Environmental activist Hoang Thi Minh Hong

In 2018-2019, Ms. Hoang Thi Minh Hong was the first Vietnamese to receive a scholarship from the Obama Foundation at Columbia University. She is the founder and director of CHANGE - a local non-profit organization with a dynamic and dedicated spirit whose goal is to raise awareness and inspire the community about the issue. to protect nature, the environment, to protect wildlife, to combat climate change and to promote sustainable development.

In 2019, Ms. Minh Hong was honored as one of 5 recipients of the Inspirational Ambassador award at the WeChoice Awards and won the title of Green Warrior of the Year at the Elle Style Awards. In 2015, she was climateheroes. org listed on the list of Climate Heroes on the occasion of the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP21. In 2018, former US President Barack Obama posted an article on his personal Twitter account that Hoang Thi Minh Hong (Hong Hoang) was one of the young people who inspired him that year.

At the regular press conference held on the afternoon of June 1, Deputy Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Mr. Nguyen Duc Thang answered questions from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Reporter about environmental activist Hoang Thi Minh Hong being detained by the police Ho Chi Minh City husband and two employees on charges of tax evasion. Mr. Nguyen Duc Thang affirmed that Vietnam always strongly affirms its commitment in environmental protection, climate change response, green and sustainable development. This has been clearly stated in the legal documents, guidelines and policies of Vietnam. In general, in Vietnam, individuals, associations, people's organizations and NGOs are guaranteed to operate in accordance with regulations and take responsibility before the law for their activities. As in other countries, those who break the law will be dealt with according to the law.”