CTV Danlambao / Jasmine Tran - As we have heard on the news, at 8am on 3 September 2014, Đỗ Thị Minh Hạnh was prohibited to exit the country. She was illegally arrested whilst waiting to check in onto a flight to Austria to visit her gravely ill mother.
During her 12 hours in custody, Hạnh was left without any food or drink. Even when she was in the bathroom, police broke into it. Hạnh said that a group of plain clothes police had harassed and threatened her, and taken away her dignity.
At 5pm, before escorting Hạnh to Hanoi, the police group present at Noibai Airport yelled at her: “What the hell are you, why should we release you?!”
Đỗ Thị Minh Hạnh answered back: “How is it that the Communist Party produces such crass, uncivilised people like you?”
The plain clothes police continued to curse at Hạnh: “Yes, I am uncivilised – at least I’m not reactionary scum like you!”
One of the officers then rapidly raised his arm to strike Hạnh, but she managed to raise her hand in time to block the hit. However, he brutally struck her arm.
Police continued to threaten Hạnh, telling her that she would pay a dear price if she informed anyone about what happened.
Then, dozens of police armed with batons surrounded Hạnh. They forced her into a car, then driving her to Hanoi.
At 7:30 pm, on arriving at Hanoi, Hạnh was cast out onto the street. Some of Hạnh’s friends, knowing the news, had come for her. After nearly 12 hours of coping with an immense police force, without food or drink, Đỗ Thị Minh Hạnh still kept on smiling as she talked to her friends.
