Profile

Vu Bich Van

Vũ Bích Vân

Detainment Type: Sentenced to prison

Photo of Vu Bich Van

Other Names: Vũ Bích Vân

Date of Birth: 1971

Gender: F

Activist Focus:

  • Anti-corruption
  • Land rights

Details

Immediate Concerns

Project 88's sources have confirmed that Vu Bich Van was tried from September 14-15, 2023, convicted, and sentenced to five years in prison. 

Background

Vu Bich Van (born 1971) is a resident of Vinh Trai Ward, Lang Son Province.

Profile photo-- Vu Bich Van at the office of the Security Investigation Agency of Lang Son, Source

History of Activism

Vu Bich Van and Ong Thi Thuy were not known in Vietnam as activists prior to their arrests.

Vu Bich Van and Ong Thi Thuy were two people among 32 households residing in Vinh Trai Ward, Lang Son, until their houses and lands were “recovered” by local authorities for the purpose of constructing townhouses. Vu Bich Van and Ong Thi Thuy, representing the 32 households at Vinh Trai Ward, Lang Son, wrote many letters of complaint accusing the local authorities of wrongdoings when carrying out the urban planning project in the area of these households.

The proposed aim of the project in 2004 was originally to develop a “Public Center and Green Land,” but the project was not carried out in a transparent way. Land use plans were rewritten repeatedly during the years to fit the authority’s narratives, which put these households at a disadvantage. However, afterwards, the households realized that there was no “Public Center and Green Land” project being built on their seized land. Instead, the project was actually clearing ground, building an electricity system, and creating new roads to divide the area into plots of land for sale at a price which was several times higher than the original government-fixed price paid to the former residents.

The households continued to lodge complaints, but they have not been settled appropriately by the authorities.

On October 3, 2022, according to state media, Vu Bich Van and Ong Thi Thuy were accused of using their Facebook accounts over a long period of time to film and upload video clips of people protesting and complaining to the authorities about the residential project at Vinh Trai Ward in Lang Son

Sentenced to 5 years in prison under Art. 331 (2015 Code). Expected Release is October 3, 2027.

October 3, 2022
  • Art 331
Provincial/city
Vinh Trai Ward (map)
September 14, 2023 - Date of trial
5 years in prison
October 3, 2027
Details of Imprisonment

On October 3, 2022, the Investigation Security Agency of the Lang Son Police temporarily detained Vu Bich Van and Ong Thi Thuy and launched criminal proceedings against the two for “abusing democratic freedoms to infringe on the State’s interests and legitimate rights and interests of organizations and individuals.”

Vu Bich Van and Ong Thi Thuy have been accused of gathering with other residents at the headquarters of the central authorities in Hanoi (including the Office of Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, the Office of the President, and the Supreme People’s Court) to complain about the residential project at Vinh Trai Ward. They were also accused of using Facebook accounts such as “Khoi 2 phuong Vinh Trai, Lang Son quyet tam giu dat”, “Ong Thuy”, and “Sang Trinh” to livestream videos of the protests. 

In addition to this, police also searched their houses and collected relevant documents for investigation purposes, among those many video clips with content allegedly defaming State agencies and violating the legitimate rights and interests of organizations and individuals.

Resources

Lạng Sơn: Khởi tố, bắt tạm giam Vũ Bích Vân và Ong Thị Thụy, Viet Nam Thoi Luan, October 4, 2022

Tạm giam hai đối tượng lợi dụng các quyền tự do dân chủ xâm phạm lợi ích của Nhà nước, Tin Tuc Thong Tan Xa Viet Nam, October 4, 2022

Hai người ở Lạng Sơn bị bắt với cáo buộc “Lợi dụng các quyền tự do dân chủ”, October 4, 2022

Two detained in Lang Son for infringing on State interests, Vietnamplus, October 4, 2022

Lạng Sơn: Khởi tố, bắt tạm giam Vũ Bích Vân và Ong Thị Thụy, Tre Lang Blog, October 4, 2022

VKSND tỉnh Lạng Sơn phể chuẩn Quyết định khởi tố bị can đối với các đối tượng lợi dụng quyền tự do dân chủ xâm phạm lợi ích của Nhà nước, quyền, lợi ích hợp pháp của tổ chức, cá nhân, Vien Kiem Sat Nhan Dan tinh Lang Son, October 10, 2022

Quay, phát clip kèm lời lẽ chửi bới, miệt thị để kích động gây rối, Cong An Nhan Dan, October 4, 2022

Kiên quyết xử lý hành vi lợi dụng quyền tự do dân chủ, Ban Tuyen Giao 

Tinh Uy Lang Son, November 10, 2022

Profile last updated: 2024-06-13 20:34:07

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