A Vietnam court gave jail terms to 14 men on Friday for their criminal acts during an anti-China riot that broke out in two industrial parks in the southern province of Dong Nai in May.

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The 14 were sentenced to six months and nine days to 13 months in prison by the Trang Bom District People’s Court in the province.     These people, aged between 18 and 40, were tried for causing public disorder and destroying property in two industrial parks – Ho Nai and Song May – in Trang Bom District, the court said yesterday. According to the indictment, on May 14 a large number of people in Dong Nai took to the streets to protest China’s illicit placement of the Haiyang Shiyou 981 oil rig in Vietnamese waters in the East Vietnam Sea. During the demonstration, these 14 men, along with other extremists, gathered on streets and disrupted traffic. They also loudly screamed, inciting others to commit violent acts.  The 14 then rushed into the premises of a number of businesses in these two industrial parks and used stones and sticks to smash corporate properties. Amidst the chaos caused by the riot, police officers tried to dismiss the crowds, prevent acts of sabotage, and restore order and security, but many extremists continued to break the law. Therefore, police arrested a number of rioters for investigation, including the 14 men. Earlier on June 13, the Nhon Trach District People’s Court, also in Dong Nai, sentenced two young men – Phan Van Giau, 21, and Thach Quy, 19 – to six and five months in jail, respectively, for stealing property during another anti-China riot that erupted in Nhon Trach Industrial Park 3 on May 14.

Like in the riot in Ho Nai and Song May Industrial Parks, a number of saboteurs took advantage of peaceful marches meant to oppose China’s positioning of the oil rig in Vietnamese waters to trigger violence and other illegal acts in the park. Giau and Quy, who were workers at Minh An Co., Ltd., stole a gold club, a pair of computer speakers, and a wristwatch from their company during this riot.

The total value of these items was about VND3.6 million (US$170). They were arrested later the same day. Beijing placed the Haiyang Shiyou 981 oil rig in Vietnam’s waters from the beginning of May to July 16 amidst fierce protests from Hanoi and the international community.

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