While Nguyễn Thành Nam was recently prosecuted over a book with a print run of 9,700 copies, Chu Ngọc Quang Vinh faced a fierce public denunciation campaign for a post of fewer than 300 words. Although the post was shared privately and visible to only 16 “close friends,” [1] Vinh’s personal political reflections escaped that circle in less than a day.

The leaked post spread rapidly across social media, triggering severe backlash and prompting police involvement. Many people harshly branded the young man “ungrateful” and a “traitor.”