How civil society groups and activists are planning to reclaim civic space in Vietnam

This story by Mong Palatino originally appeared on Global Voices on October 25, 2025.

The civic space restrictions in Vietnam have made it more difficult for human rights groups and activists to fulfill their work without being targeted by authorities. Despite the risks, several initiatives and campaigns aim to empower more people to exercise their rights and promote positive change in their communities. Among those actively advocating for reforms are members of the Vietnamese diaspora who are concerned about their homeland and are eager to study their heritage.

Vietnam Rise, whose three founders are diaspora members, has been publishing studies, promoting fellowship programs, and collaborating with Southeast Asian-based networks to highlight the deteriorating state of civic space in Vietnam and promote innovative approaches to supporting grassroots activists and assisting citizens in pushing back against draconian policies.

Global Voices interviewed Vietnam Rise about its mission, the challenges it faces in its work, and the role of regional collaboration in reclaiming civic space.

Global Voices (GV): What is the goal of Vietnam Rise? How do you plan to fulfill your mission?

Vietnam Rise (VR): Vietnam Rise's core goal is to empower grassroots activists and civil society in Vietnam. We aim to fulfill this mission primarily through our biannual intakes for the incubation and fellowship programs. The fellowship program selects Vietnamese activists and trains them in leadership. The incubation program provides seed grants and project management support for grassroots activist groups. Fellows and incubation groups work across a wide variety of domains such as labor rights, educational access, and LGBT issues. We organize in-person training and study tours for activists to meet and share best practices with like-minded movement actors in Southeast Asia. The goal of these programs is to kickstart self-sustaining and empowered communities within Vietnam.

GV: What are the challenges you face in your work, and how are you overcoming them?

VR: Challenges we face within Vietnam include the state media's spreading of misinformation about Vietnam Rise’s purpose and the risk of political punishment. Vietnam is a one-party state with a closing legal space for civil society, a move marked by charges of tax evasion, anti-state propaganda, and “abusing democratic freedoms” against activists. Organizations that are unlisted and encourage people to doubt authority are marked as reactionary or, in extreme cases, terrorist. Punishment for political deviance is severe, forcing many grassroots activists into discreet and underground channels or to be silent altogether.

See Also: This Indian Man Flew to Vietnam to Buy a MacBook, Here's the Reason Why

In the international community, another challenge is the relative obscurity of Vietnam's authoritarian state compared to places such as China and North Korea. Undoubtedly one reason for outsiders’ ignorance about Vietnam's politically closed society is its image of successful economic growth and desirable tourism destination. The lack of reliable and accessible information about Vietnamese activism written in English also makes informing a non-Vietnamese-speaking public about Vietnam's civil society difficult.

GV: How important is regional collaboration and solidarity in protecting and reclaiming civic space in Vietnam?

VR: As financial resources become scarce, regional collaboration and solidarity among already marginalized Southeast Asian activists have become more crucial than ever. One way to reclaim civic space is to pool one another's skills, data, and in-depth regional knowledge to solve problems. To use an example from our organization, Vietnam Rise is part of the Terali project, a helpdesk service for East and Southeast Asian human rights defenders to tackle cybersecurity issues. Involved helpdesk providers include TibCert (Tibet), Vietnam Rise (Vietnam), and Security Matters (Thailand, Hong Kong, Cambodia, and Malaysia). Our services seek to serve our specific communities while producing a shared database of common data threats and issues that will enrich our understanding of digital rights threats in Southeast Asia.

Vietnam Rise has been participating in regional dialogues like the 2025 Digital Rights Asia-Pacific Assembly (DRAPAC) to promote its work and learn from the experience of fellow activists. Its program manager shared this takeaway from their DRAPAC participation.

Even amidst geopolitical challenges, we cannot assume that resources are as scarce as we are making them seem. Clearly, there are many motivated young activists who continue to attend DRAPAC and share experiences with one another. With some strategic reallocation of resources and collaboration, we will be able to adapt to and thrive in hostile environments. This attitude of measured optimism and commitment to mutually beneficial connections will carry civil society organisations forward.

Vietnam Rise is organizing the Social Movement Festival in November, which is expected to gather and celebrate communities, groups, and activists leading Vietnamese movements and youth-driven initiatives. It will also feature an offline Regional NGO Roundtable that brings together regional youth activists’ perspectives on effectively engaging marginalized communities in Southeast Asia.

(SY)

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