The 88 Project

The 88 Project supports and encourages freedom of expression in Vietnam by sharing the stories of and advocating for Vietnamese activists who are persecuted because of their peaceful dissent. Follow us on Twitter @The88Project The 88 Project takes its name from one of the repressive provisions of Vietnam’s criminal code that are routinely used to persecute innocent people. Article 88 makes it a crime to “propagate” against the Socialist Republic with imprisonment sentences ranging from three to twenty years. There are many other articles that have been employed to imprison hundreds of peaceful activists in Vietnam. Under article 79 of the criminal code, those who form or join organizations “with intent to overthrow the people’s government” even face capital punishment. Reporters without Borders also noted the government’s systematic use of conspiracy theories and article 79 to arrest dissidents. Article 88 is one of a whole chapter of “national security” provisions in the Vietnamese criminal code. It is often used against minorities, especially those engaged in peaceful demonstrations. The Vietnamese regime was many times pressed to revise the provision which criminalize the legitimate exercise of human rights. The number “88”, expressed in the project’s logo as two handcuffs, became a symbol of all Vietnamese repressive laws and provisions. The initial idea of the logo comes from the movie poster for “88 – The Repression Of Cyber Dissidents”, designed by Ella Gancarz and Huong Nguyen.