Vietnamese authorities arrested four land rights activists after finishing their investigation on the Đồng Tâm police raid in January 2020.
Before I did any work for Will’s story, I got the impression that his involvement in these protests were merely coincidental. That he was just some Vietnamese American who just so happened to stumble his way into the protests. I wanted to know what his motivations were.
Human rights activist Nguyễn Văn Oai is on trial again, after having previously served four years in prison on charges of attempting to overthrow the government. Oai became a father while in prison awaiting trial. His wife Hồ Thị Linh Châu posted a letter to him on her Facebook page, just before he was originally due to appear in court.
[VIDEO] Travel back to the annual Ðiện Hòn Chén Festival in Huế, Việt Nam -- this time, to witness the practice and rituals of ancestor worshipping.
Reporter Kathy Triệu is back with another modern refugee story -- one that chronicles the journey of two strong-willed Vietnamese mothers, Trần Thị Lụa and Trần Thị Thanh Loan. They recount fhow several attempts to flee Việt Nam for Australia led them instead to a detention center in Indonesia.
Although Việt Nam is predominantly non-Christian, Christmas (Lễ Giáng Sinh) is considered a major holiday, celebrated by both Christians and non-Christians alike. Holiday decorations, bright lights and nativity scenes with a distinctly Vietnamese motif fill food stalls and tiny shops throughout city streets and villages. Loa’s Jenny Lý is in Sài Gòn with "A Look Inside" how Christmas is celebrated here this time of the year.
For the activists from Việt Nam, lessons in resilience and courage were immediately put to the test following the study tour. All seven who traveled to Myanmar were detained upon their return to Việt Nam and endured long hours of interrogation. Their detention did not come a surprise, but they are a reminder of the risks that Vietnamese activists take when they participate in peaceful democracy work. In this week’s Solitary Envoi, we hear about what happened in the interrogation room.
From celebrity chefs to the guy who just wants a little something extra on his hot dog, Sriracha is rapidly becoming a staple condiment. Although the sauce is often thought to have originated in Thailand, the truth is much more complicated. Loa’s Chí-Linh Đinh dishes up that famous cocky hot sauce that’s equal parts cross-cultural appropriation, hometown pride, and expat love.
Việt Nam's government has had a pretty contentious relationship with social media. Hà Nội made an attempt at blocking Facebook in 2009 and 2010 that mostly failed. Six years later, the government is now reversing course by setting up its own Facebook page. Loa’s Gia Linh Vũ checks up on Việt Nam's latest foray into social media in this "Things to Know" segment.
Resistance to oppression is in the Vietnamese people’s DNA. Since the Vietnamese Communist Party imposed its one-party rule throughout the country in 1975, resistance has been building. Momentum started with the isolated voices of dissidents in the 1980s and 1990s and has gained to give rise to the emergence of un-sanctioned groups today.
Việt Tân, the Việt Nam Reform Party, is one of those un-sanctioned groups. It was formally established in 1982 with a mission to mobilize the people to reform and free Việt Nam. From its perilous beginnings to today’s multi-pronged approaches to empower the Vietnamese people - of which Loa is a product - Chris Lê has the story of the activists on the ground.
English has surpassed French and Russian as a popular choice for foreign language in Việt Nam, and you see cities teeming with English learning centers. Việt Nam is trying to keep pace with globalization. People are encouraged to learn foreign languages, especially English. Loa's Duyên Bùi takes "A Look Inside" at how English is learned and taught at one charity in Việt Nam.
Việt Nam’s netizens face real threats every time they log onto the internet. With more than 40 million users now online, Việt Nam ranks high on countries most vulnerable to cyberattacks. Loa’s Trinh Nguyễn takes "A Look Inside" the growing list of digital threats confronting internet users in Việt Nam.
Việt Nam's jolting cup of joe is taking over the world by storm. Even Starbucks is getting in on the action, introducing their single-origin Đà Lạt beans earlier this year. So what's so exciting about the Vietnamese way of making coffee? Loa's Chí-Linh Đinh gets to the bottom of this addictive drink.
Schools, libraries, research institutions are filled with records that inform our understanding of history. But what if no record exists of your experience? That’s the case for many Vietnamese displaced by war, refugees who escaped the country under a cloak of darkness or victims of pirate attacks at sea. The lack of records, photos and physical can rob us of a true understanding of war and its aftermath, but now initiatives across the globe are seeking to collect oral histories of refugees for a fuller picture of the Vietnamese experience than what can be found in the history books.
