On 31 May 2023, renowned Vietnamese environmental activist, Hoang Thi Minh Hong, her husband and two staff members were arrested and accused of tax evasion. Hong is a vocal advocate against environmentally harmful business practices and founded the Center of Hands-on Actions and Networking for Growth and Environment (CHANGE) to work on issues of climate change and environmental conservation. In 2022, however, anticipating the possibility of being prosecuted for her work as a result of increased arrests of her fellow environmental defenders, Hong was forced to shut down CHANGE. 

With regards to this accusation against Hong, Phil Robertson from Human Rights Watch said, “Vietnam’s selective use of its vague and flawed tax law to target environmentalists and climate change activists with politically motivated prosecutions is a new, extremely troubling development".

Global Witness adds, "As the fifth activist arrested in Vietnam in the last two years, Hong’s detention is part of a troubling pattern of seemingly politically motivated attacks against environmental defenders in the country".