Nguyen Van Thuan (Chau Son),
Dien Dan Tu Do
Imprisoned: Late 1990

Thuan, whose pen name is Chau Son, was arrested in the fall of 1990 and in March 1993 was sentenced to 12 years in prison for his involvement with the pro-democracy newsletter Dien Dan Tu Do (Freedom Forum). His sentence was reduced on appeal to eight years. Thuan suffered a stroke on February 25, 1994, that left him partially paralyzed. He is reportedly being held in a re-education camp where he is not forced to carry out labor, although the lack of medical facilities raises concerns for his health.

Le Duc Vuong, Dien Dan Tu  Do
Imprisoned: Late 1990

Vuong was arrested in the fall of 1990 and sentenced in late March 1993 to seven years in prison for his involvement with the pro-democracy newsletter Dien Dan Tu Do (Freedom Forum). CPJ believes Vuong is incarcerated at Xuan Phuoc labor camp.

Nguyen Dan Que
Sentenced: November 1991

Que was convicted of compiling and distributing subversive literature and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Before he was imprisoned, he had distributed political handbills and sent documents abroad. Que, who suffers from hypertension and a bleeding gastric ulcer, is imprisoned at the Xuyen Moc labor camp in Dong Nai Province.

Nguyen Hoang Linh, Doang Nghiep
Arrested: October 8, 1997

Hoang Linh, editor of the state-run business newspaper Doang Nghiep, was arrested on charges of revealing state secrets. The charges were linked to articles he wrote that explored questionable practices of Vietnam’s General Customs Department in the purchase of coastal patrol boats. Local journalists said the arrest was interpreted as a warning to reporters to stay away from stories about government corruption. The arrest followed restrictions imposed earlier in the year concerning financial and banking information. The government also barred Vietnamese journalists from giving information to their foreign counterparts without first obtaining state permission.