Sarah Brown
Mother Mushroom is the pen name of Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, a Vietnamese human rights defender, writer, and political dissident. She was born and raised in Nha Trang, Vietnam, and grew up under the influence of the Vietnamese Communist Party. After working as a civil servant and tour guide, she began blogging in 2006 under the name Me Nam or Mother Mushroom, covering a range of social issues and advocating for human rights in Vietnam. Her blogging and activism led to her imprisonment in 2016 and she later sought asylum in the United States, continuing to raise awareness of human rights issues in Vietnam.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Real Name | Quynh Nguyen or Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh |
| Pen Name | Me Nam or Mother Mushroom |
| Age | 44 |
| Place of Birth | Nha Trang, Vietnam |
| Profession | Civil Servant, Tour Guide, Human Rights Defender, Writer, Political Dissident, Advocate, Asylee |
| Awards | Civil Rights Defenders' Civil Rights Defender of the Year (2015) |
| Imprisonment | Arrested on 10 October 2016; Released on 18 October 2018 |
| Reason for Arrest | Charged under Article 88 of the Penal Code for "conducting propaganda against the State" |
| Topics Covered in Blog | Educational Welfare Policies, Environmental Issues, Relationship between Vietnam and China, Torture in Police Stations |
| Family | Mother, Two Children |
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What You'll Learn
- Mother Mushroom is the pen name of Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, a Vietnamese human rights defender
- She was arrested in 2016 and charged with conducting propaganda against the State
- She was released in 2018 and granted asylum in the United States
- Mother Mushroom's blog covered welfare policies, environmental issues, and police torture
- Her advocacy sparked international attention and campaigns for her release
Mother Mushroom is the pen name of Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, a Vietnamese human rights defender
Quynh's journey into writing and activism began during her pregnancy. She started documenting her experiences to share with her future children. However, a pivotal moment occurred during a medical examination when she witnessed the mistreatment of an ethnic minority individual, igniting her passion for defending human rights. She began to challenge unfair treatment and question the disparities in the healthcare system. This led her to delve into Vietnam's welfare policies and gain a deeper understanding of societal issues beyond the state-controlled media narrative.
In 2006, Quynh established the Vietnamese Bloggers Network (VBN), a platform for sharing videos and capturing people's opinions and life experiences in Vietnam. Writing under the pen name 'Me Nam' or 'Mother Mushroom', she covered a range of topics, including educational welfare policies, environmental issues, the relationship between Vietnam and China, and the torture of individuals in Vietnamese police stations. Her blogging continued until her arrest on October 10, 2016, while trying to visit an imprisoned political activist.
Quynh's activism resulted in government surveillance, harassment, and intimidation. She was charged under Article 88 of the Penal Code for "conducting propaganda against the State." On June 29, 2017, she was convicted and sentenced to ten years in prison for her blog posts criticising the Communist regime and exposing government policy failures. Despite appeals, her conviction was upheld. However, on October 17, 2018, she was unexpectedly released and granted exile in the United States, where she continues to advocate for human rights in Vietnam.
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She was arrested in 2016 and charged with conducting propaganda against the State
Mother Mushroom, whose real name is Quynh Nguyen or Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, was arrested on October 10, 2016, while trying to visit an imprisoned political activist. She was charged under Article 88 of the Vietnamese Penal Code, which prohibits "conducting propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam."
Nguyen is a writer, human rights defender, and political dissident who has dedicated her life to advocating for human rights in Vietnam. She began blogging in 2006, the same year her daughter was born, under the pen name 'Me Nam' or 'Mother Mushroom.' Her blog covered a range of topics, including social and political issues such as land confiscation, police brutality, freedom of expression, educational welfare policies, environmental issues, and the relationship between Vietnam and China.
The specific charges against Nguyen in 2016 related to her criticism of the government and her advocacy for human rights. She was found with several placards demanding that the authorities take the Taiwanese Formosa steel company to court. After her arrest, police conducted a house search and took her to jail, charging her with "conducting propaganda against the state."
The reaction to her arrest was one of condemnation from the international community. The United States, the European Union, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights demanded her release, stating that the arrest violated international human rights norms and Vietnam's domestic laws on human rights. Ted Osius, the United States Ambassador to Vietnam, expressed deep concern about the Vietnamese government's detention of activists, saying that it threatened to overshadow the country's progress on human rights.
On June 29, 2017, a court in Khanh Hoa Province found Nguyen guilty of publishing propaganda against the state and sentenced her to 10 years in prison. However, she was released early on October 18, 2018, after serving two years of her sentence. She and her family were granted political asylum in the United States shortly after.
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She was released in 2018 and granted asylum in the United States
Mother Mushroom, whose real name is Quynh Nguyen or Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, was released from detention in Vietnam on October 18, 2018, after two years behind bars. She was accused of spreading propaganda against the government due to her online activities that were critical of the government.
Quynh, a writer and human rights defender, started blogging in 2006, the same year her daughter was born. She established the Vietnamese Bloggers Network (VBN) to share videos capturing people's opinions and experiences. Her blog, 'Me Nam' (Mother Mushroom), covered a range of topics, including educational welfare policies, environmental issues, and the relationship between Vietnam and China.
Following her release, Quynh, her mother, and her two children travelled to the United States and applied for asylum. They were granted asylum in 2021 with the help of Human Rights First's pro bono program and a legal team from K&L Gates.
Asylum in the United States represented a new beginning for Quynh and her children. It offered them an environment where human rights are upheld and protected, providing greater opportunities for a brighter future. Quynh could continue her advocacy for human rights in Vietnam without the constant fear of detention or harassment against her family. She expressed her gratitude for the support she received, stating that her journey from incarceration to freedom stood as a testament to the collective determination of those who fight for human rights in Vietnam.
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Mother Mushroom's blog covered welfare policies, environmental issues, and police torture
Mother Mushroom, or Me Nam, is the pen name of Quynh Nguyen, a Vietnamese human rights defender, writer, and political dissident. She began blogging in 2006, the same year her daughter was born. She established the Vietnamese Bloggers Network (VBN) as a platform for sharing videos and capturing people's opinions and life experiences throughout Vietnam.
Mother Mushroom's blog covered a range of topics, including welfare policies, environmental issues, and police torture. She was motivated to start writing due to her pregnancy, as she wanted to document her experiences to share with her future children. However, a pivotal moment occurred during a medical examination when she witnessed the mistreatment of an ethnic minority individual, igniting her passion for defending human rights. This prompted her to delve into Vietnam's welfare policies and gain a deeper understanding of societal issues beyond traditional media.
In her blog, Mother Mushroom initially focused on educational welfare policies and the relationship between Vietnam and China. She questioned the disparity between the money paid into the health system and the quality of service received, challenging the unfair treatment and institutionalized bribery and corruption within the system. She also wrote about environmental issues, such as the Formosa Ha Tinh Steel plant disaster in 2016, where massive fish kills occurred due to negligent chemical handling.
Additionally, Mother Mushroom brought attention to the alarming situation of individuals being tortured in Vietnamese police stations. She advocated for human rights, particularly within the prison system, after witnessing the brutal treatment of prisoners by police officers during her own imprisonment. Her commitment to advocacy and social activism led to her arrest and imprisonment on October 10, 2016, when she was charged under Article 88 of the Penal Code for "conducting propaganda against the State."
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Her advocacy sparked international attention and campaigns for her release
Mother Mushroom, whose real name is Quynh Nguyen, or Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, is a human rights defender, writer, political dissident, advocate, and mother. She is known for her brave advocacy for human rights in Vietnam, for which she was imprisoned and later granted asylum in the United States.
Quynh Nguyen's advocacy work sparked international attention and campaigns for her release. Her blog, 'Me Nam' (Mother Mushroom), covered a wide range of topics, including social issues, educational welfare policies, environmental issues, and the relationship between Vietnam and China. She also established the Vietnamese Bloggers Network (VBN), a platform for sharing videos and opinions from across the country.
Quynh was first arrested in 2009 for blogging about a secretive Chinese-owned development in Vietnam's highlands. She was detained for 10 days and agreed to stop writing, but the police continued to harass her. On October 10, 2016, she was arrested again while trying to visit an imprisoned political activist. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison for her activities on Facebook and for providing interviews to foreign media, which the government deemed "propaganda against the state".
Following her detention, the Vietnamese Bloggers Network, members of the Vietnamese community, the U.S. State Department, and numerous international human rights organizations launched campaigns advocating for her release. The United States, the European Union, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights demanded her release, stating that her arrest violated international human rights norms and Vietnam's domestic laws. On October 18, 2018, after a two-year campaign of international pressure, Quynh Nguyen was released and reunited with her family in the United States. They were granted asylum in 2021.
Quynh Nguyen's story is one of dissent, motherhood, and human rights advocacy. Her advocacy work sparked international attention and campaigns for her release, highlighting critical issues and meaningful conversations within the online community. Despite the challenges, her commitment to defending human rights remains unwavering.
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