Tạ Phong Tần facts for kids

Tạ Phong Tần (born on September 15, 1968, in Vĩnh Lợi District, Bạc Liêu Province) is a Vietnamese blogger and former police officer. She became known for writing about important issues in Vietnam. In September 2011, she was arrested because of her writings.

After being held for about three years, Tạ Phong Tần was released from prison. She then traveled to the United States in September 2015.

Blogging and Speaking Out

Tạ Phong Tần used to work as a police officer. In 2004, she started working as a freelance journalist, writing for different publications. Two years later, she began her own blog called Justice and Truth. This blog became very popular because she wrote about problems, including how police sometimes treated people unfairly.

Because of her writings and her criticisms of the government's policies, she was removed from the Communist Party and lost her job in 2006.

Arrest and International Concern

Tạ Phong Tần was arrested in September 2011. She, along with two other bloggers, Nguyễn Văn Hải and Phan Thanh Hải, had been writing for a group called the "Free Vietnamese Journalists' Club." They were accused of writing things that went against the government.

Many groups around the world spoke up about their arrests. The United Nations (UN) said they were worried about how people's freedom to speak was becoming limited in Vietnam. The US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, also shared concerns about the bloggers. Groups like Amnesty International asked for their release, calling them "prisoners of conscience" because they were held for their beliefs.

Mother's Protest

On July 30, 2012, Tạ Phong Tần's 64-year-old mother, Đặng Thị Kim Liên, protested her daughter's arrest in a very serious way outside a government office. Sadly, she passed away from her injuries while on the way to the hospital. This event happened just one week before Tạ Phong Tần's trial was supposed to begin.

The news of her mother's death was very sad. The US Embassy in Vietnam said they were "concerned and saddened" and again asked for the bloggers to be released. Organizations like the Committee to Protect Journalists and Human Rights Watch also spoke out, saying this tragedy showed how difficult it was for people who spoke up in Vietnam.

Many people went to Tạ Phong Tần's mother's home to show their respect after her death. However, some were stopped by government security forces.

Court Decision and Release

On September 24, 2012, Tạ Phong Tần was sentenced to ten years in prison after a one-day court hearing. The court said that her writings "distorted the truth" about the government and caused worry among citizens. They believed her actions were "seriously affecting national security."

The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention later found that Tạ Phong Tần's detention went against international human rights rules. As mentioned earlier, she was released after about three years of her sentence and traveled to the United States in September 2015.

Awards and Recognition

Tạ Phong Tần has received several awards for her courage and work.

• In December 2012, she won a Hellman/Hammett award from Human Rights Watch. This award recognizes writers who face political challenges.
• She also received the Vietnam Human Rights Award from the Vietnam Human Rights Network in December 2012.
• In 2013, she was named a winner of the International Women of Courage Award by the US State Department. During the award ceremony, US Secretary of State John Kerry praised her. He said she was an inspiration to women in Vietnam because she bravely demanded a better government for her people.

Personal Life

Tạ Phong Tần became interested in Catholicism after defending some church members in Hanoi. She later became involved with Catholic groups and was baptized on June 14, 2009, receiving the Christian name Mary.

See also

In Spanish: Ta Phong Tan para niños