Saigon police violently suppress peasants' protest

From Tran Nam:

At around 10PM. (July 19), Sai Gon police began to violently suppress Vietnamese peasants as they protest for their land rights. Thousands of police have surrounded the protesters, firing tear gas and spraying water into the crowd. Hundreds of organizers and protesters are being arrested and taken to unknown locations.

Since June 22, thousands of peasants from Southern provinces including Tien Giang, Binh Thuan, Dong Thap, Long An, Binh Duong, Ben Tre, Binh Phuoc, Tay Ninh, Kien Giang have traveled to Sai Gon. They are currently camped outside of the Congress House 2, at 194 Hoang Van Thu Street, Sai Gon  in outraged protest over seizure of their land by the government.

Due to corruption, unlawful and arbitrary land policy, thousands of Vietnamese peasants have lost their land, homes and other properties. Many are living homeless, poor and hungry while corrupt government officials continue to pocket peasants' compensation to fund their lavish life style.

The authorities have failed to solve these contentious land issues properly. Instead of engaging in direct and peaceful dialogue, the government has chosen to use brutal force to suppress the protesters.

The People's Democratic Party strongly calls on the Ha Noi government to listen to its own people's concerns. We condemn the using force in order to suppress innocent people and hold the Ha Noi government accountable for committing these acts of violence against its own people.  We call on human rights organizations, government officials of the free world and religious leaders to raise your voices to support the struggle of the Vietnamese peasants for the right to land and property.