HCM City (VNA) – The Ho Chi Minh City People’sCourt on August 21 began a trial of 12 defendants for “activities aimed atoverthrowing the people’s administration,” under Article 79 of the 1999 PenalCode.

The defendants are Nguyen James Han, Phan Angel,Do Tai Nhan, Truong Nguyen Minh Tri, Vo Hoang Ngoc, Do Quoc Bao, Tran Tuan Tai,Tran Van Vinh, Tran Quang Vinh, Nguyen Hung Anh, Nguyen Van Chanh and Do ThiThuy Dung.

They were members of a reactionary organisationknown as “Chinh phu quoc gia Viet Nam lam thoi”(Provisional National Government of Vietnam) set up in the US in1990 by Dao Minh Quan, a US national born in 1952 who used to serve in the armyof the US-backed regime in South Vietnam before 1975.

Since late 2013, Quan, who proclaimed himself“prime minister”, and other key members have consolidated this organisation andcarried out many propaganda plans to distort policies of the Vietnamese Partyand State, developed their force in Vietnam and sent people from othercountries to Vietnam to direct sabotage activities.

According to the indictment, Nguyen James Han (aVietnamese expatriate in the US born in 1967) and Phan Angel (a US citizen bornin 1956) were sent to Vietnam by Quan to develop force and direct other membersin the country to conduct anti-State activities.

In March 2017, Dao Minh Quan directly assignedNguyen James Han to return to Vietnam to conduct sabotage activities atcelebrations of Vietnam’s National Reunification Day on April 30, 2017.

On March 28, 2017, Nguyen James Han enteredVietnam and contacted Phan Angel to disseminate Dao Minh Quan’s directions toother members in the country, namely Nguyen Quang Thanh, Ta Tan Loc, Tran TuanTai and Nguyen Hung Anh and discuss implementation plans.

Nguyen James Han and Phan Angel farmed out tasksto each person such as distributing leaflets, breaking into radio stations tobroadcast information about their organisation, and protesting againstTaiwanese steel maker Formosa.

However, most of these activities were uncoveredand prevented by authorised agencies.

The indictment said those defendants activelytook part in this organisation despite being well aware that the “Provisional National Government ofVietnam” organisation aims to abolish the leadership of the Communist Party ofVietnam and overthrow the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

They were accused of inducing over 100 people toenter the organisation, write votes expressing their support for Dao Minh Quan tobe president of the so-called 3rd Republic of Vietnam and involve in sabotageactivities.

Aside from the aforementioned activities, thereactionary organisation used to carry out many armed terrorist plots inVietnam, including setting fire to a warehouse storing motorcycles seized bypolice for traffic rule violations in Bien Hoa city in Dong Nai province. Itsmembers also planted petrol bombs at Tan Son Nhat International Airport of HoChi Minh City in April 2017. 

Meanwhile, some members of the “Viet NguyenDynasty” organisation, separated from the “Provisional National Government ofVietnam”, bombed the police station of Ward 12 in Tan Binh district, HCM City,injuring three people.

The trial is scheduled to last until August23.-VNA