Ngo Oanh Phuong
Ngô Oanh Phương
Current Status: Persecuted
Other Names: Ngô Oanh Phương, Phương Ngô (Phuong Ngo)
Date of Birth:
Gender: F
Ethnicity: Kinh
Occupation: Driver
Activist Focus:
- Anti-corruption
- Freedom of expression
- Sovereignty
Organizational/Political Party Affiliation:
Details
Vingroup announced on September 8 that it was taking legal actions against 68 domestic and international entities and individuals accused of spreading misinformation about the conglomerate online. According to Vingroup, the false claims included assertions that the company is bankrupt and in debt to the tune of VND 800,000 billion, that VinFast vehicles are manufactured in China, that the company's Chairman Pham Nhat Vuong has engaged in misconduct; and that employees were resigning en masse.
Vingroup is Vietnam’s largest private conglomerate, founded and chaired by billionaire Pham Nhat Vuong, it has major businesses in real estate (Vinhomes), automotive manufacturing (VinFast), healthcare (VinMec), education (Vinschool), as well as retail (VinMart/VinCom), hospitality, technology, and smart city development. To date, Vingroup has not disclosed the identities of the 68 people and groups that they are taking legal action against.
The Vietnamese government has issued arrest warrants for three exiled activists-- human rights lawyer Nguyen Van Dai, journalist Le Trung Khoa, and former political prisoner Dang Thi Hue, that have received complaints from Vingroup. Others who have received notices of legal action include Hoang Dung, Phil Dong, and Hien Nguyen, who live in the US, and activist Ngo Oanh Phuong, known as Phuong Ngo, who resides in Canada.
History of Activism
Ngo Oanh Phuong and other drivers in Ban Huu Duong Xa Group (Friends on Long Road) protested against “dirty BOTs” (Build-Operate-Transfers), which effectively charge drivers a toll for a private development project authorized by the state. On her Facebook Phuong Ngo, Phuong has shared her views on national issues.
Profile photo source: Facebook Phuong Ngo
Phuong began her activism in 2019, exposing corruption and government abuse in the BOT toll road scheme. She also helped disseminate information about the Dong Tam raid in 2019. Phuong’s relentless activism has led to her being banned from leaving the country.
January 14, 2019: detained illegally in an alley because of her protest against An Suong-An Lac BOT
- Property destruction
- Detention
January 14-15, 2019
An Suong - An Lac Toll Plaza, High Way 1A, Binh Hung Hoa District, Binh Tan Ward, Ho Chi Minh City (map)
At 2:00 pm on January 14, Ngo Oanh Phuong, Truong Chau Huu Danh, Huynh Long and a woman went to An Suong - An Lac Toll Plaza to question them on the purpose of the station and what type of fees they have charged. An Suong - An Lac Toll Plaza is one of the BOTs being protested since 2018 because they collected fees beyond the contract duration, which ended in January 2017.
Right after that, hundreds of people, including public security officers, police in uniform, and individuals wearing masks, raided their three cars and towed them into a dead-end alley, which was 50 meters away from the BOT. All of them were isolated in cars by barriers, cars, and a powerful security force without receiving food from the outside during their detention.
When leaving the car to find a restroom at around 9:00 pm, Huynh Long was suddenly arrested by unidentified individuals, who threatened him to stop his activism against BOT An Suong - An Lac. The aggressors drove him on their motorcycles around the town before taking his belongings and leaving him in District 12 the next morning. Scared of his disappearance, Truong Chau Huu Danh, Phuong Ngo and the others stayed inside the car until the next day and kept live-streaming their incident on the Facebook page of Trương Châu Hữu Danh.
On January 15, the security force of Binh Tan District came in the morning and worked with them until the afternoon. That morning, Huynh Buu Long managed to return to the scene. Finally, authorities imposed administrative fines on two of the drivers for “stopping the cars illegally, causing traffic jam”. Meanwhile, security forces ignored drivers’ report on their incident and their demand to investigate their arbitrary detention, as well as damage to the cars during towing process. After more than 24 hours, they were finally able to leave the alley in the late afternoon.
March, 2024: summoned for questioning
Summons
March, 2024
Ho Chi Minh City
March 2024:
Ngo Oanh Phuong has been issued a third summons by the Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) Police. Phuong has not responded to the latest invitation and has gone underground. According to human rights lawyer Dang Dinh Manh, the Facebook page Phuong Ngo has “an enormous number of followers” but has been locked to all users except its account holder. Manh believes that this latest “invitation” from the police is the result of Phuong’s postings about Vingroup – the largest conglomerate in Vietnam, whose CEO is a powerful multi-billionaire.
Profile last updated: 2025-12-19 03:20:43