17-1-2024 (HANOI) In a trial held at the prison where the accused are detained, nearly 100 individuals from ethnic minority groups faced charges of terrorism following gun attacks that resulted in nine deaths in the Central Highlands of Vietnam.
On the morning of June 11 last year, a group riding motorbikes conducted armed assaults on the local political headquarters and police offices in the Cu Kuin district of Dak Lak province. The assailants used guns and other weapons in the attacks, a rare occurrence in a country where individual firearm ownership is prohibited.
The attacks claimed the lives of nine individuals, including four police officers, two local officials, and three civilians. The accused faced charges of terrorism, with one individual charged with hiding criminals and another with facilitating illegal immigration, as reported by the state-run Tuoi Tre newspaper.
During the trial, held at the prison where the accused are currently held, 98 individuals faced terrorism charges, while six others were tried in absentia and are subject to international arrest warrants. The seriousness of the case was emphasized, with the accused allegedly aiming to overthrow the state and establish a self-proclaimed state known as Dega.
The Dega are among the ethnic minority groups in the Central Highlands, a region historically marked by discontent, particularly related to land rights. Communist authorities refer to Central Highlands Protestants as “Dega Protestants,” a group seeking autonomy and linked to Montagnard political exiles in the United States.
Montagnards, representing various tribes in the region, sided with the US-backed south during Vietnam’s prolonged war. While some advocate for greater autonomy, others abroad call for outright independence for the region.
According to H’Yim Kdoh, deputy chair of Dak Lak People’s Committee, the defendants confessed to the charges during the investigation but claimed they were coerced into the attack. Authorities confiscated 23 guns and rifles, two grenades, 1,199 bullets, and other explosive devices following the attacks, which were described as “barbaric and inhumane.”
The trial, scheduled for ten days, could result in severe penalties, including the death penalty, for those found guilty of terrorist offenses in Vietnam.
