Key Events

• Social Media Users from Quang Nam and Thanh Hoa Provinces Arrested under Article 331
• Ho Chi Minh City Police Detain and Interrogate Former Imprisoned Dissidents and Relatives of Political Prisoners
• Updates on Prisoners of Conscience Bui Van Thuan and Trinh Ba Phuong
• Beijing-Backed Think Tank Confirms Detention of Vietnamese Fishermen

Social Media Users from Quang Nam and Thanh Hoa Provinces were Arrested under Article 331

The Quang Nam and Thanh Hoa Provincial Police have arrested two social media users and charged them with “abusing democratic freedoms to infringe on the interests of the state and the legitimate rights of other individuals” under Article 331 of the Penal Code. Both of these internet users were accused of sharing information or hosting live streams on Facebook that contained defamatory details about Communist Party leaders, government officials, and local cadres, which allegedly violated Section 2 of Article 331.

The Nhu Xuan District Police Department in Thanh Hoa Province on Nov. 4 prosecuted Bui Van Tuan, 41, under Article 331 after their investigation found that the internet user had used his Facebook account, “Tuan Dung,” to live stream and purportedly “make false statements to slander and damage the reputation, honor, and dignity of officials in Nhu Xuan District.” According to state media, Tuan also incited the public to protest the construction of several projects in the locality, but it did not state if there was any conflict between residents and the constructors.