Dissident Vương Văn Thả Dies Behind Bars as Questions Mount Over Prison Abuses in Việt Nam

 

The Vietnamese Magazine | 2025-09-08 

On Sept. 2, 2025, imprisoned Vietnamese dissident Vương Văn Thả reportedly died at An Phước Prison in Bình Dương Province. Authorities informed his family the following day that he had “committed suicide,” though no official details have been released to the media.

According to his family, Thả was born in 1962; however, his official record indicates he was born in 1969. A follower of Hòa Hảo Buddhism, Thả has been serving a 12-year prison sentence since 2017 after being convicted of committing “propaganda against the state.” Rights advocates considered Tha a prisoner of conscience because he openly expressed his beliefs and criticized the government’s suppression of religious freedom.

His family disputes the official claim of suicide, citing his religious convictions, which prohibit taking one’s own life. Relatives also noted that they believe he had died before Sept. 2, but the authorities deliberately withheld the news until after National Day celebrations and military parades concluded.

Independent Vietnamese-language outlets and social media were the first to report his death, while state-controlled media remained silent. A Sept. 3 report from Cali Today (a California-based Vietnamese-language online newspaper that covers issues affecting the overseas community) framed the case as suicide, though skepticism spread quickly among supporters and rights advocates.

Many platforms like Reddit and Facebook described his death as a likely cover-up, raising suspicions that Thả may have been tortured or mistreated in custody.

The news has sparked renewed criticism of Vietnam’s treatment of political prisoners and its broader crackdown on dissent. International human rights organizations have long documented poor conditions inside Vietnamese prisons, particularly for prisoners of conscience. 

The timing of his death, which coincided with Vietnam’s National Day on Sept. 2, has also raised suspicions. Activists allege that the government’s delay in confirming the news reflects an attempt to avoid international scrutiny during a politically symbolic time.

Vương Văn Thả’s death adds to a troubling pattern of repression in Vietnam, where activists, religious adherents, and environmental defenders have faced arbitrary arrests and harsh sentences. Just days before, other dissidents, including Hồ Sỹ Quyết, Trần Quang Nam, and Lý Quang Sơn, were reportedly detained under unclear charges.

The Vietnamese authorities have not issued an official statement on Thả’s death, and independent access to verify the circumstances remains blocked. Rights advocates abroad are calling for a transparent investigation and for international pressure to ensure accountability in this latest case of a dissident dying in state custody.