Voicing organized attacks on the Victim – the spouse of writer Tran Khai Thanh Thuy

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Report of events occurring on October 8, 2009 in which two strangers attacked the victims

Events Report

Respectfully Addressing To:

District Attorney of Hanoi People’s City
Director of Public Security of Hanoi
City Attorney of Dong Da District, Hanoi

My name is Do Ba Tan, born in 1959, residing at 46, alley 178, Kiêm Thiên street, Trung Phung ward, Dong Da district, Hanoi.

I would like to report herein what actually happened at 20 hours 20 of October 8, 2009 involving events that occurred in front of my home (46, next to 38, alley 178, Kiêm Thiên street).

At the time I just made it back from ordering porridge for my wife, Tran Khai Thanh Thuy who has been ill.

When approaching home, I noticed a presence of a large number of security agents (almost 14, 15 in numbers). As I was walking into my house, one of the agent from the group asked: “What the heck are you looking at?”, to which my response was: “Would I not have the right to look at people?”

I then have my motorcycle stood on its stand next to my neighbor’s home, Thang, right opposite to my home, where traffic rarely exists. Please note this fact with my assertion that the motorcycle was not placed in the middle of the road as the state publicity described. When I attempted to get the gate open, one of the strangers came by and said: ”Are you parking your motorcycle in the middle of the road like this, bastard?”. As I was still astonished by the statement, he started punching at my stomach. I explained that I had to open the gate before I could get the motorcycle in. At the time there was another guy joined in to hit me and they kept punching at my stomach, my chest, my face and my head. This caused significant discomfort to the degree that I felt like they must have hit me with hard objects. They used a 3.5- 4.00 cm sized flash light and the safety helmet I left in the motorcycle to hit me. At this point, I called out for help.

I saw that my neighbors came out to watch the assault. More surprising was the fact that the security agents stood nearby without even breaking up the attack, which is a part of their very basic duty for citizens.

It took some time before my wife could open the gate attempting to help me from the siege and while they were still throwing punches at me, my wife attempted to intervene, which was then thrown against the wall. In self protection, my wife picked up a piece of rock, normally was there for the cable guard. But as soon as she got the rock, one of these guys forcefully removed from my wife’s hand and hit her with it. She felt the pain in her head. As soon as she shouted of the pain, I noticed the blood coming out from the wound, pouring down her hair, her shoulder, and soon the floor was filled with the blood from the wound she had received. To disperse them, my wife picked up a piece of wood making threats. At that time I became aware that the tall man who hit my wife was the same man that hit me when I opened the gate. The crowds dispersed, which enabled me to pass on the porridge I brought home to her. As soon as she held it on her hand, one of them threw himself kicking it away from her hand. When my wife ran into inside our home for safety, he then said ”If you dare, you could come out here.” Then followed that: ”Tomorrow I will have an HIV infected shot for your early departure.” Yet, it was portrayed in the local mainstream media that he was hit hard which required ambulance for the hospital attention. How was that possible?

I would then have to ask them to allow me to bring my motorcycle into my home.

Once inside our home, we were concerned of how we could get to the hospital. I used a clean towel to stop the blood pouring from the wound.

My mother-in-law, Mrs. Lê Thị Thanh Phong was there visiting us, witnessed her daughter being hit in such a ravage manner.

About 15 minutes later, we were visited by Mr. Tran Viet Dung, Village Public Security Head, accompanied by a number of public security officers, and a score of District public security also were at hand. At their request, we let them in and while they were there, we asked if we could have permission to get my wife to the hospital to treat her wound. Mr. Tran Viet Dung indicated that: “Would you come out to the station so that I could issue you a hospital movement order?”

We were in the station about 3 minutes later. This is in complete contrast with the publicity by the mainstream media including Dan Tri, An Ninh Thu Do, Cong An Nhan Dan, and Lao Dong, claiming that for hours the government officials were not allowed to enter our house. There was never a time when I raised my voice loud voice to these officials as so portrayed in their articles.

We were at the station at 10 minutes to 21 hours and waiting… We requested to meet with and was allowed for the treatment by Mr. Dung. However here Mr. Dung changed his voice saying that ‘would you complete the report before I could issue the hospital treatment order?’. Then I noted that there are a score of public security officers from Dong Da District and the people were coming in and out for some sort of meeting upstairs. It took us to 2:00 past mid-night before the investigation started to have us reporting what happened at our home, a time lasted more than 5 hours since we arrived at the station.

We requested to confront with the offenders for a cross-exam of the facts we were about to present, but our request was ignored. I then requested directly with Mr. Tran Viet Dung for an opportunity to meet with the offenders, but Mr. Dung then said: “No, we have to interview them upstairs!.”

“We then overheard that someone claimed they were seriously injured requiring the hospitalization.” This is a statement from those who attacked us. So, upon hearing of such statement, we then protested the facts that this could not have happened. The facts were reversed of what actually happened. How could we ever fight back with such a large group, who were there with a predetermined purpose was to assault us. They planned it out, and they carried it out so well within their full control, so how could any of them ever gotten wounded to the point of needing the hospital treatment?

I began to understand the matters and became wonder: My wife and I were assaulted, victims of crime, yet they now attempted to fabricate the facts indicating we were the criminal offenders against these people, the very people that came to attack us.

Around 7:00 a.m on October 9, 2009, both my wife and I were interviewed and were searched to record evidence of wound. At this point all the officers were well in uniforms armed with camera.

Around 10:00 a.m, I was escorted home so that they could search our home. They read the search order with the reason of charge: “Unlawful Battery”. At this time, my wife was still at the station. I have asked that my wife was the victim of crime and because of that should she not be here to witness the search? They responded:” Only your presence is sufficient.” Upon the District Public Security Officer reading the home search order for purpose of supporting of the charge: “Unlawful Battery”, I protested at a strongest term because me and my wife were the victims of this criminal assault.

I protested the clear misrepresentation of fact created by the government officials, to which agent Thang explained that dispute could be made at the court. I refused to sign the search order. The three cameras and the two recorders were in full swing recording in support of this fabrication.

I then was led back to the station to continue with the process they planned.

Around 11:00 I was allowed back to be with my wife, as guarded by the public security officer. It was worthy to note that after a whole night without sleep, without food we both were tired. The wound of my wife, with bloodshed in her head, hair, clothes were not allowed attention. Although we were not allowed to have the process completed for us to be home, they kept assuring that we would be home in not too long.

It seems far longer when time goes by. It was astonishing when at 1:00 we were placed in handcuff, and an agent laughed saying: “now you are going to the hospital for treatment.” We were led into the temporary detention at the district detention.

At home, none of our family members knew what happened. Our daughter brought meals visiting us, at which time she was told that we were transferred to a temporary detention at the district. For my part, I tried to bring the words home that my wife’s mom needed to help us watching over our home while we are detained here.

To around 17 hours 00 on October 12, 2009, I received a seizure-stop order signed by Lieutnant-Colonel Nguyen Van Thanh, Deputy Chief of the Police Unit.

Upon return I read articles from Bao An Ninh Thu Do, Bao Cong An Nhan Dan, Bao Lao Dong, va Bao Mang Dan Tri, where facts were completely in reverse to the laughing point. The newspapers do not carry the work of a reporting journalist. True facts never existed nor they were ever needed in newspapers.

The above was what happened to the best of our knowledge. We were kept in detention for the crime that we are the victim of, and are the victim of the government using the crime as the very means to strengthen its existence.

Not only we were the victims, purposely not protected by the government whose duty was to protect its innocent people like us, we are never the crime offenders for which our government made it out to be using the very crime that we were victims of to clamp down upon our shoulders.

We urgently request an investigation from the District Attorney of Hanoi City, Director of the Public Security Service of Hanoi, Public Security Chief of Dong Da District for the truth to come out.

Please restore the honor of my wife Tran Khai Thanh Thuy.

Hanoi, October 15, 2009.

Do Ba Tan

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