Nguyen Chi Thien
A dissident writer and political activist, Thien spent a total of 27 years in prison between 1960 and 1991. While in prison, he composed over 400 poems, which were… More
Lê Chi Quang
Quang is a lawyer and computer teacher who has published several essays critical of the government. He was arrested in February 2002 after authorities monitored his computer use at… More
Do Nguyen Mai Khoi
Once hailed as the ‘Lady Gaga of Vietnam,’ Mai Khoi transformed her career from pop star to protest singer after speaking out against Vietnamese censorship in her music. As… More
Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh Me Nam, or Mother Mushroom
‘Mother Mushroom’ has faced aggressive state harassment for her blogging on political and environmental issues. In 2017, she was sentenced to ten years in prison under Article 88 but… More
Kamol Duangphasuk Mainueng K. Kunthee
In April 2014, the poet “Kunthee” was shot by assailants who approached his car in Northern Bangkok, then escaped by motorcycle. He died in hospital. The motive for his… More
Siraphop Kornaroot Rung Sila
Rung Sila was detained for writing a poem deemed offensive to the monarchy and faced 45 years in prison under the lèse-majesté law. Granted bail in 2019 after nearly… More
Thiagarajah Selvanithy Selvi
Selvanithy was the founder of the feminist journal Tholi. Reportedly critical of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam's guerilla tactics, she was abducted by the LTTE in 1991 and… More
Malaka Dewapriya
Playwright and filmmaker Dewapriya was reportedly interrogated by police for four hours in October 2019 after a Buddhist monk accused him of distorting Buddhist terminology in his radio series… More
Shakthika Sathkumara
Sathkumara was detained for four months in 2019 for his short story “Ardha," under claims that it promoted religious hatred and insult for its indirect references to homosexuality within… More