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Binh’s injuries after leaving the police station.
Photo: August Anh Facebook.
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Danlambao collaborator * Phương Thảo (Danlambao) Translated - Several activists in HCM city were detained and brutally beaten on arriving at Hoa Thanh police station, Tan Phu district, to secure the release of Hoang Duc Binh who had been arrested earlier for keeping leaflets quoting the prime minister’s statement on the founding of the independent labor union.
At 14:30 pm, 25th December, 2015 Hoang Duc Binh, born in 1982, was under arrest at 36C Tran Tan, Tan Phu district, HCM city.
Hoang Duc Binh during Nguyen Mai Trung Tuan’s trial in Long An.
Photo: Danlambao Collaborator.
Binh was later taken into custody at the local police station. At 19:00 pm, a member of VietLabor, Ms. Do Thi Minh Hanh, and Mr. Tran Bang were gone too, supposedly to be “kidnapped”, while they were on their way to the police station to demand the release of the arrested.
Arrested for quoting Prime Minister’s statement
Binh was detained while retaining possession of about 4,000 leaflets of VietLabor- a prestigous organization which has been operating for years to defend laborers’ interests in Vietnam.
Front side of the leaflet: photo of an article on the Saigon Economic Times issued 18 November, 2015 entitled “Prime Minister: separate labor unions may be formed at businesses”.
Quoting the prime minister’s statement, the article affirmed that Vietnamese workers would be allowed to form independent labor unions, which do not belong to the State General Labor Union. This is one of the important regulations of TPP.
Both sides of a LaborViet leaflet.
At the end of the leaflet is a VietLabor message for workers nationwide:
“The sooner we form labor unions, the sooner we get more interests - fewer sufferings and fewer shortages. So, why don’t we?”
Call 0164928542 to receive the whole labor plan above.”
On the back side of the leaflet is some updated information about VietLabor’s efforts to secure the legitimate interests of Yupoong workers.
Continued arrests and brutal beatings.
At 19:00 pm, 25th December, 2015 a VietLabor member, Ms. Do Thi Minh Hanh, was suddenly detained while on her way to the police station to demand the release of Hoang Duc Binh.
Ms. Do Thi Minh Hanh at the police station before going missing.
Photo: Nguyen Hoang Vi Facebook.
Along with Ms. Hanh, Mr. Tran Bang, another social activist in Saigon, was also detained.
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Pham Vang Ngoc Long’s face
after the brutal beating.
Photo: Danlambao Collaborator.
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Both are being jailed at Hoa Thanh ward police station at 70, Huynh Thien Loc, Hoa Thanh ward, Tan Phu district, HCM city.
In the meantime, more than 20 activists directly showed up at the police station, questioning and demanding an explanation for the illegal arrest of Hoang Duc Binh.
The police currently keeps beating around the bush, denying the arrest.
As soon as Do Thi Minh Hanh and Tran Bang were under arrest and taken into custody at Hoa Thanh police station, numerous traffic policemen, security agents and civil defence members were mobilized to prevent the public from coming to the station.
A young man, Huynh Thanh Phat, was mercilessly beaten as he came to the police station to secure the release. Phat was detained at Hoa Thanh police station right after the beating.
The next victim was Pham Vang Ngoc Long, who was also beaten severely by the police and local civil defence . Witnesses said Long was hit and dragged into the station.
After leaving the station, he appeared to suffer severe pain, especially in the stomach area. Long has been hospitalized for treatment.
Another victim, according to Long, Ms. Ho Thi Kim Ninh, was still jailed although her arm was broken owing to being beaten. In the meantime, Hoang Duc Binh was so severely hit that he threw up in the police station.
Around 1:30 am, 26th December, 2015 nearly 20 Saigon activists showed up at Hoa Thanh police station, requesting “to be detained” in an effort to show their determination to be with the beaten still in jail. Everybody was shown into the infirmary on their arrival.
These are some photos of the beaten, who were sitting in the infirmary next to Hoa Thanh police station.
Currently. Ms. Ho Thi Kim Ninh and Vu Ngoc Han were hospitalized. Do Thi Minh Hanh alone is determined to stay behind.
Hanh declared only when the police has released everybody would she return home.
Ms. Ho Thi Kim Ninh leaving the police station to be taken to hospital.
Do Thi Minh Hanh in the infirmary.
Vu Ngoc Han in the infirmary.
At the time being, Tran Bang, Huynh Thanh Phat and Hoang Duc Binh are still in custody.
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Around 5:00 am, 26th December, 2015 Tran Bang and Do Thi Minh Hanh left the police station. Earlier, Huynh Thanh Phat , severely hit, had left the place in terrible pain. Most of the detainees were mercilessly beaten; Ms.Ho Thi Kim Ninh broke her arm. Some had to be hospitalized.
The first to be apprehended, Hoang Duc Binh was nonetheless the last to leave the police station. He was reportedly released at 14:00 pm, 26th December, 2015 after 24 hours of illegal detention merely because he distributed leaflets containing the Communist prime minister’s statements. Quoting what the PM declared, the article affirmed that Vietnamese laborers would be allowed to form independent unions that do not belong to the State General Labor Union.
