Defend the Defenders | August 30, 2020
On August 25, the family of human rights defender Trinh Ba Tu was informed that he has been conducting a hunger strike since August 6 in the Cham Mat temporary detention center under the authority of the Hoa Binh province’s Police Department due to unclear reasons.
On the same day, his father Trinh Ba Khiem, who is a former prisoner of conscience and a land rights activist, went to the detention facility to request for more information about him but his request was denied. His attempts to the Hoa Binh province’s Police Department and the Ministry of Public Security on the next day were also unfruitful, however, police said he could submit a request for further consideration. So far, no progress has been recorded and the fate of the young activist remains unknown.
It is worth noting that Tu’s mother Can Thi Theu and older brother Trinh Ba Phuong are also held for investigation on the allegation of “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 117 of the Criminal Code with imprisonment of between seven and 15 years or even up to 20 years.
Former prisoner of conscience Theu and her two sons were arrested on June 24 and their detentions are related to their advocacy for the land petitioners in Dong Tam commune.
Mr. Tu is one of many prisoners of conscience who have conducted a hunger strike to protest inhumane treatment in prisons or temporary detentions in recent years. Several years ago, retired teacher Dao Quang Thuc was also physically and mentally tortured during pre-trial detention by the police in Hoa Binh province and he was hospitalized for weeks after that.
Also on August 25, the state-controlled media reported that the People’s Court of Hanoi will hold the first-instance hearing on September 7 to try 29 land petitioners in Dong Tam who were arrested during and after the police bloody raid in the commune on January 9 this year. Four of them were charged with “resisting on-duty state officials” while the remaining 25 were alleged of “murdering” of three police officers whose deaths remain unclear due to very limited information publicized by the Ministry of Public Security, the agency organized the raid. There is no information about who will be responsible for the death of elderly community leader Le Dinh Kinh who was shot to death in his bed in his private residence during the attack of thousands of riot policemen in early hours of January 9.
According to the state-controlled media, many land petitioners in Dong Tam may face the capital punishment as the regime uses the case to threaten thousands of land petitioners in many localities across Vietnam as well as to revenge the farmers in Dong Tam for holding hostage of nearly 40 state officials and riot policemen in April 2017 for a week.
===== August 24 =====
Hanoi to Try 29 Land Petitioners in Dong Tam on September 7
Defend the Defenders: Authorities in Hanoi will hold the first-instance hearing on September 7 to try a group of 29 land petitioners in Dong Tam commune for their involvement in a deadly crash in the locality on January 9 this year in which police killed community leader Le Dinh Kinh.
During the raid, police said three officers were killed and their deaths were caused by the local land petitioners. However, police have shown no solid evidence of their deaths, including clear images of their corps and forensic records.
During and after the raid, police arrested around 30 land petitioners, including the wife, sons, and grandsons of Mr. Kinh, a retired communal leader who once held different highest positions in the Dong Tam communal government and party unit.
Among the prosecuted land petitioners, 25 were charged with killing three police officers and the four remaining were alleged of “resisting on-duty state officials.” The defendants in the first group are facing life imprisonment or even the death penalty while those in the second group are facing imprisonment of between two and seven years.
Over 30 defense lawyers are expected to be present at the trial.
Many domestic and international organizations have voiced concern about the Dong Tam case, calling on the Vietnamese government to be independent and transparent in their investigation.
Related article: Trial for 29 in Vietnam’s Dong Tam Incident to Begin Sept. 7
===== August 25 =====
Human Rights Defender Trinh Ba Tu on Hunger Strike in Police Custody, Reasons Unclear
Defend the Defenders: The family of Hanoi-based human rights activist Trinh Ba Tu has informed the online community that he has been conducting a hunger strike twenty days ago while being held in the Cham Mat temporary detention center under the authority of the Hoa Binh province’s Police Department.
It seems that one staff of the detention facility had passed the information about his fasting to his family. However, the reason for Mr. Tu’s hunger strike remains unclear.
Tu, 31, was arrested on July 24 by the Hoa Binh province’s police and charged with “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 117 of Vietnam’s Criminal Code for his advocacy for land petitioners in Dong Tam commune. On the same day, his mother Can Thi Theu was also arrested by the Hoa Binh police while his older brother Trinh Ba Phuong was detained by the Hanoi police, and both were charged with the same allegation in the National Security provision of the code.
The mother and two sons have been held incommunicado for at least four months, the practice the Vietnamese security forces apply in most political cases.
For their works in documenting land seizures and mobilization for the returns of lands and fair compensation from Hanoi’s authorities as well as advocacy for human rights, the family of Mrs. Theu has been suffered from persecution for years.
Firstly, Mrs. Theu and her husband were arrested in April 2014 for recording video of land confiscations in Ha Đông district and police attacking protestors with sticks and batons. She was beaten by police and charged with “resisting on-duty state officials” under Article 257 of the Penal Code. In September of that year, Mrs. Theu and her husband were sentenced to 15 months in prison each.
In 2016, Mrs. Theu was arrested after participating in a peaceful demonstration in which participants demanded human rights and multi-party democracy. She was charged with “causing public disorder” and later sentenced to 20 months in prison.
On the day of welcoming his parents released from prison in late June, 2015, Tu and other family’s friends and activists were beaten by policemen and plainclothes agents near the Prison camp No. 6 in Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province.
In recent years, due to their peaceful activities to assist land petitioners and support other activists as well as protest China’s violations of the country’s sovereignty in the East Sea (South China Sea), Phuong and Tu have been detained by police many times and in police stations, they were interrogated and tortured by police officers.
Meanwhile, Hanoi’s authorities have a plan to hold the first-instance hearing on September 7 to try 29 land petitioners in Dong Tam, who were arrested during the bloody attack of the police in the commune on January 9 this year. During the attack, police killed veteran community leader Le Dinh Kinh. Police said three police officers were killed during the attack and blamed the local land petitioners for killing them with gasoline although there is no clear evidence for the accusation. Police have also not shown the solid facts about the deaths of the three officers, including their corpses.
Related articles: Father of Vietnamese Hunger Striker Turned Away, Threatened by Police
================
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August 31, 2020
Vietnam Human Rights Defenders’ Weekly Report for August 24-30, 2020: Human Rights Defender Trinh Ba Tu on Hunger Strike
by Nhan Quyen • DEFENDER’S WEEKLY
Defend the Defenders | August 30, 2020
On August 25, the family of human rights defender Trinh Ba Tu was informed that he has been conducting a hunger strike since August 6 in the Cham Mat temporary detention center under the authority of the Hoa Binh province’s Police Department due to unclear reasons.
On the same day, his father Trinh Ba Khiem, who is a former prisoner of conscience and a land rights activist, went to the detention facility to request for more information about him but his request was denied. His attempts to the Hoa Binh province’s Police Department and the Ministry of Public Security on the next day were also unfruitful, however, police said he could submit a request for further consideration. So far, no progress has been recorded and the fate of the young activist remains unknown.
It is worth noting that Tu’s mother Can Thi Theu and older brother Trinh Ba Phuong are also held for investigation on the allegation of “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 117 of the Criminal Code with imprisonment of between seven and 15 years or even up to 20 years.
Former prisoner of conscience Theu and her two sons were arrested on June 24 and their detentions are related to their advocacy for the land petitioners in Dong Tam commune.
Mr. Tu is one of many prisoners of conscience who have conducted a hunger strike to protest inhumane treatment in prisons or temporary detentions in recent years. Several years ago, retired teacher Dao Quang Thuc was also physically and mentally tortured during pre-trial detention by the police in Hoa Binh province and he was hospitalized for weeks after that.
Also on August 25, the state-controlled media reported that the People’s Court of Hanoi will hold the first-instance hearing on September 7 to try 29 land petitioners in Dong Tam who were arrested during and after the police bloody raid in the commune on January 9 this year. Four of them were charged with “resisting on-duty state officials” while the remaining 25 were alleged of “murdering” of three police officers whose deaths remain unclear due to very limited information publicized by the Ministry of Public Security, the agency organized the raid. There is no information about who will be responsible for the death of elderly community leader Le Dinh Kinh who was shot to death in his bed in his private residence during the attack of thousands of riot policemen in early hours of January 9.
According to the state-controlled media, many land petitioners in Dong Tam may face the capital punishment as the regime uses the case to threaten thousands of land petitioners in many localities across Vietnam as well as to revenge the farmers in Dong Tam for holding hostage of nearly 40 state officials and riot policemen in April 2017 for a week.
===== August 24 =====
Hanoi to Try 29 Land Petitioners in Dong Tam on September 7
Defend the Defenders: Authorities in Hanoi will hold the first-instance hearing on September 7 to try a group of 29 land petitioners in Dong Tam commune for their involvement in a deadly crash in the locality on January 9 this year in which police killed community leader Le Dinh Kinh.
During the raid, police said three officers were killed and their deaths were caused by the local land petitioners. However, police have shown no solid evidence of their deaths, including clear images of their corps and forensic records.
During and after the raid, police arrested around 30 land petitioners, including the wife, sons, and grandsons of Mr. Kinh, a retired communal leader who once held different highest positions in the Dong Tam communal government and party unit.
Among the prosecuted land petitioners, 25 were charged with killing three police officers and the four remaining were alleged of “resisting on-duty state officials.” The defendants in the first group are facing life imprisonment or even the death penalty while those in the second group are facing imprisonment of between two and seven years.
Over 30 defense lawyers are expected to be present at the trial.
Many domestic and international organizations have voiced concern about the Dong Tam case, calling on the Vietnamese government to be independent and transparent in their investigation.
Related article: Trial for 29 in Vietnam’s Dong Tam Incident to Begin Sept. 7
===== August 25 =====
Human Rights Defender Trinh Ba Tu on Hunger Strike in Police Custody, Reasons Unclear
Defend the Defenders: The family of Hanoi-based human rights activist Trinh Ba Tu has informed the online community that he has been conducting a hunger strike twenty days ago while being held in the Cham Mat temporary detention center under the authority of the Hoa Binh province’s Police Department.
It seems that one staff of the detention facility had passed the information about his fasting to his family. However, the reason for Mr. Tu’s hunger strike remains unclear.
Tu, 31, was arrested on July 24 by the Hoa Binh province’s police and charged with “conducting anti-state propaganda” under Article 117 of Vietnam’s Criminal Code for his advocacy for land petitioners in Dong Tam commune. On the same day, his mother Can Thi Theu was also arrested by the Hoa Binh police while his older brother Trinh Ba Phuong was detained by the Hanoi police, and both were charged with the same allegation in the National Security provision of the code.
The mother and two sons have been held incommunicado for at least four months, the practice the Vietnamese security forces apply in most political cases.
For their works in documenting land seizures and mobilization for the returns of lands and fair compensation from Hanoi’s authorities as well as advocacy for human rights, the family of Mrs. Theu has been suffered from persecution for years.
Firstly, Mrs. Theu and her husband were arrested in April 2014 for recording video of land confiscations in Ha Đông district and police attacking protestors with sticks and batons. She was beaten by police and charged with “resisting on-duty state officials” under Article 257 of the Penal Code. In September of that year, Mrs. Theu and her husband were sentenced to 15 months in prison each.
In 2016, Mrs. Theu was arrested after participating in a peaceful demonstration in which participants demanded human rights and multi-party democracy. She was charged with “causing public disorder” and later sentenced to 20 months in prison.
On the day of welcoming his parents released from prison in late June, 2015, Tu and other family’s friends and activists were beaten by policemen and plainclothes agents near the Prison camp No. 6 in Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province.
In recent years, due to their peaceful activities to assist land petitioners and support other activists as well as protest China’s violations of the country’s sovereignty in the East Sea (South China Sea), Phuong and Tu have been detained by police many times and in police stations, they were interrogated and tortured by police officers.
Meanwhile, Hanoi’s authorities have a plan to hold the first-instance hearing on September 7 to try 29 land petitioners in Dong Tam, who were arrested during the bloody attack of the police in the commune on January 9 this year. During the attack, police killed veteran community leader Le Dinh Kinh. Police said three police officers were killed during the attack and blamed the local land petitioners for killing them with gasoline although there is no clear evidence for the accusation. Police have also not shown the solid facts about the deaths of the three officers, including their corpses.
Related articles: Father of Vietnamese Hunger Striker Turned Away, Threatened by Police
================