Writer and journalist Thuy was detained at her home in Hanoi, where she had been under house arrest since November 2006, according to news reports. She was charged with violating Article 88 of Vietnam’s criminal code, which prohibits dissemination of information that authorities deem harmful to the state, the reports said.
Thuy had posted several pro-democracy essays online, according to people familiar with her writings. She was also accused of being a member of the pro-democracy group Bloc 8406, illegally organizing a trade union, and supporting a dissident human rights group, according to news reports. Thuy was a 2007 recipient of a Hellman-Hammett Grant administered by Human Rights Watch.