti-government messages and challenge the CPV’s authority. By enhancing its cyber capabilities, the CPV aims to better monitor, control, and counter the spread of anti-government sentiments online, thus safeguarding its power and the stability of the regime.”