Trần Văn Tuyên

Trần Văn Tuyên (; 1 September 1913 – 28 October 1976) was a South Vietnamese lawyer and politician who served as a member of the lower house (House of Representatives) representing Saigon District 3 from 1971 until the collapse and surrender of South Vietnam on 30 April 1975 by President Dương Văn Minh. Prior, he briefly served as Deputy Prime Minister of South Vietnam in 1965 under Prime Minister Phan Huy Quát and practiced law in Saigon. He was also a fierce political critic of both the Ngô Đình Diệm and Nguyễn Văn Thiệu governments.

Biography He was born on 1 September 1913 in Tuyên Quang province to Trần Văn Lợi and Nguyễn Thị Ly. In 1929, he joined youth league of the VNQDĐ and its where he began his political activities. In 1943 he earned an LL.B. from the University of Indochina and shortly afterwards was arrested by the French colonial government for his involvement in anti-French activities against the colonial government. Later he served as an advisor to Nhất Linh, a well known Vietnamese independence writer.

Political career In the late 1940s to early 1950s he served as a minister in the cabinet of various prime ministers: he served as Minister of Information under Bao Dai and Nguyễn Phan Long. And a minister overseeing affairs in the prime minister's office under Trần Văn Hữu. He assumed office on 31 October 1971. During his tenure in the lower house, Tuyên aligned himself with, and was leader of the Dân tộc Xã hội (Ethnic and Social) bloc, a group of deputies who served as loyal opposition to the Thiệu regime.

Fall of Saigon and death As the PAVN was advancing to Saigon, he opted not to leave. After the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam has taken full control, he was later arrested on May 16, and like many of those who remained and had ties to the former Saigon government and/or to the US were sent to Trại cải tạo (Re-education camp). He was first sent to a camp in Long Thành and later relocated to Hà Tây province.

During his time in the camps, he was treated harshly. As a result, he committed suicide in late October 1976 during his confinement in the camp by slashing his wrists, bleeding out to death. His death was kept a secret for two years by the regime of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam until 1978 when his death was announced, it sparked outrage amongst the international community, demanding to know Tuyên's cause of death.

Personal life He was married to Phạm Thị Côn and had eleven children.