Vietnamese Activist, Who Participates in U.S. Congress Hearing on Freedom of Press, Attacked by Thug

By Vu Quoc Ngu | Apr 25, 2015

Mr. To Oanh, who participated in the U.S.’s Congress hearing on Vietnam’s situation on freedom of press last year, has been attacked by a plainclothes agent, according to his facebook’s page.

On April 24, Mr. Oanh, 70, planned to visit farmers in Xuan Quan commune, Van Giang district in the northern province of Hung Yen on the day when local residents held a meeting to commemorate the seizure of 500 hectares of rice land by the local authorities three years ago.

When he nearly arrived, one young agent on his motorbike approached and intentionally hit Oanh’s motorbike and ran away, leaving Oanh fall on the road with severe injuries in his legs and arms.

Witnesses said the attacker is not a local resident, and he was there like a predator waiting for its prey. Only policeman can intentionally kill people by that way but not ordinary one, the witnesses said.

With bleeding and dirty clothes, Mr. Oanh decided not to meet local farmers but returned to his home town in Bac Giang province.

Oanh is among many Vietnamese activists being attacked by plainclothes agents or thugs hired by authorities. According to the New York-based Human Rights Watch, Vietnam’s government has often hired thugs to attack local dissidents and human rights activists.

Mr. Oanh is an activist in the one-party Vietnam. He has participated in peaceful demonstrations against China’s violations of Vietnam’s sovereignty in the East Sea, and protests against Hanoi’s plan to chop down 6,700 healthy aged trees in the city’s main streets.

Last year, Oanh was invited by the U.S.’s Congress to take part in the hearing on Vietnam’s freedom of press, during which he met with a number of American legislators and officials and reported about the tightened control of Vietnam’s communist government on press.

Coming back from the U.S., he was stopped by Vietnam’s security in Hanoi-based Noi Bai International Airport. He was interrogated by security officers for hours, and finally they confiscated his items, including a laptop and camera.

He has been under constant surveillance of security forces who often block him from participating in peaceful demonstrations in Hanoi.

Meanwhile, Xuan Quan farmers held the meeting to commemorate the day when Hung Yen province’s authorities deployed thousands of armed policemen and militia to evict local residents out of their land for developing a Ecopark new urban project .

During the seizure, policemen severely beat many farmers and two journalists of the state-run Voice of Vietnam radio who came to cover the event.

Xuan Quan farmers protested the land seizure since the developer offered very low compensation for the land on which they developed property and sold at hundreds times more expensive.

in Vietnam, all land belongs to the state and people have only right to use it. Local authorities may take land for developing social projects.