Binh Thuan (VNA) – Officialinformation about the disturbances protesting the draft law on specialadministrative-economic units in the south-central province of Binh Thuan lastJune were released by provincial authorities on July 11.
At a press conference, the information andcommunication board of the Binh Thuan provincial Party Committee said on thenights of June 10 and 11, more than 400 people gathered in front of theheadquarters of the provincial People’s Council and People’s Committee in PhanThiet city, partaking in acts the committee deemed as extremist. It was notuntil after midnight on these evenings that the crowds were dissolved byauthorised agencies.
Among the damage caused by the rioters, threecars, 20 motorbikes, and some rooms of the provincial Department of Planningand Investment were burned down. Meanwhile, several rooms of the provincialPeople’s Committee had their windows broken.
Authorities put 200 protesters in temporarydetention and seized 218 vehicles to serve the investigation.
Meanwhile, on June 10, more than 500 protesterscaused disorder on the National Highway 1A section in the Phan Ri Cua townshipof Tuy Phong district, and in Phan Ri Thanh commune of Bac Binh district, throwingbricks and stones, which resulted in traffic congestion. By about 11:20pm thesame day, the crowd had been dissolved by authorised forces.
Around midday of June 11, protesters continuedto attack the mobile police force with bricks and stones in this area. Theyburned down 10 cars and damaged 16 others and five motorbikes.
The rioters arrested in Phan Thiet city statedthat they had received money from other people to cause disturbances, and noneof them had known or had motivation for objecting to the draft law on specialadministrative-economic units, Binh Thuan authorities said.
Regarding the incident in Phan Ri Cua township,police identified 50 people who had incited and directly engaged in the disturbance,including 30 associated to drug circles.
The information and communication board saidthose inciting people to protest and disturb security and order weredissidents, and many of the rioters were criminals or affiliated to drugcircles. They only took advantage of objecting to the draft law to incitecrowds.
Binh Thuan police are seeking the instigatorsand masterminds behind the incidents to strictly deal with them in conformity withthe law, officials added. -VNA