A Vietnam court sentenced 14 people to anywhere from 15 months in suspension to 39 months in jail for causing public disorder during a riot that broke out in the Vung Ang Economic Zone in the northern province of Ha Tinh in May.

>> Vietnam police arrest 16 more in Ha Tinh riot Of the convicted, Nguyen Van Thang, 26, received the heaviest sentence (39 months); followed by Nguyen Huu Chien, 18, with 33 months in jail; and Luu Ngoc Cuong, 30 months. Of the eight remaining defendants, four were each sentenced to 24 months in prison, and the others got sentences from 15 months in suspension to 18 months in jail. All of the convicted were charged with “causing public disorder” pursuant to Article 245 of the Penal Code. 

Three of them were also charged with “resisting persons in the performance of their official duties” pursuant to Article 257 of the Penal Code.  According to the indictment, at 8 am on May 14, more than 1,000 Vietnamese workers in the zone began staging marches against China’s illegal deployment of the Haiyang Shiyou 981 oil rig in Vietnamese waters.   However, violent fights erupted at 3pm the same day when the demonstrators gathered in front of a Taiwanese-owned Formosa steel plant in the zone in Ky Anh District. At the time, the above 14 defendants raised signs denouncing China’s illegal oil rig deployment and used loudspeakers to incite people to commit violent acts, causing public disorder in many areas in the zone. Nearly 1,000 local policemen were dispatched to the site to restore order, but the defendants resisted and continued inciting unrest. The riot left one dead and 149 injured, along with extensive property damage to businesses in the zone.   The police arrested nearly 100 people in the riot for investigation, including the above defendants. At court yesterday, all of the defendants pleaded guilty to initiating the illegal demonstration and committing acts that caused public disorder. After considering the levels of illegal acts committed by each defendant, the court handed down the above sentences.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

>> Vietnam police arrest 16 more in Ha Tinh riot>> Vietnam police arrest 76 suspected inciters of riots, hooligans in Ha Tinh>>750 people to be indicted for riots in Vietnam’s Binh Duong Province>> Southern Vietnamese provinces pledge safety for foreign investors>> Vietnam promises support to foreign firms, foreigners affected by riots