Profile

Tran Van Xi

Current Status: Likely released - at risk

No image

Other Names: Trần Văn Xị

Date of Birth: 1995

Gender: M

Ethnicity: Kinh

Areas of Activism:

  • Freedom of expression
  • Sovereignty

Highlighted Human Rights Concerns:

  • Former Political Prisoner
  • Violence concern

Details - Background, History of Activism.

Tran Van Xi lived in Tuy Phong District, Binh Thuan Province prior to arrest.

On June 10, 2018, Xi participated in the demonstrations against two bills on Special Economic Zones and Cybersecurity.  

Thêm 15 người bị phạt tù vì ‘tham gia bạo động’ tại Bình Thuận, Voice of America Vietnamese Newspaper, September 27, 2018

Arrested June 11, 2018. Sentenced to 3 years in prison under Art. 318 (2015 Code). Expected Release is June 11, 2021.

June 11, 2018
  • Art. 318 (2015 Code)
Bac Binh district public security, Binh Thuan province
Phan Ri Thanh Commune, Bac Binh District, Binh Thuan Province (map)
September 26, 2018
The People’s Court of Bac Binh District, Binh Thuan Province
None
3 years in prison
June 11, 2021
  • freedom from arbitrary arrest or detention
  • liberty and security of the person
  • freedom of expression
  • freedom of peaceful assembly
  • fair trial
  • political participation

On September 26, 2018, The People’s Court of Bac Binh District held the first instance court hearing against Tran Van Xi at Cho Lau Town, Bac Binh District, Binh Thuan Province.

According to the indictment, at 9:00 am on June 11, Xi and others gathered at National Highway 1A, Binh Long Hamlet, Phan Ri Thanh Commune, Bac Binh District. At 1:30 pm, Xi and others allegedly attacked riot police with bricks, sticks, stones and handmade petroleum bombs. He was also accused of damaging and burning the property of the headquarters of the Fire Department and Police Department of Binh Thuan.

He did not have a defense counsel because police went to one of the defendants’ houses and told the family “not to hire a lawyer because it would be a waste.” None of the defendants had a defense lawyer.

Tran Van Xi was sentenced to three years for “disturbing the public order” under Article 318 of the 2015 Penal Code.

Note:

While the authorities accused some of the protesters involved in the June 2018 protests of using violence, Vietnamese activists themselves claim that the violence was actually started by the authorities, who sent their own people to mingle with the protesters to start or incite violent scenes, which would justify the use of harsher means to disperse the crowd, such as tear gas, water cannons, physical assaults, and arrests. This method, the activists said, would be part of what the Public Security calls Project A2 – Disperse protests and Repress riots. While this claim from the activists remains to be verified, it is true that the police have used brutal violence towards protesters and activists. This has been well documented in the “Black Sundays” report, which details the detentions of unarmed protesters and the physical assault that amounts to torture against them, and calls for accountability from the Vietnamese government in line with international human rights obligations.

The 88 Project is investigating the known arrests and the allegations of the crimes committed by protesters. In the absence of a free press environment, the protesters should be given the benefit of the doubt, and any accusation by the authorities against them should not be taken for granted.

Profile last updated: 2021-12-24 15:38:54

Subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter