Trial opens for terrorist organisation’s supporters

The defendants are members and supporters of the so-called “Chinh phu quoc gia Viet Nam lam thoi” (Provisional National Government of Vietnam), which is a terrorist organisation founded and led by Dao Minh Quan from abroad. The organisation has conducted many propaganda activities advocating armed riots against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Under the instruction of many key members of this organisation, the defendants have actively to entice others to join the terrorist organisation and a "referendum" to elect Dao Minh Quan as "the President of the third Republic of Vietnam".

In Ho Chi Minh City, defendant Tran Thi Ngoc Xuan joined the organisation and regularly used the Facebook social network to streamlive contents calling on others to participate in organising and conducting the "referendum". From March-June 2018, Xuan lured six people, including her husband, two children and three acquaintances to join the organisation. Also during this time, she also received many documents from the members of the organisation via Facebook.

On February 19, 2019, while visiting poor households in Tam Binh ward, Thu Duc city, Xuan brought along five sets of printed documents and handed over the documents to three households. During the time participating in the organisation, Xuan was given a mobile phone, US$300, CAD400 (US$316.4) and VND3 million (US$130.9).

Like Xuan, defendant Nguyen Thanh Xoan was lured by La Ngoc Duyen to register to join the organisation. In addition to spreading the organisation's propaganda, Xoan also enticed and guided four other to vote in the "referendum".

In Dong Nai, Luong Thi Thu Hien contacted many acquaintances, saying that she was participating in a foreign organisation that was engaged in charity activities, giving away land and houses for the poor, and asked for the acquaintances' information to register for the gifts. Many provided personal information for Hien, but in fact Hien used them to register for the "referendum" for Dao Minh Quan.

Also in Dong Nai, defendant Tran Van Long used personal information of more than 20 people to register for the "referendum".

Other defendants committed similar acts in An Giang, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Lam Dong, Phu Yen and Kon Tum. In addition, the defendants in the case also made yellow flags with three red stripes of different sizes. They printed and distributed documents such as "Provisional Constitution", "Constitution of the Third Republic of Vietnam", "Biography of Prime Minister Dao Minh Quan" in order to propagandise about the organisation and the referendum to others.

In this case, nine defendants including Tran Thi Ngoc Xuan (born in 1969), Nguyen Thanh Xoan (1972), Nguyen Thi Kim Phuong (1967), Luong Thi Thu Hien (1968), Y Hon Enuol (1988), Y Phuong Ding Rieh (1978), Nguyen Minh Quang (1960), Ho Thi Xuan Huong (1968), and Le Ngoc Thanh (1972) were prosecuted under Clause 1, Article 109 of the 2015 Penal Code. Three others, namely Y Tup Knul (1970), Pham Ho (1949) and Tran Van Long (1955) were prosecuted under Clause 2, Article 109 of the Penal Code 2015.

The trial is scheduled to last until April 19.