Brutal Murder of Journalist in Vietnam must be Investigated

January 31, 2011

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) calls for an immediate investigation into the January 30 death of journalist Le Hoang Hung, ten days after he was set on fire while sleeping at his home in Tan An near the Vietnamese capital Ho Chi Minh City.

Hung, a veteran reporter with The Worker newspaper, sustained burns to 50 per cent of his body after being doused with chemicals and set alight in the January 20 attack. Local media reports initially suggested his condition was stable despite the extensive burns he had suffered.

The reporter’s colleagues suggested the attack could be related to Hung’s reporting on official misconduct in the southern Mekong Delta, the BBC reports.

“The IFJ demands that Vietnamese authorities immediately investigate the potential involvement of local authorities in Hung’s death and classify the case as a murder investigation,” IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park said.

“This brutal attack is an affront to free speech and press freedom in an already restrictive environment of government control and censorship.”

ENDS

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