VinFast Critic Detained, Interrogated by Vietnam Police for Facebook Posts: Report

Vietnamese authorities are reportedly harassing a citizen for criticizing Vietnam's first major automaker, VinFast, on Facebook. Despite well-documented problems with VinFast's business and products, it seems the company is trying to quash bad press by calling the police on its detractors.

Sonnie Tran is a 37-year-old Vietnamese social media personality who has built a following for his posts commentating on VinFast. Until December, Tran posted prolifically about alleged problems with VinFast in Vietnamese-language business groups. Topics include questioning the venture's financial integrity, alleging VinFast hides debt using shell companies, calling out misleading sales numbers, and claiming that VinFast outsourced its design to China and India rather than working with Pininfarina, as it's publicized.

It's not just Tran that's making these claims, either. Other Vietnamese social media users have posted similar allegations on platforms like Linkedin and Reddit. It has also come to light that VinFast's sales numbers are inflated by selling to other companies owned by Vingroup, VinFast's parent company.