Police Detain Eight Villagers Protesting Against Land Seizures for Road Construction

Key Events

• Police Arrest Eight Villagers Who Oppose Land Seizures for Road Construction
• Vietnam Human Rights Network Honors Three Political Prisoners With Rights Awards
• State Media: Thich Minh Tue Voluntarily Ceases His Pilgrimage to Preserve ‘Social Order and Political Safety’

Police Arrest Eight Villagers Opposing Government Land Seizures for Road Construction

The Police Department of An Giang Province has detained eight villagers, including five members of a family, after they threw Molotov cocktails at the police to protest  against the confiscation of their farmlands to build a road in Tinh Bien Village, An Giang.

According to state media, the police on Nov. 18 arrested Le Thi Ngoc Nhan and her husband, Le Van Dien, two farmers living in the area, their sons, Le Phuoc Hoang and Le Phuoc Sang, and their nephew Nguyen Van Loc. They were charged with “resisting state officers on duty” under Article 330 of the Penal Code. Other detained and prosecuted villagers included Le Cong Triet, Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy and Le Thi Thuong.

The skirmish resulted after local households disagreed with the authorities over the compensation they received for farmlands cleared for a road construction project.. The project calls for the renovation of an interprovincial road which is 39 kilometers long and which passes through several villages in An Giang Province, including Tinh Bien Village. The construction also required the relocation of 641 households, including that of Nhan and Dien, who joined six other families  refusing to move in protest against the confiscation of their lands due to insufficient compensation.

When the police were deployed to enforce the confiscation, local villagers reportedly blocked the area with excavators, hurled Molotov cocktails at the law enforcement personnel, and allegedly attacked them with weapons. State media reported that the residents injured five police officers and damaged the vehicles and machinery owned by the construction company.  The state media did not provide evidence or photos showing the injuries and destruction.

Land disputes are common in Vietnam, especially between farmers and local authorities, due to rapid industrialization that has promoted the need to acquire lands for development. Most clashes resulted from the government's inadequate compensation for seized lands. Major incidents related to land rights occurred in the past decades, most notably the Dong Tam Village skirmish between local villagers and the police in 2020, which resulted in the deaths of three police officers and village leader Le Dinh Kinh.

Vietnam Human Rights Network Honors Three Political Prisoners With Rights Awards

The Vietnam Human Rights Network (VHRN) has presented its annual Vietnam Human Rights Award to three prisoners of conscience. In a press statement released on Nov. 18, the  U.S.-based nonprofit organization declared Do Nam Trung, Bui Van Thuan, and Dang Dang Phuoc winners of this year’s award.

VHRN awards individuals who advocate for human rights, freedom, and democracy in Vietnam. Since the group's establishment in 2002, 58 people and six organizations have been honored with this prize.

The human rights organization said they gave these three political prisoners the annual prize due to their dedication to defending human rights and promoting social justice and territorial sovereignty. Thuan, Trung, and Phuoc were all convicted of “distributing anti-state propaganda,” an alleged violation of the controversial Article 117 of the Penal Code. Thuan and Phuoc serve an eight-year sentence, while Trung serves a 10-year sentence.

Trinh Thi Nhung, Thuan’s wife, told Radio Free Asia (RFA) that she was glad her husband had been recognized for his contribution to promoting human rights in Vietnam. Nhung called it a “huge spiritual gift” for Thuan and the other two awardees and said she was grateful for the local and international community’s concern for prisoners of conscience. The award gives a $3,000 cash prize to each awardee.

State Media: Thich Minh Tue Voluntarily Ceases His Pilgrimage to Preserve ‘Social Order and Political Safety’

State media reported that barefoot Buddhist monk Thich Minh Tue, who inspired countless people with his ascetic journey and who created an internet sensation, has declared he will “voluntarily” cease his pilgrimage across the country.

The remarks have been written in a letter purportedly drafted by Minh Tue, in which he says that one of the reasons behind his decision is because Vietnam's complex social conditions and the security of its political situation are not suitable for him to continue his journey. However, many social media users have raised doubts about this announcement's authenticity. Many believe that the police could force him to write this letter against his will.

Thich Minh Tue, an independent religious practitioner, has become one of Vietnam’s most influential figures of the past two years. His barefoot pilgrimage drew massive public attention due to its simplicity and peaceful nature. Many individuals, inspired by his journey, voluntarily followed him and embarked on a spiritual path of compassion.

However, last June, law enforcement officers surrounded Minh Tue and his followers when they stopped to rest in Thua Thien-Hue Province, accusing them of having “disturbed local traffic and social order.” The group was taken to an undisclosed location. The police alleged that the monk and his pilgrims had “disrupted local traffic and social order.” Minh Tue mysteriously disappeared following this incident. He reportedly resumed spiritual practice in his hometown in Gia Lai Province.

State media and local authorities have published another handwritten letter from Thich Minh Tue, which called for punishing individuals who share his information on social media. This letter similarly raised widespread suspicions over the trustworthiness of its content.

Meanwhile, local police departments have punished internet users accused of spreading “false” information about their journey with Thich Minh Tue, with many receiving fines between five and 10 million dong.

Quick Takes

Vietnamese-Australians Protest the Potential Extradition of Y Quynh Bdap

On Nov. 18, Montagnards Stand Up for Justice (MSFJ), an organization that promotes the rights of indigenous populations in the Central Highlands, held protests in front of the Thai and Vietnamese Consulates in Sydney, calling for the stay of the extradition of activist Y Quynh Bdap. Bdap is the co-founder of MSFJ. The protest drew the participation of around 15 Vietnamese-Australians, who chanted slogans demanding both Vietnamese and Thai governments adhere to international law and end the repression of the Montagnards and indigenous peoples in Vietnam.

Two Civilians Prosecuted for Tearing the National Flag

The Cam Thuy District Police in Thanh Hoa Province announced on Nov. 19 that they had prosecuted two local individuals on charges of “insulting the national flag,” under Article 351 of the Penal Code. Bui Van Bac, 26, and Bui Thanh Phong, 20, were accused of tearing apart the flags that many villagers hung during a national holiday. Additionally, the police also said Bac and Phong had destroyed the property of local villagers by cutting down the trees located in their residences. Those accused of defaming the Vietnamese national flag face up to three years of imprisonment.

Vietnam Insight: Learn more about Vietnam

China’s Dystopian Tech Influence Grows in Vietnam

Bloomberg/ Catherine Thorbecke/ Nov. 19

“Vietnam has positioned itself in recent years as an attractive destination for Big Tech companies looking to move away from China. But Hanoi’s policies regarding social media have increasingly been following Beijing’s lead.

The Southeast Asian nation is now ramping up already tight controls over online platforms with new rules that will require companies to verify the identities of users and share this information with authorities when asked.”

Could Marco Rubio Champion Human Rights in Southeast Asia?

DW/ David Hutt/ Nov. 18

“[Marco] Rubio co-sponsored several Cambodia Democracy Acts in the Senate — which aimed to promote democracy and impose sanctions on Sen's "inner circle" — none of which passed Congress.

He also co-sponsored legislation that would have punished the ruling Communist Party in Vietnam for its increasing use of draconian tactics to silence dissent, and pushed the State Department to impose tougher sanctions on the junta that took power in Myanmar after a 2021 coup.

"While in Congress, Senator Rubio continually spoke out about human rights across Asia and the Pacific, reflecting his genuine interest in promoting and protecting rights in the region, and one hopes that will continue if he becomes Secretary of State," Phil Robertson, the director of Asia Human Rights and Labour Advocates, told DW.”