Ten jailed in Vietnam after violent anti-China protests
Police in Vietnam arrested dozens of people during June’s protests, which spanned several cities and turned violent in the central province of Binh Thuan
The rare rallies in the one-party state – where even peaceful demonstrations are outlawed – drew thousands to the streets, including in southern Binh Thuan province where protests quickly spun out of control.
In some areas of the province, demonstrators attacked riot police, torched patrol cars and stormed property in rallies over the proposed law that would grant investors lengthy leases in special economic zones.
Ten people were convicted Monday in Binh Thuan for their hand in the violence and sentenced to between two and three-and-a-half years in prison at the one day-trial where the suspects were accompanied by police in protective vests.
They were found guilty of “massive attacks against police deployments … injuring some officers, damaging two government vehicles and causing widespread traffic blockages for 15 hours on a national highway,” the Voice of Vietnam said on its website.
