Four Activists Brutally Attacked by Thugs During Visit to Families of Jailed Mid-June Protesters

Victims of Dong Nai attack on Dec 7, 2018 (from left to right): Vo Ngoc Trai, Ngoc Anh, Nguyen Thanh Hai and Huynh Tan Tuyen

 

Defend the Defenders, December 8, 2018

 

Thugs supported by police have brutally attacked a group of four activists during their visit to families of imprisoned mid-June protesters in Vietnam’s southern province of Dong Nai, the victims informed Defend the Defenders.

In early evening of December 7, four activists named Huynh Tan Tuyen, Nguyen Thanh Hai, Vo Ngoc Trai and Ms. Ngoc Anh travelled with a car from their native province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau to Dong Nai in a bid to pay visits to some families of 15 local people who were convicted and imprisoned on charge of “causing public disorders” due to their participation in peaceful demonstration in Bien Hoa city on June 10.

The victims said their journey was closely monitored by security forces. Firstly, trafic police stopped their car for administrative check and dozens of plainclothes agents followed their vehicle.

When they were on their way about thirty kilometers to Bien Hoa city, plainclothes agents started their attack against the activists’ vehicle. Thugs riding on motorbikes threw big stones to their car, breaking the vehicle’s glasses and injuring the travellers.

One of stones injured Ms. Ngoc Anh’s head while Mr. Trai got severe injury. He lost a lot of blood but activists were forced to keep going because they felt that thugs would kill them if they stopped.

Injured Vo Van Trai (Picture from Võ Hồng Ly’s Facebook

Later, the activists decided to turn their car to return to Vung Tau and arrived in Phuoc Buu pagoda at 10.30 PM. Until then, Mr. Trai received necessary aid for his injury. Nearly all glasses of Mr. Hai’s car were broken.

Mr. Tuyen, who was beaten by security forces and lost three teeth while participated in the mass demonstration in Ho Chi Minh City in mid-June, said it was nightmare and they luckily escaped the thugs’ attack without being killed. Ms. Ngoc Anh said she still feels great pain on her head.

After the peaceful demonstration in Bien Hoa city on June 10, local authorities arrested dozens of participants. On July 30, they convicted 20 protesters on allegation of “disrupting public orders” under Article 318 of the 2015 Penal Code, sentencing 15 of them with between eight months and 18 months in prison and giving probation for remaining five. In an appeal hearing on November 9, the imprisonment sentences were upheld.

One week prior to the appeal hearing, thugs also assaulted three lawyers named Dang Dinh Manh, Nguyen Van Mieng and Trinh Vinh Phuc from Ho Chi Minh City on their way to meet with Bien Hoa city-based jailed protesters to prepare for their defense.