Doan Van Vuon Sentenced 5 Years of Imprisonment for Attempted Murder
April 5, 2013 - The verdict against farmer Doan Van Vuon - the man who all he did was to legitimately defend his fish farm against an illegal land eviction conducted last year by hundreds of armed policemen and troops - was announced in this afternoon, April 5th, 2013. According to this announcement, Vuon will serve a 5-year sentence for attempted murder if he doesn’t lodge an appeal within 15 days from now. Although a number of people consider this a light sentence, so many Vietnamese people believe that Vuon is not guilty.
Policemen and troops were attacking Doan Van Vuon's fish farm on Jan 5, 2012. Source: Ho Chi Minh City Legal Daily.
Like other sensitive cases, this trial was closed to the public and only few state-owned newspapers had access to the court. Afterwards, a news bulletin was released on TV, strongly emphasizing the action of Vuon, not the policemen’s violation of the law.
Many Vietnamese activists gathered in Haiphong the week before the trial, supporting Vuon and his family. None of them was given access areas surrounding the court and a few were even arrested.
Land-rights is one of the biggest issues in Vietnam. Since 1980 up to now, all lands are state-owned and private ownership is prohibited. There is a great deal of enforced land grabs conducted by goverment to take land from farmers - who were using it as a unique source of livelihood - at very low compensation, even 1 USD per m2, and then transfer it to capitalists.
AT-HL
This afternoon, the local people's court in Hai Phong has pronounced a judgment sentencing farmer Doan Van Vuon and his family's members as details below:
- Mr Doan Van Vuon and Doan Van Quy (Vuon's younger brother): 5 years of imprisonment for attempted murder.
- Mr. Doan Van Sinh (Vuon's older brother): 3.5 years of imprisonment for attempted murder.
- Mr. Dao Van Ve: 2 years of imprisonment for attempted murder.
- Mrs. Pham Thi Bau (Quy's wife): 18 months of imprisonment as a suspended sentence for resisting persons in the performance of their official duties, with a period under test of 36 months.
- Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thuong (Vuon's wife): 15 months of imprisonmet as a suspended sentence for resisting persons in the performance of their official duties, with a period under test of 30 months.
Like other sensitive cases, this trial was closed to the public and only few state-owned newspapers had access to the court. Afterwards, a news bulletin was released on TV, strongly emphasizing the action of Vuon, not the policemen’s violation of the law.
Many Vietnamese activists gathered in Haiphong the week before the trial, supporting Vuon and his family. None of them was given access areas surrounding the court and a few were even arrested.
Land-rights is one of the biggest issues in Vietnam. Since 1980 up to now, all lands are state-owned and private ownership is prohibited. There is a great deal of enforced land grabs conducted by goverment to take land from farmers - who were using it as a unique source of livelihood - at very low compensation, even 1 USD per m2, and then transfer it to capitalists.
AT-HL
This afternoon, the local people's court in Hai Phong has pronounced a judgment sentencing farmer Doan Van Vuon and his family's members as details below:
- Mr Doan Van Vuon and Doan Van Quy (Vuon's younger brother): 5 years of imprisonment for attempted murder.
- Mr. Doan Van Sinh (Vuon's older brother): 3.5 years of imprisonment for attempted murder.
- Mr. Dao Van Ve: 2 years of imprisonment for attempted murder.
- Mrs. Pham Thi Bau (Quy's wife): 18 months of imprisonment as a suspended sentence for resisting persons in the performance of their official duties, with a period under test of 36 months.
- Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thuong (Vuon's wife): 15 months of imprisonmet as a suspended sentence for resisting persons in the performance of their official duties, with a period under test of 30 months.
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