Liberal Publishing House

Liberal Publishing House (Vietnamese: Nhà xuất bản Tự Do) is an independent, non-profit publishing house based in Vietnam, founded on 14 February 2019. It describes itself as independent and has been cited by Union of Catholic Asian News as "the only independent publisher in Vietnam" that is "not censored by the government." Vietnamese security authorities, however, consider it to be operating illegally and in violation of numerous legal regulations. The publisher releases books by well-known journalists, civil-political activists, and former prisoners of conscience, distributing them both for sale and free of charge. By June 2020, the publisher had released approximately 30 titles with 25,000 printed and online copies. Its output focuses on sensitive political topics, including China's role in Vietnam and the controversial Special Economic Zone bill. It has also published a legal handbook for detained activists. The publisher has faced significant government pressure. In its first month, its Facebook page was hit by a mass cyberattack that brought down the account, possibly linked to the Communist Party of Vietnam. Its website was later targeted by hackers in November. In July 2019, according to Voice of America, three of its bank accounts were reportedly ordered closed by security agencies for refusing government censorship. According to Amnesty International, from early October 2019, police harassed and threatened dozens of people associated with the publisher in at least three major cities—Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hue—as well as other localities such as Binh Duong, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, and Phu Yen. Those targeted had bought or read books printed by the publisher or had collaborated with it. Security forces also raided a reader's home "to search and confiscate." In a statement issued on 27 November, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch called on "Vietnamese authorities to immediately end the escalating crackdown on an independent publisher." In June 2020, the publisher was awarded the Prix Voltaire by the International Publishers Association for "exemplary dedication and courage." The Vietnamese government's official newspaper, Nhân Dân, criticized the award, and the Ministry of Public Security's newspaper Công an nhân dân claimed the publisher's materials were "printed and distributed illegally" to oppose the Vietnamese government, calling it "extremely dangerous." On 10 July 2020, the publisher's representative, Phạm Đoan Trang, announced her withdrawal from the publishing house.

Liberal Publishing House (Nhà xuất bản Tự Do) was founded on 14 February 2019 as an independent, non-profit publisher in Vietnam. It emerged as a rare outlet for politically sensitive literature, publishing works by well-known journalists, civil-political activists, and former prisoners of conscience. Its books were distributed both for sale and free of charge. In its first month, the publisher's Facebook page was hit by a mass cyberattack that brought down the account, possibly linked to the Communist Party of Vietnam. Its website was later targeted by hackers in November. In July 2019, according to Voice of America, three of its bank accounts were reportedly ordered closed by security agencies for refusing government censorship. According to Amnesty International, from early October 2019, police harassed and threatened dozens of people associated with the publisher in at least three major cities—Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hue—as well as other localities such as Binh Duong, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, and Phu Yen. Those targeted had bought or read books printed by the publisher or had collaborated with it. Security forces also raided a reader's home 'to search and confiscate.' In a statement issued on 27 November, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch called on 'Vietnamese authorities to immediately end the escalating crackdown on an independent publisher.' In 2019, the publisher released 11 books by eight authors on sensitive political topics, including China's role in Vietnam and the controversial Special Economic Zone bill. It also published a legal handbook for detained activists. By June 2020, it had published approximately 30 titles with 25,000 printed and online copies. In June 2020, the publisher was awarded the Prix Voltaire by the International Publishers Association for 'exemplary dedication and courage.' The Vietnamese government's official newspaper, Nhân Dân, criticized the award, and the Ministry of Public Security's newspaper Công an nhân dân claimed the publisher's materials were 'printed and distributed illegally' to oppose the Vietnamese government, calling it 'extremely dangerous.' On 10 July 2020, the publisher's representative, Phạm Đoan Trang, announced her withdrawal from the publishing house. On 24 June 2020, Hòa Bình provincial police arrested Cấn Thị Thêu and Trịnh Bá Tư, two land-rights activists, on charges under Article 117 of the 2015 Penal Code. During searches of their homes, police found numerous books by author Phạm Đoan Trang, including publications issued by Liberal Publishing House.

• Founded as an independent, non-profit publisher in Vietnam.

• Facebook page hit by mass cyberattack, account taken down.

• Three bank accounts reportedly ordered closed by security agencies.

• Police begin harassing and threatening dozens associated with the publisher.

• Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch issue joint statement calling for end to crackdown.

• Awarded Prix Voltaire by the International Publishers Association.

• Phạm Đoan Trang announces withdrawal from the publishing house.

Independent, non-profit publisher focusing on politically sensitive and human rights-related works.

Product categories. Books on sensitive political topics · Legal handbook for detained activists · Political commentary works

1. 1Wikidata: Liberal Publishing Housewikidata.org
2. 2Wikipedia: Nhà xuất bản Tự Dovi.wikipedia.org