“My case clearly shows there is absolutely no press freedom in Vietnam,” says persecuted journalist
 

 RSF | 2025-08-18

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) denounces the Vietnamese government’s continuing crackdown on independent journalism, as seen in the case of Doan Bao Chau, a prominent journalist forced into hiding by relentless state persecution. In an exclusive interview with RSF,  he describes how he has spent more than a year living in fear and evading arrest.

The Hanoi Police Investigation Bureau announced on 14 August that it had issued a special arrest warrant for Doan Bao Chau, who has been in hiding for more than a year, and called on the public to help arrest him. When some 20 officials from the police and prosecutor’s office raided his wife’s home a few weeks ago, they told her that he had been formally charged with “disseminating anti-state documents” — a crime punishable by up to 12 years in prison.

A former photojournalist, Doan is a prominent figure in Vietnam’s independent media landscape. He has collaborated with international news agencies, including AP, Reuters, and AFP, as well as the New York Times newspaper and Forbes magazine, and he often posts about Vietnamese current affairs on his Facebook page, which has over 215,000 followers. In an exclusive interview with RSF, Doan shares his chilling story and details the government’s crackdown on the press.

Doan said the case against him is a complete fabrication. He said the local police told his wife he was the leader of a so-called Vinh Long State Party. “This is a blatant lie,” he said. “I have never been involved in any political party.” The material cited as evidence against him suggests that the real motive is his journalism. It includes a video posted on YouTube in which he discusses the case of Pham Doan Trang — a prominent journalist and 2019 RSF Press Freedom Prize laureate who is currently serving a nine-year prison sentence just for doing her job.

Fabricated charges in retaliation for journalism

“My case clearly shows there is absolutely no press freedom in Vietnam,” Doan told RSF. “I’ve simply fulfilled my role as a reporter. I care about the suffering of my fellow citizens. I interview them, give them a platform to share their stories, and hope that public pressure might push the government to change course — whether on land seizures, police violence, or the inhumane treatment of prisoners.” Doan thinks one of the videos that particularly angered authorities was an interview he conducted in 2021 with lawyers about the Dong Tam land dispute — a case in which the government sent 3,000 troops to storm a village near Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital, at night.

The authorities have been harassing Doan since June 2024, when he was summoned by police, notified that criminal proceedings had been opened against him, and told he was banned from leaving the country. Fearing imminent arrest, Doan saw no option but to go into hiding. “I knew I would be arrested,” he said. Since then, the police have repeatedly raided his home and those of his relatives. “They’ve constantly threatened my wife and children,” he said. “They warned them that if I was prosecuted or declared wanted, it would destroy their future. They could lose their jobs and people would shun them.”

Determination in response to continuing crackdown on journalists

“I’ve seen what happens to others who speak out, just as I do,” Doan said. But despite the risks, he remains determined to continue working. “I regard the Vietnamese government as deceitful,” he said. “They claim internationally that human rights are improving, while in reality, farmers are still being dispossessed, and prisoners are tortured and mistreated. I will continue doing whatever I can to raise awareness — because even indirectly, that can help make Vietnam a better place.”
 

“By targeting such a prominent journalist, the Vietnamese government is yet again demonstrating its utter contempt for press freedom and its determination to silence all independent voices. We call on the Vietnamese authorities to drop all charges against Doan Bao Chau at once and to ensure that he is able to return to his family without fear of arrest.”

Cédric Alviani
RSF Asia-Pacific Bureau Director
 

In recent years, the Vietnamese government has waged an all-out war on independent journalism, with more than 70 journalists arrested since 2016. Since taking over as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam in August 2024, To Lam has continued to crack down on press freedom. In February 2025, Truong Huy San, another prominent freelance journalist also known by the pen name of Huy Duc, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for reporting on high-level corruption and abuse of authority.

With at least 27 journalists currently detained in conditions that often pose a threat to their lives, Vietnam is among the world’s biggest jailers of journalists and is ranked 173rd out of 180 countries and territories in the 2025 RSF World Press Freedom Index.

 

 

 

Return to main page