Confessions of a female journalist who won a lawsuit against the editorial office

Ms. Dang Thi Kim Ngan said: “Honestly, I do not want to sue Dai Doan Ket newspaper, nor do I want to take the money from the newspaper. However, because of my honor and love for the profession, I filed a lawsuit.”

More than 2 years ago, Mr. Dinh Duc Lap, editor-in-chief of Dai Doan Ket newspaper (DDK), signed a decision to dismiss reporter Dang Thi Kim Ngan (former deputy head of the science and education department) without any basis. Ms. Ngan then filed a lawsuit and recently, the People's Court of Hoan Kiem district (Hanoi) accepted Ms. Dang Thi Kim Ngan's lawsuit. Accordingly, the court declared that the disciplinary decision No. 56/2013 signed by Mr. Dinh Duc Lap (editor-in-chief of Dai Doan Ket newspaper at that time) in the form of forcing Ms. Ngan to quit was wrong.

Ms. Dang Thi Kim Ngan talks with Infonet reporter.

Infonet reporter had an interview with Ms. Dang Thi Kim Ngan to better understand this issue. Dang Thi Kim Ngan said: “Honestly, I do not want to sue DDK newspaper nor do I want to take the money from the newspaper. However, because of my honor and love for the profession, I filed a lawsuit.”

“After 3 years of complaints, going to this agency and that agency, but no agency spoke up, I was very sad.”

Ms. Ngan confided: “I love journalism very much, but I am also very sad, because the profession makes me hurt. Journalists and reporters always fight and expose the wrongdoings of society. But when I pointed out the wrongdoings committed by the highest person of the ĐĐK newspaper at that time, no newspaper spoke up, including the Vietnam Journalists Association, the ĐĐK newspaper Trade Union, the Fatherland Front Trade Union... all the authorities fell into a state of silence.”

However, Ms. Dang Thi Kim Ngan also frankly shared: “Where there is smoke, there is fire. When Mr. Dinh Duc Lap became editor-in-chief of Dai Doan Ket newspaper, many people left because of his wrongdoings without reporting them. But I and some others stayed to complain and expose his wrongdoings. When I and some others denounced him, he did many wrongdoings and was disciplined by the authorities. Mr. Lap's actions should have been severely disciplined by the authorities. However, Mr. Lap was only lightly reprimanded by the Party and the government."

"After being reprimanded, Mr. Lap proceeded to beat up the accusers and threw us out into the street. I was supposed to take the salary increase exam, but Mr. Lap said I didn't have a political theory diploma. I studied at the Academy of Journalism and Propaganda, so of course I have a political theory diploma. Then, he gave another reason, the agency didn't have the funds, but still allowed two other people to take the salary increase exam, but those who accused him weren't allowed to go," Ms. Ngan said.

According to Ms. Ngan, on November 20, 2014, at that time, editor-in-chief Dang Hong Quang returned to work as editor-in-chief of Dai Doan Ket newspaper. At that time, Mr. Quang invited us and said: "Everyone closes the past, opens the future and you guys come here to work."

"Invited by Mr. Quang, I returned to work, but as a reporter and in a new job. I worked for 7 months and retired in July 2015."

According to Infonet