Profile

Nguyen Tuan Quan

Nguyễn Tuấn Quân

Detainment Type: Likely released - at risk

No image

Other Names: Nguyễn Tuấn Quân

Date of Birth: 1984

Gender: M

Ethnicity: Kinh

Occupation: Driver

Activist Focus:

  • Anti-corruption
  • Freedom of expression
  • Press

Details

Background

Quan, a taxi driver, lives and works in Chi Linh, Hai Duong Province

History of Activism

Quan is an ordinary citizen with no prior activism record. He simply feels unjust about the location of the Pha Lai tollbooth and how it deals with surrounding local residents, hence his participation in a civil dispute with the management of Pha Lai tollbooth. 

BOT is a lucrative business in Vietnam where the corporates bid to work on certain infrastructure in exchange for the right of charging fees on the users. From 2017, a wave of national protests against these toll booths has emerged. Until now, dozens of activists and citizens have been jailed for opposing the installation and operation of these tollbooths across the country.

Sentenced to 2 years in prison under Art. 318 (2015 Code). Expected Release is January 4, 2021.

January 4, 2019
  • Art 318
Tollbooth BOT Pha Lai, Que Vo District (map)
July 30, 2019 - Date of trial
2 years in prison
January 4, 2021
Details of Imprisonment

Local residents began to protest against Pha Lai tollbooth right after the central government allowed the tollbooth to charge road users, starting on December 24, 2018. Several of the protests were recorded and published online. On December 29, 2018, activist Ha Van Nam contacted Mr Nguyen Huynh Phong to ask how he can help the local residents. On December 31, 2018, Nam and Nguyen Quynh Phong, Le Van Khien, Nguyen Tuan Quan, Vu Van Ha, Ngo Quang Hung, and Tran Quang Hai, with over 100 local drivers, drove to BOT Pha Lai and refused to pay the tickets. There was no brawl or excessive measures used by the protesters. These drivers drove away at the end of the day, and  the alleged damage of the tollbooth was only at 27 million Vietnam Dong. 

However, somehow, the public security forces finished their “investigation” in 3 day and formally charged them on January 3, 2019. With this simple and mostly civic-related dispute. 

The first six suspects were arrested in January, 2019 and Ha Van Nam was arrested on March 05, 2019, two months later. They were tried in the same trial on July 30 2019, and considered “accomplices” by the authority.

Resources

Khởi tố, tạm giam 6 đối tượng gây rối tại trạm BOT Phả Lại, Dan Tri, January 9, 2019 

Update of Attorney Tran Thu Nam, Tran Thu Nam’s Facebook Account, January 11, 2019 

Bắt tiếp đối tượng gây rối trật tư công cộng tại trạm BOT Phả Lại, Dan Tri, March 7, 2019

Hà Văn Nam là ai, tại sao nhiều người phản đối việc bắt giữ anh?, BBC Vietnamese, March 3, 2019

Nhóm gây rối trật tự công cộng tại trạm BOT Phả Lại lãnh án,  Nguoi Dua Tin, July 30, 2019 

Nhóm phản đối BOT Phả Lại bị tuyên án tù giam, MSN, July 30, 2019

Phản đối BOT, Hà Văn Nam bị 30 tháng tù vì tội ‘gây rối’, BBC Vietnamese, July 30, 2019

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

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