The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Procuracy on August 22 proposed strict penalties for 12 defendants, who are members of a reactionary organisation, for conducting “activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s administration.”

Nguyen James Han 

The defendants are Nguyen James Han, Phan Angel, Do Tai Nhan, Truong Nguyen Minh Tri, Vo Hoang Ngoc, Do Quoc Bao, Tran Tuan Tai, Tran Van Vinh, Tran Quang Vinh, Nguyen Hung Anh, Nguyen Van Chanh and Do Thi Thuy Dung. They are members of the self-claimed “Chinh phu quoc gia Viet Nam lam thoi” (Provisional National Government of Vietnam).

The Procuracy demanded 14-16 years in prison for Nguyen James Han (a Vietnamese expatriate in the US born in 1967) and Phan Angel (a US citizen born in 1956), and their deportation to the US after they finish serving their sentence in Vietnam.

Jail terms of 5-7 years and surveillance for the next 2-3 years were proposed for Nguyen Van Chanh and Do Thi Thuy Dung, and imprisonment of 10-12 years for the remaining defendants, along with surveillance terms of 3-4 years.

According to the indictment, the reactionary “Chinh phu quoc gia 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 distort policies of the Vietnamese Party and State and develop their force in Vietnam. It also sent people from other countries to Vietnam to direct sabotage activities.

According to the indictment, Nguyen James Han and Phan Angel were sent to Vietnam by Quan to develop force and direct other members in the country to conduct anti-State activities.

In March 2017, Dao Minh Quan directly assigned Nguyen James Han to return to Vietnam to conduct sabotage activities at celebrations of Vietnam’s National Reunification Day on April 30, 2017.

On March 28, 2017, Nguyen James Han entered Vietnam and contacted Phan Angel to disseminate Dao Minh Quan’s directions to other members in the country, namely Nguyen Quang Thanh, Ta Tan Loc, Tran Tuan Tai and Nguyen Hung Anh and discuss implementation plans.

Nguyen James Han and Phan Angel farmed out tasks to each person such as distributing leaflets, breaking into radio stations to broadcast information about their organisation, and protesting against Taiwanese steel maker Formosa.

However, most of these activities were uncovered and prevented by authorised agencies.

The indictment said those defendants actively took part in this organisation despite being well aware that the “Provisional National Government of Vietnam” organisation aims to abolish the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam and overthrow the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

They were accused of inducing over 100 people to enter the organisation, write votes expressing their support for Dao Minh Quan to be president of the so-called 3rd Republic of Vietnam and involve in sabotage activities.

Aside from the aforementioned activities, the reactionary organisation used to carry out many armed terrorist plots in Vietnam, including setting fire to a warehouse storing motorcycles seized by police for traffic rule violations in Bien Hoa city in Dong Nai province. Its members also planted petrol bombs at Tan Son Nhat International Airport of Ho Chi Minh City in April 2017. 

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, injuring three people.

According to the procuracy, taking advantage of the development of the internet, the “Provisional National Government of Vietnam” organisation had conducted a lot of activities to distorted the Vietnamese Party and State’s policies, and incited others to conduct activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s administration.

The indictment stressed that the defendants’ acts were extremely serious, infringing national security, harming national development and stability, affecting political security and social order and safety, and going against the country’s interests. 

It said their acts constitute the offence of “conducting activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s administration” under Clause 1, Article 79 of the 1999 Penal Code.-VNA