Việt Nam: A Country Turning Its Journalists Into Prisoners

When a Vietnamese journalist working for the BBC finds themself trapped in their homeland, the image of press freedom in a nation that just hosted the signing ceremony of the so-called Hà Nội Convention grows darker.

A Chilling Climate for Journalists

Coinciding with Communist Party General Secretary Tô Lâm's official visit to the United Kingdom, the BBC reported that one of its Vietnamese journalists had their passport confiscated and was interrogated for several days. The journalist was in Việt Nam visiting family and renewing documents.

This person has been “trapped” in the country for months, unable to leave. Although permitted to stay with their family, they cannot depart without their passport. Friends said the journalist was traumatized by the harsh interrogation and was forced to sign a statement confirming authorship of 18 articles later published on the BBC’s website. [1] This move may be symbolic and often marks the first step toward criminal prosecution.

The BBC expressed its “deep concern” and called on Vietnamese authorities to “allow this journalist to leave immediately and return to their work by providing the renewed passport.” [2] The BBC has not yet disclosed the journalist’s identity. This case highlights the significant risks journalists face when returning to their homeland, even for reasons unrelated to reporting.

Authorities in Việt Nam have grown increasingly intolerant of dissent and continue to enforce tight control over the media. Domestic outlets are heavily censored, and dissenting voices are routinely imprisoned.

In May, the print edition of The Economist, featuring Tô Lâm on its cover, was banned in Việt Nam. [3] This action is unsurprising—it is merely another link in the long chain of the government’s media censorship.

As the Ministry of Public Security continues to expand its power and tighten its grip on matters of life and death, the risks grow ever greater for journalists whose reporting is deemed unfavorable to the Party.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranks Việt Nam among the world’s worst countries for press freedom—173rd out of 180 nations surveyed. The organization describes Việt Nam as “one of the world’s largest prisons for journalists.” [4]

Not an Isolated Incident

The report about the BBC journalist’s detention surfaced just as Việt Nam sought to elevate its relations with the United Kingdom and burnish its international image after a politically turbulent period. The two nations have even upgraded their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

That a public broadcaster like the BBC was compelled to issue an official statement at the very moment Việt Nam’s top leader arrived in London turned the episode into something far beyond an administrative matter. It became a test of how sincerely the country upholds international standards of press freedom. [5]

This incident touches on a long-festering issue. Việt Nam is 173rd out of 180 countries on the RSF 2025 World Press Freedom Index. [6] Reports indicate that under such tightly controlled legal and security conditions, independent journalism—especially coverage reflecting political or social realities—faces heavy censorship and little room to breathe.

State-orchestrated social media campaigns have recently sought to silence critical voices. Authorities have also worked to exploit and amplify a rising wave of nationalism to smear writers, artists, and influencers within Việt Nam. Those who express dissenting opinions, quote critical perspectives, or simply draw attention to topics deemed sensitive by the state are often publicly denounced and subjected to character assassination. [7]

The case of this Vietnamese journalist, therefore, is not an “isolated incident” or an exception—it is emblematic of a long-standing pattern.

This incident rekindles historical precedents, serving as a reminder that actions such as exit bans or even cross-border abductions could be repeated by authorities, posing grave risks to journalists’ safety.

For years, Việt Nam has sporadically imposed travel restrictions, confiscated passports, and criminally prosecuted independent voices. Figures such as Huy Đức (Trương Huy San)—arrested in 2024 over a Facebook post—and numerous bloggers and journalists charged under Article 331 of the Penal Code for “abusing democratic freedoms” represent only the tip of the iceberg.

Beyond Việt Nam’s borders, cases of “abductions” (later described as disappearances) or forced repatriations—such as those of Trương Duy Nhất in 2019 and Đường Văn Thái in 2023 from Thailand—show how the line between security and human rights is repeatedly blurred. Vietnamese authorities have increasingly resorted to abducting exiled activists, suggesting that forced repatriation is less an isolated act than a deliberate policy.

The Irony of the Hà Nội Convention

Last week, Việt Nam hosted the opening ceremony for the United Nations Convention on Countering Cybercrime, proudly championing the agreement commonly referred to as the “Hà Nội Convention.”

In principle, the convention represents an important effort toward multilateral cooperation in combating cross-border cybercrimes such as fraud, hacking, and extortion. Yet even before the signing, human rights organizations and several scholars warned about its gaps in safeguarding human rights, particularly in areas like data requests and judicial assistance.

These provisions, critics cautioned, could be exploited by certain governments to criminalize peaceful dissent, investigative journalism, and civil society activities conducted online.

The signing ceremony in Hà Nội took place amid an escalating crackdown on dissent in Việt Nam. Those who voice concerns, lodge complaints about government policies, or criticize local officials continue to face punishment. [8]

Against that backdrop, the case of a BBC journalist being stripped of documents and interrogated over their professional work raises a troubling question: If freedom of expression is already so restricted in the Convention's host country, could this new framework be used to expand the state’s capacity for surveillance and cross-border repression? 

This fuels growing concerns over whether existing human rights safeguards are strong enough to prevent Việt Nam from committing violations during the Convention’s implementation.

Although the journalist’s identity has not been officially revealed, the incident of a BBC reporter being “held back” exposes a deep contradiction in Việt Nam’s vision. On one hand, the country seeks to be seen as a rising power capable of leading in global digital governance and open to international engagement. Yet, when press freedom is treated as a threat to the regime, such ambitions backfire entirely.

Elaine Pearson, head of Human Rights Watch Asia, urged that “the Vietnamese government should recognize that critical reporting is not a crime.” She added that tolerance for dissent and the willingness to learn from criticism “are marks of a mature government.” [9]

It seems, however, that Việt Nam’s authorities are far from learning that lesson. As Asia Times aptly observed, arbitrary arrests reflect the regime’s enduring paranoia toward Vietnamese citizens working for international media—people it views not as journalists, but as potential “leakers” of information to the outside world. [10]

Như Quỳnh wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on Oct. 31, 2025. The Vietnamese Magazine has the copyright for the English version of this article.