Most of the protesters came from southern provinces of the country, where farmers, although in war time, enjoyed land ownership, bountiful harvests, and a comfortable life before the Communist takeover of South Vietnam in 1975.
Most Communist officials have enriched their fortunes by pocketing from juicy development projects at the hard to bear expense of poor farmers. While millions of Vietnamese are living under $1.50 a day, a bowl of “Pho” (Vietnamese beef noodle) served as breakfast at a high-end restaurant in Hanoi, which, often, exclusively serves the elite and their families, is said to cost $50.
Instead of sending officials to meet protesters, the city always dispatches its notorious police force and regime-hired thugs to harass, beat, disperse and or arrest them.
Trying to get the attention from foreign tourists, the protesters marched to Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica flocking to the statue of the Virgin Mary to pray and call out for justice in anguish.
“This morning we walked by the Notre Dame, they sent dozens of police to repress us; they grabbed, they pulled and dragged old women away. They arrested people for taking them back to their provinces. Ms. Oanh from Binh Duong, Ms. Ngoc Anh and three old women have been detained since this morning. The women from Tien Giang province are still locked up at Ben Nghe Ward in District 1. They arrested me for taking back to An Giang, Tien Giang,” a protester told Mac Lam of RFA.
“After arresting more than 40 people and shoving us into a vehicle, they started to beat Ms. Pham Thi Hue from Binh Duong. They used batons to beat her while calling us ‘the dogs’,” Ms. Tran Ngoc Anh told RFA how protesters were treated by police.
“We have three requests. First, the government of Vietnam must immediately stop the oppression against petitioners and stop beating female petitioners. Second, the government must not cover up corruption in order to rob lands and properties of people; confiscated lands must be returned to people. Third, we ask the U.S. Consulate to request the U.N. for intervention on human rights issues for the people of Vietnam today. The government of Vietnam has not changed, but escalated the repression and physical assault on our female petitioners in a brutal manner,” Ms. Tran added when answering a question about the purpose of today protest.
