Luu Van Vinh at the court. (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNA) – The People’s Court of Ho ChiMinh City handed down jail sentences of between 8-15 years to five men for “attemptingto overthrow the people’s administration” under Article 79 of the Penal Code ata first-instance trial held on October 5.
Luu Van Vinh, Nguyen Quoc Hoan, Nguyen Van Duc Do, Tu CongNghia, and Phan Trung are members of “Lien minh dan toc Viet Nam” (Vietnam National Self-Determination Coalition).
Vinh, 51, will serve 15 years behind bars,while 41-year-old Hoan received a prison sentence of 13 years; 43-year-old Doreceived 11 years; 25-year-old Nghia was given ten years; and 42-year-old Trunggot eight years. They will also be kept under surveillance after completing theirjail sentences.
According to the indictment, they werebelieved to be conducting activities violating national security. Vinh has apermanent residence in the northern province of Hai Duong and Hoan holds a permanentresidence in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, however, Vinh, Hoan,and Do were all found to be residing in HCM City. Of the others, Trung residedin Lam Dong province and Nghia resided in the central province of Ninh Thuan.
They directly established a reactionaryorganisation named the Vietnam National Self-Determination Coalition, anddefamed and distorted policies and guidelines of the Party and the State,aiming to abolish the leadership role of the Communist Party of Vietnam and overthrowthe State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
As the mastermind of the group, Vinh setforth the objectives and operational orientations of the VietnamNational Self-Determination Coalition, luring people into the organisation.
Do, who was Vice President, worked todevelop the organisation. Meanwhile, Hoan and Trung were advisors to Vinh in theorganisation’s establishment. Nghia was in charge of “military affairs” as wellas recruiting people into the group.
They carried out various activities withthe aim of inciting the public, coordinating with hostile forces, andparticipating in illegal demonstrations.
On October 30, 2016, they organised a preparatorymeeting and agreed to announce the debut of the organisation at a church in TanBinh district, Ho Chi Minh City on November 6, 2016.
However, the Investigation Security Agencyof HCM City’s Police Department arrested the men on that day.–VNA
VNA
