Vietnam jails four for SEA Games site protest
HANOI - Four Vietnamese villagers have been jailed for up to 18 months after
clashing with police and officials over the construction of a complex for
the 2003 Southeast Asian Games, official media reported on Saturday.
The Hanoi Moi (New Hanoi) newspaper said the clash happened last November in
Tu Liem district on the outskirts of Hanoi when clearance work for the
National Sport Complex began.
Disputes arose late last year over compensation offered to some 400 families
in Tu Liem district to make way for the $145 million complex.
The newspaper said the protesters were three men and a woman. In sentencing
on Friday, Tran Tich Chinh received 18 months in prison, Nguyen Minh Thang
and Nguyen Thi Lan, 12 months, and Tran Van Thanh 10 months.
The paper said Chinh was accused of inciting Thang, Thanh and some others in
a scuffle that injured a police officer while Lan seized a ruler from a
local official and injured him with it.
The paper said at one point, Thang lay in the road to prevent an ambulance
taking the officer to hospital.
The sports complex includes a 40,000-seat stadium to be built by a Chinese
consortium, an athletes village and water sports area.
Construction started in February amid allegations of bribe payments during
the tendering process.
Clashes over land issues have become common throughout communist-ruled
Vietnam in recent years as it has pursued market-orientated economic
reforms. The most common complaints are of inadequate compensation payments.
Reuters - April 27, 2002
|