Hanoi plainclothes agents detain peaceful demonstrators, mostly women, on Sunday 26, 2015
By Vu Quoc Ngu | Apr 26, 2015
Security forces in Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi on April 26 violently dispersed a peaceful green demonstration, arresting over 20 local environmentalists who protest the plan of the city’s authorities to chop down 6,700 healthy aged trees in main streets.
The violent suppression of Hanoi’s police happened around 9 am on Sunday, few minutes after local activists started their 6th peaceful protest in Hoan Kiem Lake in the capital city.
Policemen and plainclothes agents stumped into the group of people who hang up banners demanding the city to stop the environment-destructive plan and bring responsible individuals to the court. They arrested the most active participants, including land rights activist Tran Thi Nga, land petitioner Thuy Nguyen, blogger Doan Trang and human rights activist Nguyen Thuy Hanh.
Police forced the detainees into a bus which later went to a police station in Long Bien district, several kilometers away from the city’s center. In the station, police questioned the detainees one by one.
The detainees may face accusation of conducting public disorders under Article 245 of the country’s Penal Code, with maximum seven-year imprisonment if they are convicted although the country’s 2013 Constitution states that citizens have rights to peaceful expression and assembly.
One day earlier, Hanoi’s People’s Committee ordered the city’s Police Department not to allow unsanctioned gathering in the city’s center, arguing to ensure peace and stability in the city during the 6-day holiday on April 28-May 3. In turn, the Police Department requested security forces in districts and communes to take all measures to prevent local activists from taking part in demonstrations.
Many activists reported that police and local authorities came to their private houses to persuade them not to participate in demonstrations in coming weekends, and threatened to use tough measures against those ignoring their warnings.
The violent suppression and massive arrest were taken after demonstrations in the five consecutive Sundays in the Hanoi’s center without being intervened. Two weeks ago, Hanoi detained a group of five members of the newly-established Republican Party of Vietnam after they joined others environmentalists in green demonstration. Two days later, police released four but still hold the party’s founder and leader Nguyen Viet Hung, accusing him of causing public disturbance.
The Vietnamese communist government has tolerated any peaceful demonstration which are not controlled by state agencies. In 2011-2014, Hanoi’s security forces violently suppressed a number of anti-China protests and arrested many activists, holding them in re-educational camps before freeing them under domestic and international pressure.
The green campaign started in Hanoi in March to protest the Hanoi’s VND270 trillion ($12.5 billion) project which aims to replace 6,700 aged trees in some main streets in the 2015-2020 period. Environmentalists have found that around 2,000 trees were cut, most of them were healthy and planted by French over 100 years ago.
The campaign has attracted participation of thousands of people in different social backgrounds in Hanoi and other cities and provinces. Many foreigners have also expressed their sympathy to Vietnamese environmentalists.
Hanoi’s authorities have determined to continue the project despite strong protest of people. They have also ignored the request of Vietnam’s government to stop the project and investigate the massive destruction of aged trees in the city.
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April 26, 2015
Hanoi Suppresses Peaceful Green Demonstration, Detaining 20 Environmentalists
by Nhan Quyen • Nguyen Viet Hung, Tran Thi Nga (Tran Thuy Nga)
Hanoi plainclothes agents detain peaceful demonstrators, mostly women, on Sunday 26, 2015
The detainees may face accusation of conducting public disorders under Article 245 of the country’s Penal Code, with maximum seven-year imprisonment if they are convicted although the country’s 2013 Constitution states that citizens have rights to peaceful expression and assembly.
By Vu Quoc Ngu | Apr 26, 2015
Security forces in Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi on April 26 violently dispersed a peaceful green demonstration, arresting over 20 local environmentalists who protest the plan of the city’s authorities to chop down 6,700 healthy aged trees in main streets.
The violent suppression of Hanoi’s police happened around 9 am on Sunday, few minutes after local activists started their 6th peaceful protest in Hoan Kiem Lake in the capital city.
Policemen and plainclothes agents stumped into the group of people who hang up banners demanding the city to stop the environment-destructive plan and bring responsible individuals to the court. They arrested the most active participants, including land rights activist Tran Thi Nga, land petitioner Thuy Nguyen, blogger Doan Trang and human rights activist Nguyen Thuy Hanh.
Police forced the detainees into a bus which later went to a police station in Long Bien district, several kilometers away from the city’s center. In the station, police questioned the detainees one by one.
The detainees may face accusation of conducting public disorders under Article 245 of the country’s Penal Code, with maximum seven-year imprisonment if they are convicted although the country’s 2013 Constitution states that citizens have rights to peaceful expression and assembly.
One day earlier, Hanoi’s People’s Committee ordered the city’s Police Department not to allow unsanctioned gathering in the city’s center, arguing to ensure peace and stability in the city during the 6-day holiday on April 28-May 3. In turn, the Police Department requested security forces in districts and communes to take all measures to prevent local activists from taking part in demonstrations.
Many activists reported that police and local authorities came to their private houses to persuade them not to participate in demonstrations in coming weekends, and threatened to use tough measures against those ignoring their warnings.
The violent suppression and massive arrest were taken after demonstrations in the five consecutive Sundays in the Hanoi’s center without being intervened. Two weeks ago, Hanoi detained a group of five members of the newly-established Republican Party of Vietnam after they joined others environmentalists in green demonstration. Two days later, police released four but still hold the party’s founder and leader Nguyen Viet Hung, accusing him of causing public disturbance.
The Vietnamese communist government has tolerated any peaceful demonstration which are not controlled by state agencies. In 2011-2014, Hanoi’s security forces violently suppressed a number of anti-China protests and arrested many activists, holding them in re-educational camps before freeing them under domestic and international pressure.
The green campaign started in Hanoi in March to protest the Hanoi’s VND270 trillion ($12.5 billion) project which aims to replace 6,700 aged trees in some main streets in the 2015-2020 period. Environmentalists have found that around 2,000 trees were cut, most of them were healthy and planted by French over 100 years ago.
The campaign has attracted participation of thousands of people in different social backgrounds in Hanoi and other cities and provinces. Many foreigners have also expressed their sympathy to Vietnamese environmentalists.
Hanoi’s authorities have determined to continue the project despite strong protest of people. They have also ignored the request of Vietnam’s government to stop the project and investigate the massive destruction of aged trees in the city.