Police in the southern province of Binh Duong have completed their investigation into recent riots at some provincial industrial parks and officially indicted 259 people for inciting the unrest, which caused serious damage to hundreds of companies including foreign-invested enterprises.

>> Vietnam’s Binh Duong Province vows to protect foreign investors >> Southern Vietnamese provinces pledge safety for foreign investors >> Over 1,000 arrested in Vietnam riots that left one dead >> Vietnam premier requires police to safeguard foreign investors These people have been charged with seven counts: “causing public disorder,” “destroying or deliberately damaging property,” “stealing property,” “openly appropriating property,” “plundering property,” “harboring or consuming property acquired through the commission of crime by other persons,” and “resisting persons in the performance of their official duties.” The riots were provoked by aggressive elements that took advantage of peaceful marches against China’s illegal placement of drilling rig Haiyang Shiyou 981 in Vietnamese waters since May 1 to incite violence in several industrial parks in the province on May 13 and 14, police said. These affected industrial parks were Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park 1 (VSIP 1) and some others including Viet Huong IP, Song Than 1 IP, and Dat Cuoc IP. During and after these riots, police detained over 1,000 people involved for investigation. After classifying and questioning them, police decided to indict 259 people for the above charges in 117 criminal cases. Police have also released 276 others after imposing administrative penalties on them, and are continuing to clarify wrongdoings of the remaining detainees. On May 16, after police restored order and security, Tran Thanh Liem, deputy chairman of the Binh Duong People’s Committee, and many other officials visited the affected foreign-invested enterprises in some industrial parks. These officials extended apologies to the representatives of the damaged companies and promised to take measures to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. They also pledged to help businesses that have suffered from the riots resume their normal operations soon. Earlier on May 14, in talking with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, Tran Van Nam, deputy chairman of the provincial People’s Committee said local authorities will leave no stone unturned to protect foreign investors and their assets. “We highly appreciate investors’ contributions to the province in the past years so Binh Duong will continue standing side by side with them as we have done so far,” Nam said.  Such above-mentioned riots broke out not only in Binh Duong, but also in southern Dong Nai Province and central Ha Tinh Province. In Dong Nai, police have arrested over 200 people, while Ha Tinh police have captured 76 others, of whom six have also been indicted on charges of causing public disorder and destroying or deliberately damaging property.