Do Nam Trung
Once we choose to raise our voice against injustice, we always have to be ready to face the government’s persecution. That is why we must stay strong.
Do Nam Trung is a human rights defender whose work focuses on freedom of the press, human rights, and democracy. In May 2014, Trung and others were arrested during a protest against China’s invasion of Vietnam’s territorial waters and against the authoritian rule of the Vietnamese government. Don Nam Trung was sentenced to 14 months in prison because of his activism. Following his release in 2015 he continued his human rights work , joining the protests against violations commited by the Formosa company, which caused a serious environmental disaster in 2016. He has also helped rescue people in areas prone to floods and landslides, worked on a campaign calling thousands of drivers to boycott corrupted tollbooths, organised demonstrations against the Vietnamese government, and worked with victims of land grabbing to inform and sensitise them of their rights. This work has led Trung - and his colleagues – facing serious threats from both the local government and gangsters, including harassment, physical attacks, and online threats. On 26 July 2021, the Vietnamese authorities arrested Do Nam Trung and charged him with propaganda against the state under Article 117(1) of the Penal code. On 16 December 2021, the People's Court of Nam Dinh City sentenced the human rights defender to 10 years in prison and 4 years of probation.
Right to free assembly and association, though enshrined in Article 25 of the 1959 Vietnam Constitution, has often been infringed when it comes to those expressing dissent or dissatisfaction with the State. HRDs engaging in free speech online and in public fora, including bloggers, writers, journalists, and documentary film makers, have been subjected to judicial proceedings. Criminal sentences are frequently very long. In the trials of eight Brotherhood for Democracy members in April 2018, the cumulative sentences amounted to 86 years’ imprisonment and 25 years’ probation.
