Eight people on March 13 appeared before the Dien Bien Province People's Court for disturbing social security and order in Muong Nhe District's Nam Ke Commune last April.

Based on initial investigations, the provincial People's Procuracy accused the defendants of putting pressure on local authorities to establish their own " Mong Kingdom ".

During proceedings, the accused, most of them illiterates, admitted to not knowing the illegal nature of their activities, and recognised Party and State efforts in poverty reduction and hunger eradication.

As non-leaders of the incident, two of the culprits, Giang A Si and Vang A Giang, were sentenced to 30 months in jail while six others, Mua A Thang, Thao A Khay, Chang A Do, Thao A Lau, Cu A Bao and Giang Seo Phu, were ordered to serve 24 months each.-VNA