The defendants’ violation process was documented in the indictment and they were publicly questioned and trialled in court, according to the procuracy.
In court on Wednesday, the defendants agreed to the indictment and said that their participation in the terrorist group, which aims to overthrow the people’s administration to form the “state of Dega,” was due to the coercion and promise of financial reward by the ringleaders.
When they realised these actions were illegal, they and their families received death threats.
During questioning at the court, the defendants admitted to their crimes and asked for leniency.
According to court documents, since 2015, Y Mut Mlo led the “Montagnard Support Group Inc.” (MSGI) in the US and was regularly in contact with H Wuen Eban in Dak Lak Province to incite violent acts that caused disturbance among the local communities and planned to expand their operations to other provinces if successful.
Y Mut Mlo also introduced H Wuen Eban to other key members of MSGI, as well as Y Quynh Bdap and Y Krong Phok to learn more about the group’s operations.
In August 2018, after illegally crossing borders into Thailand, Y Quynh Bdap founded the “Montagnards Stand For Justice” (MSFJ) to incite ethnic minority members in Vietnam’s Central Highlands to commit terrorist acts.
At the beginning of 2023, H Wuen Eban reported to the MSGI about plans for armed attacks in Dak Lak Province.
Y Sol Nie, one of MSGI key members who was living in the US, volunteered to assist H Wuen Eban in carrying out the terrorist acts. He illegally crossed borders from Thailand into Vietnam in May 2023 with the help of Y Li Phoch Nie, Y Bluiet Mlo and Le Van Nghia.
Y Sol Nie, H Wuen Eban and other members of the groups decided to attack the headquarters of Ea Ktur and Ea Tieu Communal People’s Committees, planning to entirely “burn down, destroy everything and kill everyone present, expanding the attack to other authorities’ headquarters, planting the flag of the ‘state of Dega’ at the sites and posting footage on the internet to attract attention and build a reputation for the organization.”
The investigation agency for the case said that between June 9-10, the terrorist group gathered at a hut to train in combat skills, make Molotov cocktails (petrol bombs) and instruct their members to use firearms.
On the evening of June 10, they divided themselves into two groups to launch attacks at the two communal People’s Committees.
The attacks lasted from late June 10 to early June 11, killing six officers and three citizens, with several others injured.
The Dak Lak People’s Procuracy also added that their confessions are consistent with results from crime scene investigation, forensic and judicial examinations, as well as other evidence collected by the Dak Lak Police Investigation Department.
The procuracy highlighted that the indictment issued on January 2, which launched prosecution proceedings against the defendants for "terrorist acts; terrorism aimed at opposing the people's administration; organizing illegal exit or entry for others; and harbouring criminals,” are on sound grounds and align with the laws.
Prosecutors also assessed the specific role, actions as well as mitigating and aggravating factors of each defendant for the trial panel’s consideration before proposing the sentences.
