Nationality Vietnamese | Known for Democracy activism | |
Occupation retired teacher, journalist, blogger | ||
Tô Oanh is a retired teacher, journalist, and blogger who has written extensively about the Vietnamese government's censorship of the media and violation of human rights. Oanh was previously a journalist for Vietnam's state media, but expressed dissenting opinions in his writing and was dismissed from his post. In 2007, he transitioned to online media and blogging.
Contents
In response to his writing and activism, he has been the target of intimidation, and continues to be harassed.
Work & Activism
Oanh writes for his blog and other sources of online media, campaigning for free media, democracy, and greater protection of human rights in Vietnam. He also peacefully campaigns against China's territorial aggression in the South China Sea, and advocates for Vietnam’s claims over the Paracel Islands and Spratly Islands.
2016 Attack
On July 13, two plainclothes men followed Oanh and his wife as they traveled by motorbike in the Soc Sen district of Hanoi, attacking the couple as they traveled through a remote area. The couple was pushed off their motorbike and sustained injuries from the attack. Oanh hit the ground and became unconscious, and later medical examinations revealed a head injury, facial fractures and bleeding.
Other intimidation incidents
In April 2015, he was pushed off his motorbike in the Hung Yen Province.
In April 2014, Oanh traveled with other citizen journalists Kim Chi, Ngo Nhat Dang, Nguyen Dinh Ha and Le Thanh Tung to the U.S. to speak at a congressional briefing ahead of World Press Freedom Day. After returning from the United States, he was subjected to hours of interrogation at the Vietnamese border. Vietnamese border officials then confiscated his laptop and camera.