Hung, 51, a reporter for the newspaper Nguoi Lao Dong, died in a Ho Chi Minh City hospital 10 days after he was set ablaze while sleeping in his home in Tan An town, according to local and international news reports. Hung suffered severe burns to more than 20 percent of his body, according to news reports.
His wife, Tran Thi Thuy Lieu, was convicted of the murder on March 29, 2012, after a one-day trial in southern Long An province. News reports said Lieu, who had suffered gambling losses, was motivated by her husband's refusal to sell their home.
Journalists initially believed Hung, a reporter for the newspaper Nguoi Lao Dong, was killed for his aggressive coverage of official misconduct in the Mekong Delta region His wife had said Hung had been receiving threatening text messages. Based on that information, CPJ initially classified his death as work-related. CPJ's classification was updated in light of the conviction.