Three Vietnamese bloggers charged with spreading “propaganda”

16 Apr 12 | Index Index, minipost

Three established Vietnamese bloggers have been charged with spreading spreading anti-government propaganda. According to AP, Nguyen Van Hai, Phan Thanh Hai and Ta Phon Tan are accused of belong to the banned “Free Journalists Club” of Vietnam and contributing 421 articles which “distorted and opposed the State.” The three men have been detained awaiting trial, if convicted they face up to 20 years in prison.  Vietnam has a poor record on press freedom, the Communist Party maintains a tight control of the media

Vietnam: One blogger arrested, another faces new charges

26 Oct 10 | Index Index, minipost

A political blogger was arrested on Monday. Phan Thanh Hai, who blogs as Saigon Brother Three, was taken from his home in Ho Chi Minh after a police raid. His wife says that he has been detained for the “publication of false information”. Another blogger, Nguyen Van Hai, who had reached the end of his two and a half year prison sentence for tax evasion, has been hit with new charges. He is now accused of campaigning against the one-party communist state.