Dear readers,
This November 5, LIV turns 12.
What began in 2014 as a small group of people who believed Vietnamese citizens deserve to understand and question the laws that govern them has grown into a newsroom, a research hub, and an archive of truths the state would rather erase.
Twelve years on, the work has not gotten easier. Our co-founder Phạm Đoan Trang remains behind bars. Our journalists face pressure at home and across borders.
Yet every month, we also see why this work matters. People keep speaking up, sharing, and refusing to look away. They do this on Threads, in Melbourne, and in the inboxes of readers like you.
Thank you for your unwavering support. As we step into our 13th year, we invite you to look back at our October highlights.
THE STORIES STATE MEDIA WON’T TELL:
Land Seizures, Public Outcry & the Long Reach of Repression
Here are highlights of LIV’s key publications and video coverage from October: the fight over land seizures, a wave of public anger online, and Hà Nội’s reach against its critics, both at home and beyond its borders.
News Reporting: When the Public Pushes Back
Mega infrastructure projects continue to pit displaced residents against local governments and powerful corporations, and Luật Khoa Magazine and The Vietnamese continue to give voice to those being pushed aside. Meanwhile, a controversial bill on organ donation by children sparked another wave of public anger:
- Read: The “Stand with Ba Vì” trend grows on Threads despite police blocking and removing posts.
- Read: Parents push back as the Health Ministry defends its child organ donation bill.
Must-Read Article: China’s New Air Base in Laos: A Dilemma for Việt Nam
China’s new joint military facility at Ban Keun Airfield in Laos is far from Việt Nam’s eastern coast. But in a crisis, it could become a launch point for Chinese training, resupply, or surveillance on Việt Nam’s western flank. Hà Nội has kept publicly silent about the base. This analysis explains why it can no longer rely on friendship and shared history alone to keep Laos close, and lays out the warning signs Việt Nam should be watching.
Must-Read Article: Phil Robertson: ‘Việt Nam has the capacity and the political will to abduct people abroad.’
Three activists, including a Norwegian and an Australian citizen, disappeared in Cambodia on Sept. 18. Ten days later, Việt Nam announced it was holding them on terrorism charges. Phil Robertson, who has spent nearly 20 years protecting activists hunted across borders in Asia, explains why he believes the men were abducted. He also describes how regional governments run “swap markets” that trade dissidents, and why eagerness for trade deals keeps the world silent.
Video Highlight: Why could General Secretary Tô Lâm Fail like Iran in 1978?
A communist party-state and an imperial monarchy, decades apart. Yet Tô Lâm and Iran’s last Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, share striking similarities in how they rule. On Luật Khoa Tạp Chí YouTube Channel, we trace how the Shah fell, and why Tô Lâm appears to be following the same precarious playbook.
JOIN OUR TEAM!
Project Manager, Managing Editor & News Editor
LIV is seeking qualified candidates for four open positions:
If you are passionate about independent media for Vietnam – or know someone who is – please check out our open positions or share this opportunity with your network!
BEYOND THE NEWSROOM
Research, Community & Remembrance
A look at LIV’s work beyond our publications throughout October: contributing to global research on free expression, bringing our community together, and remembering those still behind bars.
New Report: Artificial Intelligence & Freedom of Expression in Vietnam
Trịnh Hữu Long, Executive Director at LIV, joined The Future of Free Speech to complete a report titled “That Violates My Policies”: AI Laws, Chatbots, and the Future of Expression. It examines how public and private governance of generative AI shapes the space for free expression and access to information. Trịnh Hữu Long authored the chapter on Vietnam.
DID YOU KNOW? LIV also builds free resources to help the public understand how the Vietnamese government works. Làm Luật: A website that tracks and explains Việt Nam’s bills, legal documents, and public policies, in clear, organized, and timely form, for the public, journalists, and researchers alike. The COVID-19 Dossier: A systematic record of how the government handled Việt Nam’s fourth COVID-19 wave, compiled by LIV to preserve public memory and support research. |
LIV Holds Melbourne Fundraiser for The 1975 Project and Internship Program
On Sunday, October 4, more than 20 people gathered in Melbourne for the launch of The 1975 Truth-Telling Internship, part of LIV’s The 1975 Project. “Truth is the anchor for all of us,” said Long, who joined the event online. The internship is tailored for young Vietnamese Australians from refugee families, for whom exploring their heritage can mean confronting displacement, political division, and intergenerational trauma.
The Sixth-year Anniversary of Phạm Đoan Trang’s Arrest
October 6 marked six years since Vietnamese authorities arrested LIV co-founder Phạm Đoan Trang. To mark the date, The Vietnamese’s managing editor Quynh-Vi Tran pays tribute to the women fighting for four imprisoned journalists: Trang’s mother, the sister of Lê Hữu Minh Tuấn, and the wives of Phạm Chí Dũng and Nguyễn Tường Thụy. Between them, the four are serving 46 years, and their families are calling for their unconditional release.
Thank you for standing with us in our mission to promote human rights and the rule of law in Việt Nam. See you next month with more updates!
Legal Initiatives for Vietnam (LIV)
info@liv.ngo
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No. 64, Sec. 2, Zhinan Rd., Wenshan Dist.
Taipei City, Taiwan (ROC) 116
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