The Vietnamese government has intensified its crackdown on dissent to punish people simply for raising concerns or complaints about government policies or local officials, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.
The 26-page report, "'We'll All Be Arrested Soon': Abusive Prosecutions under Vietnam's 'Infringing of State Interests' Law," documents the Vietnamese government's increased use of article 331 of the penal code to target those who use social media and other means to publicly raise issues including religious freedom, land rights, rights of Indigenous people, and corruption by the government and the Communist Party of Vietnam. The authorities should immediately end the systemic repression, and release everyone detained or imprisoned for exercising their basic rights.
"The Vietnamese authorities abuse the 'infringing of state interests' law not only to silence prominent activists and whistleblowers, but to retaliate against ordinary people who complain about poor services or police abuse," said Patricia Gossman, associate Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Article 331 is the government's handy tool to infringe upon the basic rights of Vietnamese citizens."
Human Rights Watch examined dozens of Vietnamese court documents, numerous media sources, and hundreds of posts and videos on social media. Between 2018 and February 2025, Vietnamese courts convicted and sentenced at least 124 people to harsh prison terms under article 331. This is a significant increase over the previous six-year period (2011-2017), when only 28 people were reportedly convicted and sentenced to prison for violating the predecessor to article 331.
In the past, people who were convicted under the law were often bloggers or human rights activists: those the government sought to silence but who were not considered threats to the Communist Party's monopoly on power. They were convicted of crimes considered less serious than crimes against national security.
But Human Rights Watch found that the authorities have enlarged the scope and application of article 331 so that it reaches much further into society, beyond human rights and democracy dissidents - most of whom are now in prison - to all those publicly voicing grievances. As a result, ordinary people face arrest and up to seven years in prison for criticizing low-level officials.
Those sentenced under article 331 include:
- Dao Ba Cuong, an ironworker who staged a protest inside his home after his son died in police custody in October 2022. A family member livestreamed the protest on social media. Dao Ba Cuong also wore funeral clothes and carried a portrait of his son through the streets to raise awareness about his son's death. In December 2023, a court in Phu Yen province sentenced him to two years in prison.
- Vu Thi Kim Hoang allowed her partner, Nguyen Thai Hung, to live in her house and use her laptop, which he used to discuss political issues on social media. As a punishment for hosting him, in November 2022, a Dong Nai court sentenced her to two years and six months in prison. In the same trial, Nguyen Thai Hung received a four-year prison sentence.
- Danh Minh Quang, an ethnic Khmer, complained on social media about discrimination against Khmer - including withholding aid during the Covid-19 pandemic - and advocated recognition of Indigenous people. In February 2024, a court in Soc Trang province sentenced him to three years and six months in prison.
- Le Minh The discussed sociopolitical issues including economic development, corruption, poverty, and land rights on social media. He served 21 months in prison between 2018-2020 for voicing his opinions. In 2023, he was arrested again, convicted, and sentenced to two years in prison, also for criticizing the authorities. Le Minh The's younger sister, Le Thi Binh, also served two years in prison between 2020-2022 for "posting, livestreaming, and sharing" content that "defames" state's policies.
The Vietnamese authorities' increased use of article 331 is a little-known facet of the government's expanding crackdown on dissent, Human Rights Watch said. It reflects the government's failure - despite its growing international profile and membership in the United Nations Human Rights Council - to address social issues in a manner consistent with human rights and good governance.
"Vietnam's trade partners have been routinely overlooking the government's heightened abuse of human rights in the name of economic development and investment opportunities," Gossman said. "International donors and trade partners should publicly and privately press Vietnam to immediately release anyone held for peacefully expressing their opinions online, and repeal the 'infringing of state interests' law."
