Despite issuing a public apology, halting distribution, and pledging to “aggressively recall” a certain book, a Vietnamese publishing house has still been suspended for two months for publishing “very serious false information,” “inaccurate assessments,” and “inappropriate language.”
The Latest: On June 15, the Publication, Printing, and Distribution Department (Publication Department)—operating under the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism—suspended the Writers’ Association Publishing House (Nhà xuất bản Hội Nhà Văn) for two months.
- The sanction was issued for publishing “very serious false information” in Chuyện với Thanh – Lời kể mới về ánh sáng (A story with Thanh – A New Account of Light), a book authored by Nguyễn Thành Nam.
The Details: According to the Publication Department, the book contained two types of infractions:
- Inaccurate information and assessments about several historical figures and events
- Inappropriate language when writing about “President Hồ Chí Minh and several veteran leaders of the Party”
- The Publication Department did not specify which exact passages were deemed “very serious false information.”
Despite the Writers’ Association Publishing House halting distribution and issuing a public apology on June 10—acknowledging “limitations and shortcomings in the editing, appraisal, and technical review of the content”—authorities still mandated several financial and operational penalties.
Sanctions and Penalties: The publishing house has 60 days to complete the administrative sanctions. Additional penalties include:
- A 100 million đồng fine ($3,797 USD)
- An order to surrender nearly 424 million đồng in “illegal proceeds” from the book’s distribution
- A mandate to recall and destroy all printed copies
Contacting Both Parties: Luật Khoa Magazine contacted the Writers’ Association Publishing House and the Publication Department on the afternoon of June 22 to ask for specific details but received no response.
The author, Nguyễn Thành Nam, was also contacted through his work email at VinUni University, but an error message—stating that the “address could not be found”—was received.
- Nguyễn Thành Nam’s faculty profile page on VinUni’s website is also no longer available, returning a 404 error.
- VinUni University also did not respond to email and phone inquiries regarding the author’s employment status.
About the Book: Published in 2026, A story with Thanh – A New Account of Light is structured as a dialogue between Thanh, an indifferent Gen Z student, and his teacher, Thành.
- Through this narrative, the author reconstructs Hồ Chí Minh’s journey during his years abroad when he went by the name Nguyễn Tất Thành.
The book previously stirred controversy and faced accusations of “distorting history,” “insulting President Hồ Chí Minh” and “insulting the Vietnamese nation” due to its alternative portrayal of the historical figure.
- The backlash originated with individuals known for publicly denouncing literature such as The Sorrow of War and the Trương Vĩnh Ký event, including former soldier Phan Trung Can and Lt. Gen. Nguyễn Thanh Tuấn.
Hoàng Nam wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on June 23, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine has the copyrights to the English translation.
