Nguyen Viet Hung, the defending lawyer for 49-year-old Doan Van Vuon and his brother Doan Van Quy who both acted against police and soldiers in Tien Lang District, yesterday said he had sent a request to the Hai Phong City Police Department demanding that the case should be investigated by a military agency.
The lawyer, of the Kinh Do Law Office in Hanoi, said in his request that Vuon and others had activated home-made landmines and shot and injured six local officers, including two soldiers, who were enforcing an unlawful decision by local authorities to withdraw 40 hectares allocated to Vuon decades ago in Vinh Quang Commune.
The district government had illegally used soldiers in executing the forced removal decision on Vuon, leading to injuries to them and causing damage to the image and reputation of the army.
For their violent resistance, Vuon and three other members of his family have been arrested and prosecuted on charges of attempted murder and resisting law enforcement officers, while two other members, including Vuon’s wife, were charged with resisting law enforcement officers, but have been released on bail.
The Tien Lang District's armed force and mobile police approached Vuon's house during the forced removal (Photo: VnExpress)
“Pursuant to relevant regulations, such a case falls into the jurisdiction of a military court,” Hung said.
In his request, the lawyer also asked the city police to prosecute those involved in issuing the wrongful land withdrawal decisions that led to the violent conflict.
Criminal responsibilities of those officials involved in the case must be investigated, the lawyer said.
Yesterday the city police said they had received the lawyer’s requests and were considering them before replying.
In the February 10 meeting to resolve the case, the Prime Minister concluded that district authorities had violated the Law on Land in reclaiming Vuon’s land and ordered the district to revoke all of their decisions and return the land to Vuon.
Nguyen Thi Thuong, Vuon's wife, stands by the ruins of her house that was allegedly demolished by the Tien Lang authorities on January 6, 2012 (Photo: Tuoi Tre)