Wed Apr 23 10:51:24 UTC 2025: ## Vietnam Cracks Down on Social Media Dissent: HRW Report
**Bangkok, April 23, 2025** – Human Rights Watch (HRW) has released a report detailing Vietnam’s escalating crackdown on social media dissent, targeting ordinary citizens for online criticism of the state. While the one-party state has a history of imprisoning bloggers and activists, HRW states that the scope of Article 331 of the penal code – concerning infringement of state interests – has broadened significantly.
The report reveals a sharp increase in convictions under Article 331. At least 124 individuals received harsh prison sentences between 2018 and February 2025, compared to just 28 in the six years prior. These arrests are not limited to high-profile figures; everyday citizens voicing complaints about government services or police misconduct are also being targeted.
HRW cites several cases, including a seamstress jailed for two and a half years for allowing her partner to use her laptop to discuss politics, and a man sentenced to two years for livestreaming a protest from his home after his son died in police custody. The report also highlights the case of Nay Y Blang, a member of an ethnic minority group, who received a four-and-a-half-year sentence for allegedly inciting secession, despite claims that he only advocated for religious freedom.
HRW criticizes the Vietnamese government’s use of Article 331 as a tool to suppress basic rights and calls for its immediate revocation, the release of all those imprisoned for exercising their rights, and an end to the persecution of unrecognized religious groups. The Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has yet to respond to requests for comment.
First Piper 