Profile

Cao Ha Truc

Cao Hà Trực

Detainment Type: At risk

Photo of Cao Ha Truc

Other Names: Cao Hà Trực

Date of Birth:

Gender: M

Religion: Christian (Catholic)

Ethnicity: Kinh

Activist Focus:

  • Land rights

Details

Background

Cao Ha Truc is a resident of Loc Hung vegetable garden in District Tan Binh, Ho Chi Minh City.

Profile photo source: Facebook Võ Hồng Ly

History of Activism

Truc was elected as a representative of the residents of Loc Hung in their land dispute with the local authorities of Ho Chi Minh City. He has supported the community in the negotiations with the authorities over the past 20 years. Truc and his family, with four children, became Dan Oan, or land petitioners, after the authorities destroyed their fifteen accommodation rooms during a high-profile forced eviction at Loc Hung vegetable garden on January 4 and 8, 2019. The forced evictions left over 100 homes destroyed and dozens — including many dissidents and veterans of the former Republic of Vietnam — homeless.

January 8, 2019: arrested during the forced evictions at Loc Hung vegetable garden

  • Financial Harassment
  • Detention
January 08-09, 2019
Loc Hung vegetable garden, Ward 6, District Tan Binh, Ho Chi Minh City (map)

On the morning of January 8, 2019, approximately 20 public security officers captured Cao Ha Truc when he was just setting foot on the area of the Mother Mary statue at 5:30 AM, calling others, and announcing the coming forced evictions. Truc reported his arrest in an interview on January 8, 2019.

After bringing Truc to the car, public security forces used a black nylon bag to cover his head and brought him to an unidentified police station, where he was beaten for claiming Loc Hung residents’ right to their land. Police then stopped “working” with him but later forced him to sign a report and admit to the crime of “disturbing public order” on January 4, 2019. Since he refused, Truc was again covered with a bag and brought to the police station of Ward 10, Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh city.

Finally, he was released at 2:30 AM on the next day and took a taxi to go home.  

However, his incident seems to have continued after Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thanh Loi, police captain of Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City, accused five Loc Hung residents — Cao Ha Truc, Cao Ha Chanh, Tran Quoc Tien, Vu Van Bao, and Tran Minh Thoa — of leading and inciting others to protest against public officials on duty at Loc Hung during the forced evictions, according to a press conference on January 20, 2019. Police are now in the process of pressing criminal charges against the five.

December 17, 2019: detained during charity event for unrecognized veterans

  • Summons
  • Detention
December 17, 2019
Binh Tu Commune, Thang Binh District (map)

At around 5:00 pm on December 17, 2019, Truc was detained by the public security force of Binh Tu Commune, Thang Binh District, Quang Ngai Province when giving Christmas gifts to the veterans of the former Republic of Vietnam. The charity event happened in a peaceful environment, with no signs of political intentions, but caused his detention. At 9:10 pm of the day, Facebooker Thi Tan Duong, who also joined the gift-giving event, reported that Truc came home safely. It is unknown if he suffered any harassment and torture at the police station.

Profile last updated: 2024-06-13 20:34:06

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