Defendant Nguyen James Han at the trial (Source: VNA) HCM City (VNA) - The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Procuracy on August22 proposed strict penalties for 12 defendants, who are members of areactionary organisation, for conducting “activities aimed at overthrowing thepeople’s administration.”
The defendants are Nguyen James Han, Phan Angel, Do TaiNhan, Truong Nguyen Minh Tri, Vo Hoang Ngoc, Do Quoc Bao, Tran Tuan Tai, TranVan Vinh, Tran Quang Vinh, Nguyen Hung Anh, Nguyen Van Chanh and Do Thi ThuyDung. They are members of the self-claimed “Chinh phu quoc gia Viet Nam lamthoi” (Provisional National Government of Vietnam).
The Procuracy demanded 14-16 years in prison for NguyenJames Han (a Vietnamese expatriate in the US born in 1967) and Phan Angel (a UScitizen born in 1956), and their deportation to the US after they finishserving their sentence in Vietnam.
Jail terms of 5-7 years and surveillance for the next 2-3years were proposed for Nguyen Van Chanh and Do Thi Thuy Dung, and imprisonmentof 10-12 years for the remaining defendants, along with surveillance terms of 3-4years.
According to the indictment, the reactionary “Chinh phu quocgia Viet Nam lam thoi” (Provisional National Government of Vietnam) organisation,which was set up in the US in 1990 by Dao Minh Quan, a US national born in 1952,had made use of the internet to carry out many propaganda plans to distortpolicies of the Vietnamese Party and State and develop their force in Vietnam.It also sent people from other countries to Vietnam to direct sabotageactivities.
According to the indictment, Nguyen James Han and Phan Angelwere sent to Vietnam by Quan to develop force and direct other members in thecountry to conduct anti-State activities.
In March 2017, Dao Minh Quan directly assigned Nguyen JamesHan to return to Vietnam to conduct sabotage activities at celebrations ofVietnam’s National Reunification Day on April 30, 2017.
On March 28, 2017, Nguyen James Han entered Vietnam andcontacted Phan Angel to disseminate Dao Minh Quan’s directions to other membersin the country, namely Nguyen Quang Thanh, Ta Tan Loc, Tran Tuan Tai and NguyenHung Anh and discuss implementation plans.
Nguyen James Han and Phan Angel farmed out tasks to eachperson such as distributing leaflets, breaking into radio stations to broadcastinformation about their organisation, and protesting against Taiwanese steelmaker Formosa.
However, most of these activities were uncovered andprevented by authorised agencies.
The indictment said those defendants actively took part inthis organisation despite being well aware that the “Provisional NationalGovernment of Vietnam” organisation aims to abolish the leadership of theCommunist Party of Vietnam and overthrow the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
They were accused of inducing over 100 people to enter theorganisation, write votes expressing their support for Dao Minh Quan to bepresident of the so-called 3rd Republic of Vietnam and involve in sabotageactivities.
Aside from the aforementioned activities, the reactionaryorganisation used to carry out many armed terrorist plots in Vietnam, includingsetting fire to a warehouse storing motorcycles seized by police for trafficrule violations in Bien Hoa city in Dong Nai province. Its members also plantedpetrol bombs at Tan Son Nhat International Airport of Ho Chi Minh City in April2017.
Meanwhile, some members of the “Viet Nguyen Dynasty”organisation, separated from the “Provisional National Government of Vietnam”,bombed the police station of Ward 12 in Tan Binh district, HCM City, injuringthree people.
According to the procuracy, taking advantage of thedevelopment of the internet, the “Provisional National Government of Vietnam”organisation had conducted a lot of activities to distorted the VietnameseParty and State’s policies, and incited others to conduct activities aimed atoverthrowing the people’s administration.
The indictment stressed that the defendants’ acts wereextremely serious, infringing national security, harming national developmentand stability, affecting political security and social order and safety, and goingagainst the country’s interests.
It said their acts constitute the offence of “conducting activitiesaimed at overthrowing the people’s administration” under Clause 1, Article 79of the 1999 Penal Code.-VNA
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