HCM City (VNA) – The People’s Court of Ho Chi MinhCity on November 11 handed down imprisonment sentences ranging from three to 12years to members of the “Viet Tan” terrorist organisation.

The defendants include Cham Van Kham, a 70-year-old overseasVietnamese in Australia, who received 12 years in prison; Nguyen Van Vien, 48,residing in district 12, Ho Chi Minh City, with 11 years; and 20-year-old TranVan Quyen, residing in Di An town, the southern province of Binh Duong, with 10years.

The sentences were in line with Article 113 of the 2015 Penal Codeas the men were found “conducting terrorism against the people’sadministration”.

The “Viet Tan” or “Vietnam canh tan cach mang dang” (Vietnam Reform Party) is aterrorist organisation of some Vietnamese in exile, established in Thailand in1982 by Hoang Co Minh, a commodore of the navyin the former Sai Gon regime. Its current head is Do Hoang Diem, aUS national born in 1963.  

The organisation aims to abolish the leadership of the CommunistParty of Vietnam and overthrow the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

On October 4, 2016, the Ministry of Public Security named “VietTan” as a terrorist organisation in Vietnam, saying those who participate inthe organisation, propagandise, lure and incite others to participate in,finance or receive financial support from “Viet Tan”, attend training coursesorganised by “Viet Tan” or place themselves under the direction of “Viet Tan”will be viewed as accomplices of terrorism and terrorism financing and will be punishedunder Vietnam’s law.

The jury ruled although the men know that Viet Tan is a terrorist organisation,they still participated in activities under its direction, and their deeds haveviolated national security.

Kham will also be expelled from Vietnam after he completes thejail term, while Vien and Quyen each will be kept under surveillance for fiveyears following their prison sentences.

Apart from the three defendants, the jury also sentenced Bui VanKien, born in 1983 in the northern province of Hai Duong, to four years injail; Nguyen Thi Anh, born in 1992 in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap, tothree years; and Tran Thi Nhai, born in 1984 in the central province of NgheAn, also to three years for “forgery of seals and documents of agencies andorganisations.”

Kien will have to pay a fine of 10 million VND (431.5 USD), andAnh and Nhai 5 million VND each.

According to the indictment of the Supreme People’s Procuracy,Diem is the mastermind behind the case. Between late 2018 and early 2019, hecontinuously directed key members of the organisation to develop forces andinfiltrate into Vietnam to incite demonstrations against the Vietnamese state.

Kham joined “Viet Tan” in 2010, and was one of the active membersof the organisation. He lured and admitted Nguyen Van Vien, a Grab motorbikedriver, to “Viet Tan”.

In a further investigation, police arrested Tran Van Quyen, a camera installer,and three others. Quyen joined “Viet Tan” in September 2018 at the instructionof Diem.

Police are hunting for Diem and some others who are now in the US./.