Ngoc Nhi Nguyen - Danlambao - A trial which stirred up hundreds of thousands of people at home and abroad, causing the Consulates to follow closely with interest and to express concerns, the international human rights bodies have condemned and the Vietnamese government has had to mobilize tens of thousands of police and security officers from the central to local levels, to deal with in more than six consecutive months; Yet the people of Vietnam was only allowed to hear one short news segment scarcely lasting 36 seconds?!
Following is the full text television newscast from Dong Thap:
"According to the indictment dated 11/02/2014, derived from the incidence where Nguyen Vu Tam and Vo Van Buu violated the regulations on traffic safety and order, Hang, Quynh and Minh were found guilty of yelling and screaming, insulting traffic officers on duty, on provincial Highway numnber 849 at An Quoi village, My An Hung B commune, Lap Vo district, Dong Thap province.
In particular, defendant Minh was guilty of assaulting one of the patrol officer on duty. Given the behavior of the three defendants, Council Hearing sentenced Bui Thi Minh Hang to 3 years in prison, Nguyen Thi Thuy Quynh to 2 years in prison and Nguyen Van Minh 2 years and 6 months in prison."
How can the people from this ridiculous piece of news know what is really going on? Why 2 men Tam and Buu violated traffic laws (and what violation was that?) became Hang and Quynh shouting insults? Which of Vietnam's laws constituted that yelling insults at police means 2 to 3 years imprisonment? There are cases of police beating to death innocent citizens and only got a 1 year imprisonment and in other cases only probation. Millions of Vietnamese citizens yell and curse at the police everyday out on the street, why don' t they all go to jail for a few years?
And what did they mean by "assaulting police"? How was the police assaulted? The indictment clearly stated that " Mr Minh 's right hand hit the right hand of the police officer on duty once" , is that an assault? Why was the full indictment not read out to the people so that they would understand that barely hitting the hand of a police officer is enough to send one to jail?
If this had happened in a democratic country, the case would have made front page headlines and both television and the news would be covering it extensively. All 17 witnesses would get interviewed and be present in Court. The reporters would have discussed different opinions from both the experts and concerned citizens. The media would have followed the case for the whole length of the matter. This way, the people would know the details and the truth about the case. But the state controlled media in Viet Nam has deliberately withheld information from its own citizens, keeping them in the dark about the whole thing.
Not to mention the people living in Cao Lanh, Dong Thap, before the trial on the 26/08/2014, was briefed by the local authorities and police that on the 26th there would be riots caused by the " anti government sector" traveling in from other parts of the country, and especially Hoa Hao Buddhist worshipers were slandered as a "violent and disruptive" group. The local people were instructed to stay away from them, to report them to the police and not to believe anything they said.
This is how the people of Viet Nam has been deceived and doctrinated since the Communist took over the country!
This is why the people living in Viet Nam, unless they go online to read from alternative sources, if they only read the State owned newspapers and magazines and only watch the State controlled television, will never know the truth about virtually anything!
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