Le Thi Kim Phi used the social media platform to connect with other members of
the Provisional Government of Vietnam, authorities say.
RFA | 2021-09-10
Vietnamese authorities on Friday arrested and charged a woman with “carrying out
activities to overthrow the government,” making her the third person this year
apprehended for joining a U.S.-based exile Vietnamese organization branded by
Hanoi as an overseas terrorist force, state media reported.
Le Thi Kim Phi, 62, used a Facebook profile under the name “Phi Kim” to connect
with members of the Provisional Government of Vietnam, a U.S.-based opposition
group, said the investigation division of the An Giang Police.
Based in Orange County, California, the Provisional Government of Vietnam was
founded in 1991 by former soldiers and refugees loyal to the U.S.-backed
government of South Vietnam that was overthrown and absorbed by North Vietnam in
1975.
The Vietnamese government designated the group a terrorist organization in
January 2018 after group members were charged with a plot to attack Ho Chi Minh
City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport with petrol bombs ahead of a major
holiday the year before.
The group had earlier attempted to explode a bomb in a parking lot for impounded
vehicles at the Bien Hoa police station in Dong Nai province, according to state
media reports published at the time of the 2017 trial.
Le Thi Kim Phi of Long Xuyen city in An Giang province applied to join the
Provisional Government of Vietnam on Jan. 1, investigators said.
As a member, her job was to “propagandize, promote the organization’s profile,
and engage others to join the organization,” they said.
Authorities also said they seized six videos and 440 pages of materials against
the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on the woman’s Facebook account.
Tran Huu Duc, 57, of Nghe An province and Ngo Cong Tru, 33, of Phu Yen province
were also arrested this year for using Facebook to connect with other members of
the Provisional Government of Vietnam.
On Aug. 16, Nghe An People’s Court sentenced Tran Huu Duc to three years in
prison for activities aimed at overthrowing the country’s one-party communist
government, according to state media reports. Five days later, Phu Yen People’s
Court handed Ngo Cong Tru a 10-year jail term on the same charge.
Over the past years, Vietnam has continuously arrested and imprisoned many
people for their involvement in the Provisional Government of Vietnam.
RFA has contacted the organization many times for comment, but never has
received a response.
In 2017, Lisa Pham, who was accused by Vietnam’s communist government of being
involved in the organization and the plot to blow up Tan Son Nhat International
Airport, told RFA that she had nothing to do with the detainees or the
accusations of inciting terrorism in the country.
The group’s leader, Dang Hoang Thien, was sentenced in December 2017 to 16 years
in prison and five years of house arrest, while 14 other members of the group
were sentenced to terms ranging from five to 14 years.
RFA has reported about two-dozen cases in which Vietnamese citizens have been
convicted and jailed for political offenses over social media posts since the
beginning of this year. Among those serving sentences for Facebook posts are
journalists, bloggers, and an ordinary citizen who posted complaints about
coronavirus policies.
Reported by RFA’s Vietnamese Service. Translated by Anna Vu. Written in English
by Roseanne Gerin.
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