Three Political Activists Charged with Terrorism in Vietnam
By Marnie Suss
May 13, 2008 | Printer Friendly

Three people, including a Vietnamese national, a Thai and a US citizen were charged and convicted of “terrorism” in Vietnam on Tuesday, May 13, according to a report by Reuters. Judge Vu Phi Long presided over the trial that sentenced the three defendants to up to nine months in jail. The court decided that the three defendants were guilty of “inciting riots” and were a “threat to the security of the state.” The court accused the defendants of being a part of the Viet Tan – a “terrorist” organization according to authorities.

AFP writes that the arresting authorities estimated they found 7,000 flyers, 8,000 envelopes, and 3,775 stamps on the defendants. The group Viet Tan said they were planning to distribute the leaflets promoting democracy in a peaceful manner and said that the information did not encourage or incite people to threaten the state. Viet Tan asserts that the government and court decisions are “pre-determined according to political considerations.”

A spokesperson for the US embassy commented on the conviction of US citizen Nguyen Quoc Quan. "We are not aware of any information that would support charges of 'terrorism'. We object to the detention and prosecution of any individual for peacefully expressing his or her own views."

The Vietnamese government maintains it does not prosecute or punish people for their political views but only for criminal activity; however, “spreading propaganda against the state” is considered criminal activity in Vietnam which carries a sentence of three to eight years in prison.

References:

Reuters: U.S.-Vietnamese activist convicted, to be deported

AFP: Pro-democracy activists go on trial in Vietnam