Vietnamese Blogger Phạm Minh Hoàng: “I Cannot Be Stripped of My Citizenship”

 Vietnamese Blogger Phạm Minh Hoàng: “I Cannot Be Stripped of My Citizenship”

A Vietnamese educator who has been prevented from teaching, now finds the last part of his identity stripped from him: His Vietnamese citizenship. Professor Phạm Minh Hoàng, a 61-year-old blogger who writes about human rights, social justice, and corruption in Việt Nam, is on the record from Sài Gòn.

Blogger Phạm Minh Hoàng: "Tôi Không Thể Nào Bị Tước Quốc Tịch"

Blogger Phạm Minh Hoàng: "Tôi Không Thể Nào Bị Tước Quốc Tịch"

(Vietnamese original) Một giáo sư Việt Nam bị cấm giảng dạy, và một chút bản sắc Việt Nam cuối cùng cũng bị tước mất: quốc tịch Việt Nam của ông. Nhà bất đồng chính kiến Phạm Minh Hoàng năm nay 62 tuổi, là một người viết blog về nhân quyền, công lý, xã hội và nạn tham nhũng tại Việt Nam. Ông đã trò chuyện từ Sài Gòn với phóng viên của Loa, Lilly Nguyễn.

Why Hà Nội Still Pretends to Care

Why Hà Nội Still Pretends to Care

Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc is visiting the United States this week to meet with Donald Trump. Hà Nội wants to show that its human rights records has progressed and it is eager to deepen its ties with America. But what are its real motives and ambitions for this visit? And what should America know about Việt Nam's human rights situation before making any decisions?

Reporter Trần Minh Nhật gives his outlook on the current news.

Phở: Việt Nam’s ‘Democratic’ Dish

Phở: Việt Nam’s ‘Democratic’ Dish

Walk down any street in Việt Nam or step into any Vietnamese restaurant in the world and you can’t miss the aroma of phở filled with ginger, star anise, and of course that hint of nước mắm - fish sauce. The go-to dish for everything from heartache to hangover, phở is more than just a noodle soup -- it represents the heart and soul of Vietnamese cooking. Loa’s Jenny Lý and Lilly Nguyễn chat about all things phở.

Lefties Get Left Out...But Why?

Lefties Get Left Out...But Why?

Picture yourself holding a pen. Put that pen up to an imaginary piece of paper on an imaginary desk and pretend to start writing. Which hand did you use? The hand that you picked to write is your dominant hand, and the choice you make is called handedness.

Most likely, you put up your right hand. A small percentage of you would have put up your left. If you are in an Asian country, let’s say Việt Nam, it would be an even smaller percentage.

So why is this? Loa’s Chí-Linh Đinh was wondering the same thing, so she tries get to the bottom of handedness in Việt Nam.

On The Record with Quyên Lưu, One of Việt Nam’s Emerging Young Leaders

On The Record with Quyên Lưu, One of Việt Nam’s Emerging Young Leaders

On May 4, the U.S. Department of State hosted its annual Emerging Young Leaders Award. Among the 10 award recipients was Quyên Lưu, a YouTube sensation and social advocate from Việt Nam.

Loa contributing reporter Nhựt Phó attended the award ceremony and spoke with Quyên about the origin story of Ếch Phu Hồ, her team's Youtube channel of cleverly narrated, controversial hand-drawn animations.

Nick Út on How Photography Shaped Narratives of the Việt Nam War

Nick Út on How Photography Shaped Narratives of the Việt Nam War

How much can words - and photos - be twisted through interpretation, propaganda, and history? In 1972, Nick Út, a photographer for the Associated Press, took a picture that changed the course of his life, as well as the life of Phan Thị Kim Phúc, the young girl in that photo. Now, 45 years after the iconic photo was captured, and 42 years after the end of the war, Nick Út has retired from his career as an AP photojournalist. In Episode 71, he goes On the Record with Loa's Quyên Ngô about the lessons he's learned as a war photographer, and not just as the man behind a photo.

Loa at IFF 2017: Supporting Activists

Loa at IFF 2017: Supporting Activists

[VIDEO] To wrap up our time at the Internet Freedom Festival, we speak to Jonathan McCully of the Media Legal Defence Initiative and Mong Palatino of Global Voices on the support systems (both media and legal) available to activists in Việt Nam and around the world. 

Loa at IFF 2017: Việt Nam Cyber Dialogue

Loa at IFF 2017: Việt Nam Cyber Dialogue

[VIDEO] We've got the lowdown on the first ever Việt Nam Cyber Dialogue, a gathering of Vietnamese activists, tech companies, journalists, and international rights organizations. We speak to Ella Gancarz of The 88 Projec and our very own editor & VCD organizer Trinh Nguyễn for the recap. VCD kicked off the Internet Freedom Festival 201, a gathering of communities fighting online censorship and surveillance.

Flirty Flirty Time With Loa

Flirty Flirty Time With Loa

Valentine's Day just passed and Việt Nam is one of the countries that embrace this day as a celebration of couples. While it is not as large as, say, Women’s day (which we covered in episode 43), the western holiday has started to get more popular in the country. There is lots of flirting, flowers, and lovin’ for the couples in Việt Nam. In this week's episode Chí-Linh Đinh covers the in's and out's of flirting in the Vietnamese language, especially how to do it in the modern age.

Hoops and Dreams: A Look Inside Basketball in Việt Nam

Hoops and Dreams: A Look Inside Basketball in Việt Nam

A popular sport on the international scene, but just a seedling in Việt Nam, basketball has picked up momentum in the past few years. With a new, loyal, and energized fanbase, and experience from international players and management, basketball may soon rival soccer as Việt Nam’s number one sport.


In this week’s episode, Brian Lâm takes a look inside the rise of basketball in Việt Nam.