Việt Nam’s Proposed ‘Innovation’ Exemption Risks Shielding Corruption
A draft regulation allowing “exemption from punishment” for corruption offenders who acted from a “desire to innovate and make breakthroughs” sets a dangerous precedent....
A Nation Cannot Mature If It Clings to the Wounds of Its Past
A nation can hardly grow and move forward if it spends every day brooding over and resenting the past like a child. Recently, Hùng...
Academic Freedom Under Fire as Party Blocks Speakers at Vietnam Studies Conference in Hà Nội
Key Events Last-Minute Speaker Purge Mars International Vietnam Studies Conference; New Seat Plan Boosts Central, Military and Police Power in Việt Nam’s Next Parliament;...
Converting Gasoline Motorbikes to Electric: A ‘Green Dream’ That Could Backfire
The proposal to convert gasoline-powered motorbikes into electric vehicles is a “green” idea. But without a proper legal framework, technical standards, and social support,...
An Image of Guilt: Re-examining the Public Mug Shot in Việt Nam
The public consumption of the “mug shot”—the official photo taken by police after an arrest—has spurred both global trends and local controversy. In 2020,...
Art, Loyalty, and the State: Việt Nam’s ‘Ideological Frontline’
In the first days of September, Việt Nam’s online sphere was consumed by a “witch-hunt style showdown” involving the celebrity Trấn Thành. This public...
A Legacy of Resistance: From Kurt Tucholsky to Phạm Đoan Trang
History’s warnings are often first sounded by its satirists. Kurt Tucholsky (1890-1935) was a German-Jewish journalist, anti-militarist, and staunch critic of the German Nazi...
CIVICUS 2025 Update: ‘Closed’ Space Persists as Việt Nam Regime Defies UN Scrutiny
CIVICUS Monitor has released further updates on the state of freedom of expression and association in Việt Nam for the second half of 2025....
Mobilizing Việt Nam’s ‘People’s Gold’: An Impossible Task Without Public Trust?
During a discussion on the implementation of the state budget on October 30, National Assembly delegate Thạch Phước Bình identified two major underutilized resources:...