November 2, 2006
Vietnam - Vietnam News Service - Original Article (English)    

Just as Vietnam has arrested a number of Americans for committing
violence against the Vietnam government, Hanoi has decided to
abolish the practice of detention without trial. Perhaps this is a way to
placate President George W. Bush, who will visit Vietnam in November.

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HANOI: The Supreme People's Procuracy has sent an indictment to the Ho Chi Min City People's Court, proposing the prosecution of seven people suspected of involvement in terrorism. The suspects, allegedly led by Nguyen Huu Chanh, are accused of the crime of terrorism, a violation under article 84 of Vietnam's Criminal Code.

The accused are residents of the American states of Florida and California, and include Nguyen Thuong Cuc (alias Foshee Thuong Nguyen), Huynh Bich Lien (alias Linda A Linh), Cao Tri (alias Quoc) and Le Van Binh (alias Phu).

[Editor's Note: According to the Washington Post, these 'U.S. residents' are Vietnam-born American citizens ].

The other suspects are Tran Dat Phuong (alias Hai Phuong), Ho Van Giau (alias Ba Giau) and Ho Van Hien (alias Sau Hien), who are all residents of the southern province of An Giang.

According to the Supreme People's Procuracy, the accused are alleged to have exerted drastic efforts to undermine the Socialist Republic of Vietnam over a long period of time.

[Editor's Note: The Supreme People's Procuracy of Vietnam is responsible for prosecutions and legal matters. It functions like the prosecutor's office or attorney general's office in western countries ].

Authorities believe that Nguyen Huu Chanh and his accomplices executed bombings and used radio broadcasts to incite uprisings and upset the lives of cadres, public employees and ordinary people. These activities were discovered and promptly ceased by the relevant agencies.

Nguyen Thuong Cuc was the alleged ringleader, arranging meetings in the southeast U.S. and resolving matters regarding "domestic and foreign relations." She also allegedly communicated directions to the terrorist organization under the direct guidance of Nguyen Van Sy and Duong Dai Hai, who allegedly called themselves the "ministers of civil affairs" and "foreign affairs," respectively.

In 2005, Chanh allegedly set up an office under the guise of a charitable organization to have people sent to Vietnam to conduct terrorist activities. On Chanh's orders, Cuc is believed to have then returned to Vietnam to run the organization's financial affairs. These included the purchase of handicrafts, fine art, footwear, clothing and other products for export to a third country where they obtained from preferential tariffs, before importing the goods into the U.S. where its status as a charity resulted in reduced taxes on the goods, thereby providing income to finance the group's activities.

Chanh was prosecuted by the Ministry of Public Security's Security and Investigation Bureau (SIB), for committing terrorist acts and propaganda against Vietnam. As the time legally allotted for the investigation dwindled and Chanh remained at large, the SIB issued decision No 227, temporarily suspending the investigation while it continued its lawful search for him.

The Supreme People's Procuracy proposed to the People's Court of Ho Chi Min City that the tools and evidence that the accused allegedly used to commit these crimes and the funds thought to have been obtained through criminal means be seized. The Ho Chi Min City People's Court will soon open a trial for the case.