Phan Khôi (October 06, 1887 – January 16, 1959) was an intellectual leader who inspired a North Vietnamese variety of the Chinese Hundred Flowers Campaign, in which scholars were permitted to criticize the Communist regime, but for which he himself was ultimately persecuted by the Communist Party of Vietnam. Biography Early life and education Phan Khôi was born in an elite Confucian family in Bảo An village, Điện Bàn county, Quảng Nam Province. His father was (Second-rank, under Doctorate) Phan Trân, a son of Nam Định Judge Phan Khắc Nhu. His mother was Hoàng Thị Lệ, a daughter of Hà Ninh Governor-general Hoàng Diệu. Phan Khôi learned Chinese characters from a young age and was very well read. He read many progressive writings and developed a belief in civil rights and a new society. In 1906, he joined the Progressive Movement (Duy Tân) led by Phan Chu Trinh (1872–1926), Huỳnh Thúc Kháng (1876–1947) and Trần Quý Cáp (1870–1906). Phan Khôi moved to Hanoi to learn French and Quốc ngữ (Vietnamese written in the Latin alphabets). In 1907, he joined the "Đông Kinh Nghĩa Thục" school, founded by Phan Chu Trinh with the help of Phan Bội Châu in teaching materials. Then in 1908 the French cracked down on Progressive Movement, they captured all members, executed the leaders and imprisoned others. Phan Khôi was sent back to prison in Điện Bàn. In 1909, being pardoned by the French, he went to Huê and studied at the Pellerin School (1909–11). Opening school and teaching In 1912, his grandmother died, Phan Khôi came home for the funeral and stayed at his village, opened his own school and started teaching. 1913, Phan Khôi married the daughter of Lương Thúc Ký (1873–1947). Lương Thúc Ký was a teacher at Dục Anh school at Phan Thiêt. Dục Anh school was founded by Mr. Nguyễn Trọng Lợi, who also was a member of the Progressive Movement. Journalism Phan Khôi wrote under the pen name Chương Dân, and was very well known for his new, revolutionary and controversial ideas. He contributed to Đăng Cổ Tùng Báo (1907) of Đông Kinh Nghĩa Thục, Nam Phong (1918) founded by Phạm Quỳnh, Lục Tỉnh Tân Văn, Hà Nội Thực Nghiệp Dân Báo (1920), Hữu Thanh (1921), Đông Pháp Thời Báo (1923), Trung Lập Báo (1924), Thần Chung (1929) Editorships Phan Khoi was the editor of Phụ Nữ Tân Văn (1929), Phụ