According to the People’s Court of Cao Bang Province, the Military Procuracy of Military Region 1 has agreed to pay the money for the unjust incarceration of Nguyen Thi May, 85, and her two children, all residing in Cao Bang City.

The three individually spent between two and 22 months in jail and have been fighting to clear their names for over 30 years.

The settlement is to compensate for the family’s emotional trauma, loss in income, attorney expenses, and travel expenses to voice their protest over the past 34 years.

May will be paid VND1.5 billion, Tran Ngoc Hung (May’s son) will receive VND2 billion, and Tran Thi Nga (May’s daughter) VND1.5 billion.

According to the case files, on the evening of February 7, 1988, Lieutenant Le Danh Tan from the Cao Bang Province Military Command, during his paid leave, asked to stay the night at May’s house. At around 4am the next day, Lieutenant Tan was found dead in a pit.

In March 1988, the Military Procuracy of Cao Bang Province (now the Military Procuracy of Military Region 1) prosecuted Tran Ngoc Hung for murder. Two months later, May and her daughter Tran Thi Nga were also prosecuted.

In March 1991, the Military Procuracy of Military Region 1 suspended the prosecution against May and her children due to a lack of evidence.

May was released after five months of wrongful detainment, Hung after 22 months, and Nga after two months.

However, May did not receive any documents from the authority confirming her and her family’s innocence, so she sent petitions everywhere voicing their protest and asking for compensation.

In May 2020, the Military Procuracy of Military Region 1 refuted the application, citing a lack of basis for the requested compensation. May protested, but the agency maintained its stance.

In October 2021, May and her children decided to sue the Military Procuracy of Military Region 1, requesting that the People’s Court of Cao Bang Province order the Military Procuracy of Military Region 1 to apologise publicly and adequately compensate their family. May initially asked for a sum of VND15 billion, adjusted to VND10 billion afterwards.

After a meeting organised by the court, the two parties agreed to the reimbursement compensation terms and final sum.

The Military Procuracy of Military Region 1 said the compensation would be paid immediately after securing funding.

Regarding the family’s request for restoration of their honour, the Military Procuracy of Military Region 1 will issue a public apology and rectification notice in Cao Bang newspaper and will reissue the document on suspension of the detainment of Nga and her children. 

Source: Vietnam News