Bloggers in Vietnam have become the target an Internet crackdown. The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) has documented violations of the right to freedom of expression. According to the report, “Bloggers and Netizens Behind Bars: Restriction on Internet Freedom in Vietnam” 32 bloggers and netizens are being detained, charged, and/or sentenced to prison time in Vietnam.
FIDH says that bloggers resort to the Internet to voice political opinions, expose corruption, and show officials abusing power. Together, the prison terms range from 2 to 16 years.
According to The Australian, three Vietnamese journalists, Nguyen Van Hai, Ta Phong Tan, and Phan Thanh Hai were all jailed up to 12 years in September 2012 for creating the Club of Free Journalist.
The Committee to Protect Journalist (CPJ) reports that in 2012, Vietnam imprisoned 14 reporters, making Vietnam the 6th leading prison to jail journalist. 13 of the 14 journalists were imprisoned for frequently publishing on independent blogs or other online publications.