The announcement was posted on the ministry’s online portal on Tuesday.

Established in 1991 under the name of “Tan Dan Chu” (New Democracy), PNGV is an organization still loyal to the now defunct regime of South Vietnam.

The organization is led by Dao Minh Quan (a.k.a. Dao Van), a U.S. national in Santa Ana, California, who proclaims himself the Prime Minister of PNGV.

The 66-year-old man was born in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue and later became a lieutenant in the army of South Vietnam.

After the establishment of PNGV, Quan and some other members of the organization visited Vietnamese refugee camps in Hong Kong, China and Southeast Asia to recruit forces.

The recruited refugees were later repatriated to “execute acts of terrorism and sabotage, and assassinate officials,” the ministry said in a statement.

The organization’s underground members were found responsible for a number of terrorist attacks at critical locations such as a police station in southern Vietnam and Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City in April 2017.

In December the same year, a Ho Chi Minh City court handed jail terms ranging from four to 16 years to 15 terrorists with links to PNGV, totaling 128 years of imprisonment for those involved in the attacks.

The 15 defendants were charged with “acting to overthrow the people's government,” “participating in terrorism to overthrow the government,” “damaging property,” and “stockpiling military weapons.”

According an announcement on Tuesday, Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security has officially declared PNGV a terrorist organization.

Those who propagandize or incite others to join, sponsor and receive sponsorship from the organization, take part in its training courses, or take orders from PNGV are therefore involved in “terrorism” and “terrorist sponsorship” and will be punished according to Vietnam’s laws, the ministry said.

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