Current Events > American detained in Vietnam for participating in anti Chinese protest

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https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-citizen-detained-during-violent-110613983.html

The US has urged the Vietnamese authorities to release one of its citizens who was among dozens of people arrested during violent protests last week.

Will Nguyen, 32, a Yale graduate who comes from Houston, Texas, was visiting Ho Chi Minh City, en route from the US to Singapore, where he was due to graduate from a masters programme in July.

According to a statement released on Thursday on behalf of Mr Nguyens family and friends, he was beaten over the head and dragged into a police truck after joining a rare demonstration on June 9 against proposed special economic zones that have raised fears of Chinese encroachment.

A video linked to the statement allegedly shows Mr Nguyen being dragged along the street with blood streaming from his face. He is later shown standing on the back of a police pickup truck.

Vietnams Communist government bans anti-government protests and public gatherings must be approved by the authorities.

However, demonstrations erupted over the weekend over planned special economic zones that would give leases to foreign investors with less red tape, stoking fears that national security would be undermined by giving China control over Vietnamese territory.

Before he was arrested, Mr Nguyen was live-tweeting from the protest, revealing that events had taken a nasty turn after police had allegedly struck a man, who was seen in lying motionless on the ground.

The statement released on Thursday said that he had been taken to a police station and accused of causing a scene and destroying public property....

I'm going to ass-u-me that the guy is Vietnamese American if he got so worked up to protest while in Vietnam. That said, you don't mess around in communist countries where freedom of speech doesn't exist.

Also, some guy in the story has the name "Pope Thrower." That's an actual name.
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No surprise, I'm sure he knew what he was getting into; not saying his cause wasn't unjustifiable but its not a secret how these countries treat protestors. China is a fucking horrible place to live. People don't realize how good we have it in the states.

USAUSAUSA posted...

Pope Thrower

Ah yes, the future name of my first born.
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Steelix500 posted...

No surprise, I'm sure he knew what he was getting into; not saying his cause wasn't unjustifiable but its not a secret how these countries treat protestors. China is a fucking horrible place to live. People don't realize how good we have it in the states.

This wasn't China bro.
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IdiotMachine posted...

Steelix500 posted...

No surprise, I'm sure he knew what he was getting into; not saying his cause wasn't unjustifiable but its not a secret how these countries treat protestors. China is a fucking horrible place to live. People don't realize how good we have it in the states.

This wasn't China bro.

But they're both communist countries.
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@IdiotMachine posted...

Steelix500 posted...

No surprise, I'm sure he knew what he was getting into; not saying his cause wasn't unjustifiable but its not a secret how these countries treat protestors. China is a fucking horrible place to live. People don't realize how good we have it in the states.

This wasn't China bro.

I know but China is just as bad if not worse. They're having civil wars against some of their villages. Check out China uncensored on youtube if you haven't yet. Its fucking horrible man

How many americans died and how much money was spent to prevent Vietnam from being communist?
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