Washington — Vietnamese journalist Pham Chi Dung marked a grim milestone this week: five years in a prison cell.
The journalist, blogger and VOA contributor is now one-third of the way through a 15-year term after being convicted of “propaganda against the state.”
He was arrested for promoting media freedom, for cooperating with foreign media to deliver “distorted information,” and for his criticism of the Communist Party’s control of the media.
The journalist’s lawyers and supporters are pushing the international community to help free him.
For Pham, life in Xuan Loc Prison, in Vietnam’s Dong Nai province, is tough.
Prison authorities allow a one-hour visit every month, when visitors can bring in essential food items that have to be screened. And he is allowed an unannounced 10-minute home phone call every month, according to a family member who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation.
Despite his situation, Pham remains resolute, the family member said.
“Maybe because the time spent in prison was quite long, his spirit seemed full of endurance and acceptance of fate as he is going to mark five years in jail, out of 15 years of the difficult and challenging journey that he has to go through,” the family member told VOA.
Pham is experiencing health issues that are worsened by prison. He has insomnia, tinnitus and knee pain. The family asked for private medical care but prison authorities denied the request.
Because he is classified as a political prisoner, Pham is restricted within the prison.
“Pham is not allowed to use common areas or write letters home. Any note he writes to family is screened by the prison authorities before being handed over to family during prison visits,” the relative said.
Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City arrested Pham on Nov. 21, 2019, days after he sent a petition to the European Union urging it to postpone a signed but not-yet-ratified EU-Vietnam free trade agreement. The petition recommended the deal be delayed until Vietnam improves its press freedom and human rights records.
Grace Bui, an American activist in Thailand who met Pham before his arrest, remembers the journalist as a “nice, placid and calm man.”
“He was arrested just because he raised his voice over human rights violations and social issues,” Bui told VOA.
Bui was in Geneva lobbying the EU over the trade deal when Pham was detained. At the time, Pham was already under a travel ban so the petition was the only way he could raise his concerns, Bui said.
Bui said she believes the case against him is “ridiculous.”
“Pham is a person who dares to stand up for press freedom and tell the truth. The government of Vietnam fears such a free press and they arrested him and his group members to shut down people’s voice and any independent outlets,” Bui said.
Pham is the founder and president of the Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam, IJAVN. Established in July 2014, the group of independent bloggers, journalists and authors promotes a free press.
Vietnam’s government has said that the organization is “illegal” and that Pham’s role in it was one of the reasons for his arrest.
Two other members of the IJAVN — Radio Free Asia contributor Nguyen Tuong Thuy and freelancer Le Huu Minh Tuan — are also serving 11 years each on anti-state charges.
All three are accused of creating the IJAVN to “fight and change the current political institutions of Vietnam.” Pham’s work with the association and his writing for foreign outlets including VOA were cited in the indictment.
Pham also reported for independent websites including Dan Luan and Dan Lam Bao, covering economics, social stories, human rights violations, and government corruption. He promoted democracy, freedom of the press, political pluralism, the rule of law, and the development of an independent civil society.
Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security has accused Pham of “dangerous” anti-state actions, including “fabricating, storing, and disseminating information, as well as other materials opposing the Vietnamese government.”
State media said that he carried out “anti-regime activities such as producing anti-state articles [and] cooperating with foreign media.”
But others see the case as part of Vietnam’s control over media.
“There are three main reasons for Pham's arrest,” Annie Nguyen, a member of the IJAVN who is based in the Netherlands, told VOA.
“His articles touched many people and many walks of life, including the articles he wrote on VOA Vietnamese; he is the president of a journalist association, a professional association,” she said, and he “wrote a letter to the EU to postpone the ratification of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement.”
Vietnam’s National Assembly ratified the deal on June 8, 2020, following ratification by the European Parliament on Feb. 12, 2020. The deal entered into force in August 2020.
Manh Dinh Dang, a lawyer who represented Pham before going into exile in the United States, said the journalist decided not to appeal his prison term “because he wouldn’t believe in any positive change in his verdict.”
“The authorities did not allow any visit to Pham during his long investigation period. They only gave me limited time to counsel my client because the authorities claimed this was a national security case,” Manh said.
Manh added that the journalist denied the charges and said he did not violate any laws.
Vietnam has one of the worst records globally for jailing journalists. The country ranks 174th out of 180th on the World Press Freedom Index, where 1 signifies a good media environment.
