The fallout from the Chuyện với Thanh scandal widens as the Communist Party disciplines the Department of Publishing, Printing, and Distribution.
The Latest: Thanh Niên reported on Sept. 30 that following the literary prosecution surrounding Chuyện với Thanh, the Communist Party’s Central Inspection Commission issued a formal reprimand to the Party cell at the Department of Publishing, Printing, and Distribution—under the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.
- Twenty-three members of the Party cell received reprimands, while two others received formal warnings.
The Details: The Central Inspection Commission, which imposed the disciplinary measures, said further disciplinary review was ongoing.
- State media and Party agencies provided no specific explanation beyond violations that involved “the review of legal-deposit publications, posting news, reporting and writing articles, and causing negative public reaction.”
The Background: This disciplinary action is tied to the Chuyện với Thanh case, which involves businessman Nguyễn Thành Nam’s publicly denounced book.
- The backlash against the publication has led to arrest orders for the author and four others, alongside the suspension of Nhà xuất bản Hội Nhà văn.
- The case also appears likely to explain writer Nguyễn Quang Thiều’s removal as chair of Hội Nhà văn and his subsequent expulsion from the Communist Party.
Why It Matters: Chuyện với Thanh is not the only book that has faced public denunciation this year. Other books and authors have also faced denunciation campaigns including:
- Bảo Ninh’s Nỗi buồn chiến tranh
- Trần Thanh Cảnh’s Đức Thánh Trần
- Bùi Việt Sỹ’s Chim ưng và chàng đan sọt.
Trịnh Hữu Long wrote this news article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on October 4, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine translated it into English.
