On January 9, 2020, the Vietnamese government deployed 3,000 police officers to Dong Tam commune and, as they alleged, to crush the local terrorists there. Nevertheless, “terrorism” was never proved at the later trial, but Le Dinh Kinh, the 85-year-old commune’s leader, was killed that day by the government’s bullets. The terror of this attack and its brutal consequences are what many remember about this tragedy.

Le Dinh Kinh was a Communist Party member for more than 50 years, and until his death, his family said he remained loyal to the Party and its leaders. All the memories of his life were dedicated to the Party; his medals and certificates are still left on a wall at his home. This wall is where some bullets struck him on January 9, 2020; it remains a testament to how the Party repaid his loyalty.