Vietnam court jails Australian citizen on charges of 'terrorism'

The Vietnam court has reportedly sentenced a 70-year-old Vietnamese-Australian man to 12 years in prison after finding him guilty of terrorism on November 11. According to an official statement released by the Ministry of Public Security, Chau Van Kham, the suspect was being tried for being a member of the US-based human rights group Viet Tan. It further added that Kham was involved in raising funds for anti-state activities and had joined that anti-Vietnam protests in Australia and recruited members for the terrorist body. Kham has been further ordered to be deported after serving the sentence. 

According to the police statement, Kham had entered Vietnam from Cambodia earlier this year. He reportedly gave $400 to a man named Nguyen Van Vien to fund the operations of Viet Tan. The statement read that the case is very serious and is a national security infringement led by Viet Tan's key people. However, Viet tan has dismissed the case as a 'sham trial'. The chairman of the organisation further added that Viet Tan will continue to support human rights defenders on the ground. Kham is a navy veteran of the now-defunct US-backed state of South Vietnam. Back in 1975 he reportedly sought asylum in Malaysia after leaving Vietnam and he moved to Australia in 1983. 

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Viet Tan

Viet Tan is a network of the member inside Vietnam that aims to establish democracy and reform Vietnam through peaceful and political means. The organization was reportedly founded back in 1982 and operated underground for almost two decades. The activities of the organization are rooted in the promotion of non-violent political change in the country. The Vietnam government, however, considers the organization to be a terrorist group. The United States government form Ambassador Michael Michalak reportedly rejected the view and the United Nations has also described the organization as a 'peaceful organization advocating for democratic reform'. Viet Tan wants to remove the existing restrictions against basic human rights by promoting free media, supporting grassroots movements, training and capability building and engaging in international advocacy.

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(With inputs from agencies)