September 10, 2024
On September 10, in Hanoi, the first-instance trial of journalist Nguyen Vu Binh, former editor of the Communist Magazine, took place. He was arrested on February 29, 2024 under Article 117 of the Criminal Code. This is the second time he has been arrested and imprisoned.
Journalist Nguyen Vu Binh graduated from the Faculty of Economics and Politics, Hanoi University of Science. After graduating, he worked for nearly 10 years at the Communist Magazine when late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was the editor-in-chief of this magazine.
Journalist Nguyen Vu Binh
The following is an article by blogger, former prisoner of conscience Le Anh Hung:
Story of journalist Nguyen Vu Binh
Usually in life, pioneers who take the lead are those who often have to face many dangers, losses, and disadvantages. Journalist Nguyen Vu Binh, who was recently arrested on February 29, 2024, is one of them.
He belongs to the second generation of activists in Vietnam, after the first generation with predecessors such as Professor Hoang Minh Chinh (former Director of the Institute of Philosophy), Colonel Le Hong Ha (former Chief of Office of the Ministry of Public Security), and Dr. Nguyen Thanh Giang or writer Hoang Tien.
When he first started his career, he was a promising young editor of the Communist Magazine. At that time (the late 1990s and early 2000s), the number of people speaking out in Hanoi could be counted on the fingers of one hand.
Although he was recommended for promotion to the position of deputy director, a position that many people wanted, he still did not care about that glorious and wealthy career path, but decided to embark on the thorny path that he had chosen. On September 2, 2000, he submitted an application to establish the Liberal – Democratic Party. That is a shocking event even at the present time, let alone in the context of Vietnam more than 20 years ago. At the same time, he also submitted a resignation letter to leave the Communist Magazine.
Journalist Quoc Phong, former Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Thanh Nien Newspaper, once told me the following story. When Vu Binh was first arrested (September 25, 2002), during a conversation with journalists, former Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet confided to them: “Vietnam now needs more journalists like Nguyen Vu Binh.”
I think that it is enough to speak of his stature, journalist Nguyen Vu Binh. He has contributed to changing social awareness, not only among ordinary people, but also among leaders in the apparatus./.
