By Defend the Defenders, June 14, 2017
The Investigation Agency under the Hanoi Police Department has decided to probe the hostage of state officials in Dong Tam in April despite the promise of Chairman Nguyen Duc Chung of the city’s People’s Committee given on the day of the officials’ release, state media has reported.
The probe will be made with two charges namely “Illegal arrest, custody or detention of people” under Article 123 and “Destroying or deliberately damaging property” under Article 143 of the country’s 1999 Penal Code. People who are charged with the first allegation may face imprisonment of between three months and two years, and between six months and seven years for the second charge, according to the current Vietnamese law.
On April 15, police in Hanoi detained several residents of Dong Tam commune, My Duc district where local residents resist the government’s land seizure of 47 hectares in Mieu Mon areas. Hanoi’s authorities also deployed a large number of police officers, including mobile police to the areas. The detention was made without official warrants and one of the detainees was injured during the arrest.
In response, residents in Dong Tam held 38 state officials and police officers in hostage for one week. After police released the detainees and Chairman Chung came to the commune to give a written letter saying he will not seek responsibilities of the local residents in holding the officials, Dong Tam freed their hostages. The hostages said they had been treated well during the standoff.
Mr. Chung also requested investigations of the detention of Dong Tam’s residents and the land use in Mieu Mon areas.
The land parcel that the government wants to seize belongs to Dong Tam commune. During the Vietnam War, the government took it and gave to the army for building Mieu Mon military zone.
Recently, the government decided to give the land to the military-based Viettel Group to carry out project and Dong Tam residents do not agree with that, insisting the government to return the land to them for cultivating crops.
Land seizure is problematic in Vietnam where the law states that all land belongs to the state and residents have only right to use it. The government can seize land for socio-economic development and defense purposes without giving adequate compensation.
Authorities in many localities have taken land from local residents with low compensation prices and given it to property and industrial developers at much higher prices.
Thousands of evicted peoples have gathered in Hanoi and other big cities to file their complaints, demanding for land return or compensation at market prices.
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June 14, 2017
Hanoi Police Probe Dong Tam Hostage Case despite City Mayor’s Promise
by Nhan Quyen • [Human Rights]
By Defend the Defenders, June 14, 2017
The Investigation Agency under the Hanoi Police Department has decided to probe the hostage of state officials in Dong Tam in April despite the promise of Chairman Nguyen Duc Chung of the city’s People’s Committee given on the day of the officials’ release, state media has reported.
The probe will be made with two charges namely “Illegal arrest, custody or detention of people” under Article 123 and “Destroying or deliberately damaging property” under Article 143 of the country’s 1999 Penal Code. People who are charged with the first allegation may face imprisonment of between three months and two years, and between six months and seven years for the second charge, according to the current Vietnamese law.
On April 15, police in Hanoi detained several residents of Dong Tam commune, My Duc district where local residents resist the government’s land seizure of 47 hectares in Mieu Mon areas. Hanoi’s authorities also deployed a large number of police officers, including mobile police to the areas. The detention was made without official warrants and one of the detainees was injured during the arrest.
In response, residents in Dong Tam held 38 state officials and police officers in hostage for one week. After police released the detainees and Chairman Chung came to the commune to give a written letter saying he will not seek responsibilities of the local residents in holding the officials, Dong Tam freed their hostages. The hostages said they had been treated well during the standoff.
Mr. Chung also requested investigations of the detention of Dong Tam’s residents and the land use in Mieu Mon areas.
The land parcel that the government wants to seize belongs to Dong Tam commune. During the Vietnam War, the government took it and gave to the army for building Mieu Mon military zone.
Recently, the government decided to give the land to the military-based Viettel Group to carry out project and Dong Tam residents do not agree with that, insisting the government to return the land to them for cultivating crops.
Land seizure is problematic in Vietnam where the law states that all land belongs to the state and residents have only right to use it. The government can seize land for socio-economic development and defense purposes without giving adequate compensation.
Authorities in many localities have taken land from local residents with low compensation prices and given it to property and industrial developers at much higher prices.
Thousands of evicted peoples have gathered in Hanoi and other big cities to file their complaints, demanding for land return or compensation at market prices.