Z30A prisoners revolt, hold police officer as “hostage”

Police lieutenant colonel Ho Phi Thang, Xuan Loc prison officer, is being held by prisoners as “hostage”

Danlambao - A confidential source of information sent to Danlambao said: About 8 o'clock this morning, 06/30/2013, prison inmates at Xuan Loc prison, Dong Nai province, have revolted en masse to protest against the harsh prison condition of the communist regime in Vietnam. The protest broke out at camp No. 1 (K1) with the participation of about 1,000 prisoners. After taking control of the camp, the prisoners broke the office doors and arrested a supervisor of the prison guards, a police lieutenant colonel, as a “hostage.”

Xuan Loc prison, also known as Z30A, currently holds many prisoners of conscience in Vietnam such as Tran Huynh Duy Thuc, Nguyen Hoang Quoc Hung, Viet Khang. Previously, blogger Dieu Cay - Nguyen Van Hai, had also been imprisoned there for a long time.

Reportedly, the uprising outbreaks began at camp No. 1 of Xuan Loc prison. The revolt is caused by severe abuses committed by prison guards who often beat prisoners. Prisoners have been very poorly fed while having had to do a lot of hard works.

Currently, the police officer, lieutenant colonel Ho Phi Thang, is being kept as “hostage” inside the camp.

At press time, the prisoners are still controlling the camp. The police has been reinforced but cannot penetrate the camp yet.

The prisoners are desperately calling for help from public opinions and the press in order to avoid a fierce and bloody repression from police as it happened before.

Mr. Nguyen Bac Truyen, a former prisoner of conscience at this Xuan Loc prison, said that camp No. 1 is where prisoners are revolting. The prison of Xuan Loc has 6 camps. Each camp holds about 1,000 prisoners. Camp No. 1 is the main and harshest camp, and holding about 10 prisoners of conscience.

Further information on the incident will be updated on Danlambao.

Translated by Như Ngọc