The Vietnam Human Rights Network has selected three imprisoned activists—Phan Tat Thanh, Nguyen Chi Tuyen, and Nguyen Thi Ngoc Hanh—as recipients of the 2025 Vietnam Human Rights Award for their dedicated efforts to advance human rights in Vietnam. This recognition comes as all three activists remain incarcerated for their advocacy work, drawing attention to the ongoing human rights situation in the Southeast Asian nation.
Phan Tat Thanh, a 39-year-old activist, served as administrator of the Facebook page Nhat Ky Yeu Nuoc (Patriotic Diary), which focused on human rights violations, environmental pollution, corruption, and territorial disputes with China. The page once attracted more than 200,000 registered members before authorities arrested Thanh on July 13, 2023, charging him with "propaganda against the State." During detention, he reportedly endured physical and mental abuse aimed at extracting confessions. Following a swift trial on May 8, 2024, Thanh received an eight-year prison sentence plus three years probation. He maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings, asserting that his actions aligned with both Vietnam's Constitution and United Nations human rights conventions. He currently serves his sentence at Xuan Loc Prison in Dong Nai Province.
Nguyen Chi Tuyen, a 51-year-old activist, co-founded the "No U" group in 2007, which opposed China's territorial claims in the East Sea. Through social media platforms including Facebook and YouTube, Tuyen defended persecuted activists and criticized government policies across social, environmental, and economic issues. His activism resulted in multiple assaults by undercover police before his eventual arrest on February 29, 2024, when police forcibly entered his home. The Hanoi People's Court sentenced him to five years imprisonment on August 15, 2024, for "conducting propaganda against the State." Tuyen currently remains incarcerated at Prison No. 6 in Nghe An Province.
Nguyen Thi Ngoc Hanh, a 49-year-old former mathematics teacher at the Canadian International School in Saigon, co-founded the Constitution Group in 2018. This independent civil activist organization promoted implementation of constitutional rights, particularly freedom of expression, assembly, and participation in state management. The group utilized social media to discuss constitutional violations by officials and participated in protests against the Law on Special Economic Zones and the Law on Cyber Security in June 2018. Authorities detained Hanh on September 3, 2018, holding her in solitary confinement for eleven months before permitting family visits. After nearly two years of detention, she and seven other group members faced trial on July 31, 2020, receiving a collective sentence of 40.5 years for "disruption of security." Hanh received the harshest individual sentence of eight years imprisonment as authorities identified her as the group's mastermind. She currently serves her term at An Phuoc prison in Phu Giao district, Ho Chi Minh City.
The Vietnam Human Rights Award, established in 2002 by the Vietnam Human Rights Network, honors individuals and organizations demonstrating outstanding achievement in defending Vietnamese people's rights while fostering solidarity between Vietnamese communities worldwide and human rights advocates within the country. Since its inception, the award has recognized 63 individuals and six organizations. The 2025 award ceremony will take place on December 7 in Montreal, Canada, organized in cooperation with the Vietnamese Community of Montreal. The Vietnam Human Rights Network's mission focuses on defending and promoting human rights, civil liberties, and fundamental freedoms for all Vietnamese citizens as outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and subsequent international instruments. More information about their work can be found at https://www.vietnamhumanrights.net.
