Amnesty condemns police attack on parishioners in
Vietnam
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| Vietnam's Thuan Nghia parishioners praying for Catholics beaten by police while protesting against toxic Taiwanese steel plant. - RV |
An international human rights organization is campaigning
for the Vietnamese government to investigate recent police violence against
some 700 marchers who were trying to file a lawsuit against a polluting
Taiwanese steel plant. Amnesty International said on Feb. 20 that
hundreds of marchers, including women and children, from Song Ngoc Catholic
Parish in Nghe An province were attacked by police on Feb. 14 while travelling
to a court in neighboring Ha Tinh province. They intended to submit 619
individual complaints against Formosa Plastics, a Taiwanese company that
spilled toxic waste into the sea in April 2016 causing Vietnam's worst
ecological disaster, according to a Reuters report. The complainants
want damages totaling $20 million for the devastation of fish stocks they
depended upon for their livelihoods.
Father Francis Xavier Nguyen Hong An, head of Vinh Bishop's
House Office, issued a statement On Feb. 20, calling on local Catholics
to show their solidarity and support and pray for victims to recover from
their wounds soon. Father An said that dozens of people were badly beaten
and some were still in hospital. Father An added that Catholics must
pray for "justice to be implemented in Vietnam and for authorities to be
aware of protecting people's proper rights." Last weekend Catholics
from a dozen parishes in Vinh Diocese held prayers for the Song Ngoc
parishioners and environmental protection. The Formosa unit is based in area
covered by Vihn Diocese.
Amnesty International said that unidentified people who
infiltrated the protest march started to throw stones at the police who
responded with tear gas and flash grenades. While running away, the group was
again attacked, this time by police, with fists, rods and electric
batons.
In its urgent appeal, the organization called on people
around the world to appeal to the Vietnamese government to "promptly
investigate the attacks against the 700 people on the Feb. 14 and bring those
suspected of responsibility to account in fair trials and without recourse to
the death penalty." They urged the Vietnamese government to
"end its harassment of peaceful protesters, respect and protect the human
rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, and
facilitate the lodging of complaints by those affected by the April 2016
ecological disaster."
Vietnam on Fe. 22 named for the first time 11 government,
provincial and industry officials as being responsible for one of its worst
environmental disasters, caused by Formosa Plastics. More than 50
violations identified at Formosa's steel mill, including the unauthorised use
of a dirtier production process, led to the disaster and sparked several public
protests, with coordinated rallies in major cities and an outpouring of anger
on social media. After months of mystery over the cause of the fish
deaths, and public outrage against both the Hanoi government and one of the
communist state's largest investors, Formosa agreed in June to pay $500 million
in compensation. (Source: UCAN/Reuters)
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