Vietnam Court Gives Suspended Sentence To Catholic Demonstrators

In Vietnam today, eight Catholics were tried for disturbing public order and damaging property during a series of prayer vigils last year. The vigils were protesting the government's asserted ownership of Church property and the proposed sale of the property near Thai Ha Church to developers. Officials say that defendants destroyed a brick wall around the property whose claimed ownership by the city of Hanoi is disputed by Catholics. (AP). Javno reports that at the conclusion of the trial, seven of the defendants were given suspended prison terms and one was merely given a warning. Nearly 1,000 supporters carried signs outside the Dong Da district court where the trial was taking place. The sentence was more lenient than many had expected. Defendants could have been sentenced to up to seven years in prison. (See prior related posting.)