Trial of group accused of terrorist and anti state activities
Ha Noi, May 16 (VNA) -- The Ho Chi Minh City People's Court began the trial today, May 16, of Nguyen Huu Chanh and his 37 accomplices, who are charged with terrorism and propaganda against Viet Nam's socialist state.
In 1992, Chanh and other exiled Vietnamese in the United States set up a reactionary organization to act against the Vietnamese State and Chanh styled himself "chief commander".
In an attempt to sabotage Viet Nam's revolution, Chanh and his accomplices had chosen Thailand and Cambodia as their bases to build their forces and send their men into Viet Nam to sabotage the Vietnamese people's national construction. (He was once arrested and deported by the Thai government)
Chanh, born in southern Binh Dinh province but resettling in the United States, had wooed some Vietnamese with previous convictions and bad records or light-hearted people to join their organization.
Between March 1999 and August 2000, his group had printed and distributed to Viet Nam more than 17,000 leaflets, hundreds of banners, 37 kilos of explosives, 40 mine fuses and detonators to create explosions.
They had spent USD 13,500, Thai Baht 169,000, Cambodian Riel 50,000 and VND 12,680 for sabotage activities.
However, these activities were discovered and foiled by Viet Nam's security forces.
The trial is scheduled to last 10 days.--VNA
