After being indicted for destroying the property of citizens in a forced land eviction early this year in a commune in Tien Lang District, Hai Phong City, three local officials have been suspended.

>> Official held for property destruction in land eviction>> Tien Lang officials dismissed over land withdrawal>> PM concludes Tien Lang officials wrong in eviction Ngo Ngoc Khanh, chief of the district People’s Committee’s Secretariat, yesterday said the district authorities have issued decisions to suspend Pham Xuan Hoa, 57, head of the district Department of Natural Resource and Environment, Phan Dang Hoan, 52, secretary of Vinh Quang commune’s Party Committee and chairman of the commune People's Council, and Le Thanh Liem, 49, chairman of the commune People’s Committee and deputy secretary of the 

On October 22, the three men and Nguyen Van Khanh, ex deputy chairman of the district People’s Committee, were all indicted for destruction of property of citizens in a forced land eviction led by Khanh in early January. Khanh was arrested the same day with a detention term of 4 months. The arrest was made eight months after Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung concluded that the eviction of a 49-year-old farmer on January 5 from his 40 hectares of land was illegal. The farmer in question - Doan Van Vuon - and his family violently resisted the eviction, injuring 6 local officers. One day later, a number of construction works owned by Vuon and his brother, Doan Van Quy, was destroyed illegally by the local authorities.

Le Thanh Liem has been suspended as chairman of the Vinh Quang commune People’s Committee (Photo: Tuoi Tre)

For their violent acts, Vuon and three other members of his family have been arrested on charges of attempted murder and resisting law enforcement officers. On February 2, the city police opened an investigation into the destruction of the house, and five days later, Hai Phong City’s Party Committee suspended Khanh for investigation. At a meeting on February 10, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung concluded thatthe district authorities had violated the Land Law in withdrawing the land allocated to Vuon, and had to revoke all their wrong decisions and enable Vuon’s family to continue using the land. On February 23, Hai Phong City People's Committee dismissed Khanh and Le Van Hien, the chairman of Tien Lang District People’s Committee, from their posts.

Quy's house was knocked down illegally on January 6, 2012 (Photo: Tuoi Tre)