The first case, which is scheduled to go to trial on May 10, involves three defendants: Le Nguyen Sang, 48; Huynh Nguyen Dao, 39; and Nguyen Bac Truyen, 39. The three are charged with spreading propaganda against the State of Vietnam under Article 88 of the Penal Code.

According to court documents, in 2003, Vietnamese-American Do Thanh Cong (alias Do Cong Thanh) established a club on the Internet with the aim of sowing seeds of discontent amongst the Vietnamese public.

In early 2004, Do Thanh Cong became acquainted with Le Nguyen Sang, Huynh Nguyen Dao, Nguyen Bac Truyen and other Internet users and they later formed the “People’s Democratic Party” organisation.

Before being arrested in August 2006, Do Cong Thanh lived abroad and instructed Le Nguyen Sang to print and distribute leaflets that contained highly distorted information against the Vietnamese State and Party.

Huynh Nguyen Dao was found to have distributed these leaflets in precincts 3, Tan Binh, Phu Nhuan and Binh Thanh in HCM City from October 2005 to June 2006.

The four admitted to investigative police that they had spread libellous information to the public and in September 2006, Do Cong Thanh was expelled from the country.

In the second case to be tried on May 15, defendant Tran Quoc Hien, 42, will be prosecuted on charges of spreading propaganda against the State of Vietnam and disrupting security under Articles 88 and 89 of the Penal Code of 1999.

According to the verdict of the HCM City People’s Procuracy, Hien joined anti-government organisations in 2006 through the Internet and by July 2006, Hien linked up with other hostile elements to issue a manifesto on freedom and democracy for Vietnam (or 8406 bloc) that calls for the eradication of Article 4 of the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Under the cover of lending a helping hand to lodging their petitions, Hien and his accomplices incited these people to stage demonstrations and disseminate distorted information on the Internet with the aim of sowing divisions among the Vietnamese Party, State and people.