After being arrested in a clash with police in a church-state
property dispute, six Catholic villagers in Vietnam were convicted in a
quick trial on Wednesday.
One U.S. congressman criticized the proceeding
as a “sham court,” noting the defendants’ lack of a lawyer.
The six villagers were among the 59 people arrested after clashes
between 500 Catholics and government agents at the parish cemetery of
Con Dau on May 4.
Catholics had conducted a funeral procession for an
82-year-old woman and tried to bury her in the cemetery, which had been
seized by the local government to build a tourist resort.
Chief Judge Tan Thi Thu Dung imposed a sentence of 12 months on one
of the defendants, nine months on another, and gave a suspended
nine-month sentence to the remaining four.
The judge said they had
incited riots, falsely accused the government and instigated others to
attack state officials on duty.
The accused said they were innocent and were only engaged in self-defense against police attacks, VietCatholic News reports.
In two separate Oct. 26 letters to the Vietnamese president and prime
minister, U.S. Reps. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), Anh “Joseph” Cao (R-La.) and
Frank Wolf (R-Va.) have said one villager, Nam Nguyen, died after
repeated beatings by police. Two women also reported miscarriages. The
congressmen also cited reports that the six villagers on trial were
tortured and forced to sign confessions.
"The government of Vietnam needs to abide by internationally
recognized standards for the protection of human rights. Having a sham
court to convict people on trumped-up charges without (a) lawyer is not
the conduct of a nation following the rule of law," Rep. Cao said in a
statement his office provided to CNA on Thursday.
The congressmen’s letter asked for an investigation into the reported
torture incidents and the death of the villager. They also asked that
the villagers have “timely and sufficient access to legal
representation” and a trial open to international observers.
Attorney Cu Huy Ha Vu, who was denied permission to defend the six,
said an anonymous source from the Cam Le People’s Court had told his
associates that the sentences had already been decided and approved by
leaders of the local government and the Communist Party.
Thus a defense
lawyer was unnecessary.
He told the BBC that the “widespread” land seizures are the real cause of the Con Dau incident.
“However, the incident at Con Dau stands out from the others as the
local authorities have employed police and armed forces to violently
dismiss the protest. That’s why it has caused fury not only among
Catholics but also among those with conscience,” he explained.
Thousands of Catholics attended two candlelight vigils in Hanoi and
Saigon. They joined non-Catholics in prayers against the trial.
A letter from Bishop Paul Nguyen Thai Hop, the president of the
Vietnamese Bishop’s Peace and Justice Commission, was read at the
vigils. The letter challenged the legality of the government’s property
seizure.
Skyrocketing property values have prompted the government to lay
claim to many properties, citing the Communist principle that land is
under the people’s ownership and is managed by the State. According to
VietCatholic News, in practice the land is often seized and sold to
developers who profit from their government ties.
Bishop Nguyen asked whether the decision of the local authorities to
seize the parish properties to sell them to Sun Investment Corporation
can be justified.
He asked why the government is “pushing the peaceful Con Dau
parishioners into current tragic situation, causing one death, many
arrests, others facing total loss of properties, and dozens fleeing to
another country seeking asylum.” He also noted that the government is
supposed to protect the rights and welfare of citizens.
The U.S. congressmen’s letter to Vietnam’s leaders said they looked
forward to a “future prosperous” relationship between the United States
and Vietnam.
“(B)ut we, and many others in the U.S. Congress, will continue to
consider human rights as a vital U.S. interest and a prominent part of
our bilateral relationship,” it concluded.
A spokesman for the U.S. embassy told AFP that the embassy is
continuing to monitor the situation and had expressed concern over the
use of force in the Con Dau incident and over reports of harsh treatment
of detainees.
The embassy has urged “all sides” to exercise restraint.
Vietnam is presently hosting the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) summit. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will
attend the event.
SIC: CNA/INT'L