Author and Publishers Arrested in 'Chuyen voi Thanh' Book Case
In Vietnam, an author and three executives from the Hoi Nha Van Publishing House have been arrested on charges of subversion related to the book 'Chuyen voi Thanh,' which discusses Ho Chi Minh. The book's unconventional language drew criticism, leading to a state investigation. The case sparks debate on freedom of expression and the portrayal of historical leaders.
In Vietnam, author Nguyen Thanh Nam and three key executives from the Hoi Nha Van (Writers Association) Publishing House have been arrested on charges of subversion related to the book "Chuyen voi Thanh – Loi ke moi ve anh sang" (A New Account of Light). The arrests, announced on the evening of July 15, are part of an expanding investigation into the controversial book. Authorities in Hanoi have accused Nam and the publishing house officials – Nguyen Thuy Hang, Dao Ba Doan, and Nguyen Van Yen – of "fabricating, storing, disseminating, or propagandizing information, documents, and items aimed at opposing the Socialist Republic of Vietnam," according to Article 117 of the Penal Code. Previously, Nam and Tran Viet Anh, founder of the social media platform Spiderum, were also arrested for their alleged roles in promoting the book. Vietnamese state media reported that the arrested individuals are being investigated for their responsibility concerning "distorted and untrue content" within the book. The investigation reportedly found that Nam and others produced and disseminated video clips and the book itself, containing content that "distorted historical revolutions, the Party's and State's policies, and insulted President Ho Chi Minh, General Vo Nguyen Giap, and many other Party and State leaders." According to VTV reports, the Hoi Nha Van Publishing House had a contract with Nguyen Thanh Nam for the printing and distribution of "Chuyen voi Thanh." Nam reportedly paid the publisher 1 billion Vietnamese dong. Of this, 120 million dong was allocated to three individuals for direct manuscript editing, nearly 280 million dong for printing, advertising, and launch events, with over 600 million dong kept in the publisher's cash fund. Dao Ba Doan, in his confession, stated he received 50 million dong from the publisher's accountant for overtime editing. VTV cited investigative documents indicating that the three arrested officials were involved in reviewing, editing, publishing, and promoting the book. Nguyen Thanh Nam, born in 1961, holds a doctorate in mathematics from the Soviet Union. He was among the 12 co-founders of FPT in 1988, which grew into a leading IT and education conglomerate in Vietnam. He served as CEO of FPT from 2009 to 2011 before shifting his focus to education, including his role as Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees at FPT University and the initiator of the online university FUNiX. Deeply reverent of Ho Chi Minh, Nam dedicated significant time to studying the life of the Communist Party of Vietnam's founder. His primary approach was to interpret Ho Chi Minh's career as a source of management lessons for the present day. In August 2019, he was honored at a national event organized by the Central Propaganda Department for his exemplary contributions to studying and following Ho Chi Minh's ideology and ethics. More recently, Nam was also known as an investor in the film "Dia Dao: Mat Troi Trong Bong Toi" (The Tunnels: Sun in the Dark), which celebrates the Cu Chi guerrillas during the Vietnam War. Industry professionals assess "Chuyen voi Thanh" as not being "reactionary" in the sense used by the Communist Party of Vietnam – that is, opposing the Party and its leaders. Nam himself is not considered a dissident or an "opposition figure," but rather someone who "respects Uncle Ho and loves the Party." However, police investigations claim Nam and other defendants engaged in creating, storing, and disseminating numerous video clips and the book "Chuyen voi Thanh," with content that "distorted historical revolutions, the Party's and State's policies, and insulted President Ho Chi Minh, General Vo Nguyen Giap, and many other Party and State leaders." On social media, many have labeled this a "literary case" in the "era of striving," drawing parallels to past incidents where writers and artists were punished by the government for their works, such as the Nhan Van – Giai Pham case in the 1950s. Unlike most past cases where artists faced imprisonment for creating and distributing works deemed "reactionary," "revisionist," or "contrary to the Party's line," the central work in this current case is a book that ostensibly honors leader Ho Chi Minh. The author, Nguyen Thanh Nam, is described as a fervent admirer of Ho Chi Minh, having lectured on his ideology at VinUni, a university within billionaire Pham Nhat Vuong's ecosystem. His lectures and talks were compiled into "Chuyen voi Thanh," aiming to interpret Ho Chi Minh's career as lessons for today. However, the novel and somewhat informal language used in a book about Ho Chi Minh – a leader painstakingly built by the Communist Party of Vietnam into an almost divine, perfect symbol – led to criticism. Some shared excerpts and phrases, such as "phượt" and "điếu đóm," used by Nam to describe Ho Chi Minh, concluding that it was blasphemous. This wave of criticism escalated into calls for government intervention. Ultimately, the police acted by prosecuting author Nguyen Thanh Nam and Tran Viet Anh, who was identified as having used the Spiderum social network to help Nam promote the book. The case was subsequently expanded, leading to the arrest of three leaders from the Hoi Nha Van Publishing House on the evening of July 15. Information Source: BBC Vietnamese
多角的分析
この事件は、ベトナムの出版業界におけるコンテンツ規制の厳しさと、それが経済活動に与える影響を示唆している。『Chuyen voi Thanh』のような議論を呼ぶ書籍の出版・販売が、作家だけでなく出版社の経営陣にまで刑事罰をもたらす可能性は、国内の出版・メディア業界におけるリスクを増大させる。これは、特に外国からの投資家にとって、ベトナムのビジネス環境における政治的リスクを評価する上で重要な要素となる。経済成長を最優先するベトナム政府は、イデオロギー的な安定性を損なう可能性のある表現に対しては、依然として厳しい姿勢を崩していない。
今回の逮捕は、ベトナムへの投資を検討している、あるいは既に投資している国際的な投資家にとって、政治的・法的な不確実性を示す事例となる。特に、メディア、出版、教育といった、コンテンツや思想の伝達に関わる分野への投資は、当局のイデオロギー的判断に左右されるリスクを内包している。過去のFPT共同創業者というナム氏の経歴は、ベトナムの経済発展を担ってきたエリート層でさえ、表現の自由の境界線上で予期せぬ問題に直面しうることを示唆しており、投資家はベトナムの政策動向を注意深く監視する必要がある。
『Chuyen voi Thanh』事件は、ベトナム社会における表現の自由と、歴史的指導者、特にホ・チ・ミン主席への言及方法を巡る現代的な対立を浮き彫りにしている。SNS上で展開された批判と、それを受けた当局の迅速な対応は、インターネットが世論形成に果たす役割の大きさと、政府がそれに敏感に反応することを示している。一方で、若者向けの表現手法が「冒涜」と見なされる風潮は、伝統的な価値観と現代的な価値観の間の緊張関係も示唆しており、社会の世代間ギャップや、デジタル時代における規範の再定義といった課題を提起している。
逮捕された作家のグエン・タイン・ナム氏が、ベトナムのIT産業の発展に貢献し、教育分野でも活動してきた人物であることから、今回の事件は一般市民、特に知的層や若年層に衝撃を与えている。ホ・チ・ミン主席への敬愛を公言する人物が、その著作の表現方法を理由に逮捕されるという事実は、多くの市民にとって、当局がどのような基準で「国家転覆」と見なすのか、その線引きの曖昧さに対する不安や疑問を抱かせる可能性がある。SNSでの議論が当局の行動を促したという側面は、市民が世論形成に影響を与えうることを示唆する一方で、その影響力が必ずしもポジティブな結果に繋がるとは限らないという現実も示している。
背景・歴史的文脈
ベトナムでは、1986年のドイモイ（刷新）政策以降、経済自由化が進む一方で、政治体制は共産党の一党支配が維持されている。この体制下では、党の路線や指導者に対する批判的な言論は厳しく制限されており、特にホ・チ・ミン主席は国民的アイコンとして神聖視されている。過去には、1950年代の「人文学・芸術作品」事件のように、作家や知識人がその作品ゆえに弾圧された歴史がある。近年、インターネットやソーシャルメディアの普及により、市民が情報にアクセスし、意見を表明する機会が増加しているが、当局は依然として「国家転覆」や「反体制活動」と見なされる言論に対しては、厳格な監視と取り締まりを続けている。『Chuyen voi Thanh』事件は、経済発展とイデオロギー統制の間で揺れ動くベトナム社会の現状と、表現の自由を巡る継続的な緊張関係を示している。
原文ソース
BBC Vietnamese