It is no surprise that a communist country such as Vietnam is guilty of social and political injustices.
A traditional response to injustice is protest. Many people are apprehensive to protest, due to the infringement on their rights, and potential danger. Protesters are handled with excessive force, they are intimidated, harassed and in many cases face detention. In alternative, activists use social media, especially blogging, as a tool to inform society. It's successful because of the ability to reach millions of people. The problem begins when bloggers receive a lot of attention.The citizens who follow bloggers online, are relying on them to expose corruption. They simply cannot detain every citizen who blogs against the state therefore they target the most prominent bloggers. The Civil Rights Defenders states, "More than three million individuals host blogs in Vietnam." The detainees include bloggers with the most viewers, and most radical content.
Some of the many issues Vietnam struggles with include Human Rights, freedom of speech, freedom of the press. and more. An article published by the Civil Rights Defenders, explains in detail the types of Human Rights violations occurring in Vietnam.
On a social standpoint, one injustice that Vietnamese citizens are fighting against involves land ownership. Land owners are commonly forced to give up their land to corporate development projects. In return, they receive unfair compensation for their land. Another major social issue is police brutality one that Americans are particularly familiar with. The difference is this: With the rise of social media in the U.S., we have seen evidence of police brutality. Typically, in the form of video footage from a witness. In Vietnam, individuals must be extremely cautious of what they post online. Any content shared that the government deems "anti-state," can lead to arrest and in worst case incarceration.
Nguyễn Hữu Vinh, a well known blogger, was sentenced to 5 years for his published articles. His main focus? Government corruption. In an even worse case, blogger Ngô Hào, received a 15 year sentence. A petition has been created for both bloggers in attempt to get them out of prison.