Doãn Quốc Sỹ and the River of Fate: The Tragedy of the ‘Romantic’ Intellectual
The major works of writer Doãn Quốc Sỹ (1923–2025) effectively capture the inner world of Vietnamese intellectuals of his generation. These individuals came of...
Việt Nam’s Floods Lay Bare the Harsh Realities of Environmental Authoritarianism
Night fell, and as people slept, the water began to surge from nowhere. Unlike rain-driven floods, torrents unleashed by hydropower dams rise with terrifying...
Not a ‘Just’ Transition: Việt Nam’s Green Energy Push and the Silencing of Đặng Đình Bách
On March 17, 2023, environmental lawyer Đặng Đình Bách, imprisoned in Việt Nam since 2021, began a partial hunger strike. By mid-April, when his...
Speed Over Substance: Who is Really Writing the Laws?
Developments in the National Assembly and legislative activities over the past year have revealed a growing pattern of “lightning-speed” lawmaking. [1] This raises a...
Religion Bulletin – October 2025 Authorities Arrest Central Highlands Christ Believers; International Groups Voice Concern Over Việt Nam’s Re-Election to the UN Human Rights Council
Notable Religious Developments in October 2025 Authorities Repeatedly Obstruct Worship Activities of the World Mission Society Church of God Believers. Đắk Lắk Authorities Arrest...
Analyzing the Vingroup vs. Lê Trung Khoa Dispute: Implications of the Final Judgment
A lawsuit over speech in which a defendant, even if wrong, is not sent to prison: that is a hallmark of a democratic judiciary....
Red Capitalism and Crony Interest Groups–A View from Russia to Việt Nam
Although it is a private corporation, Vingroup routinely responds to negative consumer reactions and civil disputes by bringing in the police. Instead of filing...
Deadly Flooding Sweeps Central Việt Nam: Tens of Thousands Displaced, Crops Ruined
Key Events Severe Floods in Central Việt Nam Leave 55 Dead, Cause Widespread Damage as More Rain Approaches; Ministry of Public Security Indicts Journalist...
Beyond Patchwork Fixes in the ‘Forest of Laws’: Việt Nam’s Institutional Reform
For many years, the legal system has been developed through what might be called “patchwork fixes”—mending one spot here, adding another there—to address specific...