CTV Danlambao - At dawn on March 11, 2014, about 100 landless farmers from the southern provinces staged a protest in Saigon, carrying banners to demand the right to life and human rights while walking toward the U.S. Consulate. The authorities have mobilized a large security force to disrupt the rally.
Around 2 p.m., the farmers made a protest at the Government Inspectorate Headquarters at 210 Vo Thi Sau Street, District 3, Saigon, to accuse the authorities of covering up corruption and using security forces to beat female petitioners in Saigon.
Around 2:30 p.m., security forces made a crackdown on protestors. "Security forces are grabbing and dragging petitioners on the road like animals, they suppress the protestors in an inhuman manner. I hope those who live in the area would come out to help the victims of this repression carried out by the evil communist regime," according to a post on a Facebook page of Ngoc Anh Tran.
Around 3:10 p.m., security forces have arrested 42 protestors and loaded them on vehicles which headed to an unknown location. Other protestors are trying to evade capture, seeking information about the arrested ones and finding a way to help them.
"Many uniformed and plainclothes police and security agents rushed in to suppress the protestors, they used the trained technique of “acupressure” to abduct 42 petitioners, dragged them into the vehicles like animals and took the victims to an unknown location. Currently, the remaining petitioners are seeking information about the 42 petitioners who were kidnapped," said a petitioner at the scene.
"We will continue to fight for the right to life and our human rights. We hope the press agencies and other organizations will help the 42 kidnapped petitioners and reclaim our rights as human being," the petitioner added.
Reportedly, among the protestors was a 71-year-old farmer, who collapsed during the crackdown.
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