THUGS RUNNING RULE IN VAN PHONG BAY (*): Who understands the fishermen's voice?

During the investigation of rampant hooliganism in Van Phong Bay, Van Ninh District, Khanh Hoa Province, Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper received complaints and petitions for help from a number of fishermen, including fisherman Phan Xuan Reo (residing in Van Hung Commune, Van Ninh District).

Fishermen in Van Ninh district, Khanh Hoa province reported that L.'s group drove canoes and wooden boats around Van Phong bay from Van Gia to Van Thanh to force shrimp to be sold.

Beating someone while eating

In a petition sent to Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Phan Xuan Reo accused Mr. Nguyen Ba L. (a local "big shot") of assaulting him for not selling shrimp.

Mr. Reo said he is a captain, a reserve officer of the Military Command of Van Ninh district; an honest citizen, always following all policies of the Party and laws of the State. In the locality, he works in lobster farming, and his extra job is to buy dead and suffocated shrimp in the Bai Lon area (Ninh Tan village, Van Thanh commune, Van Ninh district) for many years.

According to Mr. Reo, recently, Mr. Nguyen Ba L. and a group of people appeared in the sea of ​​Van Ninh district to compete to buy lobsters. This group once came to his shrimp farm to ask to buy lobsters at a cheap price. When he refused to sell, Mr. L. and the group of people with him used threatening words. Mr. Reo endured and did not react.

However, at 11:15 a.m. on May 14, while Mr. Reo and 5 workers were eating on the raft, Mr. L. and 6 people on the composite boat jumped onto his raft, saying they wanted to sell shrimp. When Mr. Reo refused to sell, Mr. L. began to curse and threaten.

"We were eating, but Mr. L. did not spare us and threw a 20 to 30 kg scale straight at us. Luckily, it did not hit anyone. I immediately retreated inside the raft to hide, but Mr. L. rushed in and punched me hard in the face, causing me to fall. Mr. L. aggressively wanted to punch me again, but a few people who were with him stopped him and pulled him onto the boat. Mr. L. also threatened: "You are so rude, watch out, you might die with me. Today, I am going to act on behalf of God. God strikes to avoid meals, but if you eat, I will hit you too. The incident made me very scared," Mr. Reo recounted.

Meanwhile, a lobster boat owner in Van Ninh district reported that when his lobster boat was returning to port, Mr. L.'s group blocked it with a canoe, then brazenly jumped onto his boat, demanding to buy the lobsters back. When he refused to sell, Mr. L. threatened him.

According to the ship owner, the above subjects often block fishermen's boats and ships going to Van Gia port right on the main canal in Hon Ga - Ba Dao to ask to buy them back. This area is located between Hon Sang and Hon Lon - the gateway from Dam Mon port to Van Gia port. Therefore, L.'s group is often on duty here with several canoes and purchasing ships. Most of the ships going to buy shrimp in Bai Lon, Bai Tranh (Khai Luong village, Van Thanh commune)... must pass through this "blockade".

"We said this was our family's raft, but the others said we couldn't buy any suffocated shrimp, or we would be beaten. It was our family's shrimp raft, but when we brought the shrimp to shore, we had to do it secretly, as if we were stealing," said the threatened boat owner.

After buying shrimp, L.'s group gathered the shrimp in the area next to Dam Mon port to sell.

Forced into a corner

In Mr. Reo’s case, right after being beaten (May 14), he went to Van Ninh District Hospital for examination and was asked to be hospitalized. Afterwards, Mr. Reo went to report to Van Ninh District Police but the person on duty asked him to submit a petition to Van Thanh Commune Police. By May 16, he had submitted a petition to the authorities from the commune to the provincial level.

In the petition, Mr. Reo denounced: "The actions of Mr. L. and his group are no different from pirates, always harassing and threatening people doing honest business at sea. I and everyone else are very confused and worried about our livelihoods... I earnestly request that the authorities take measures to manage the area, manage the subjects, especially the gangsters who conduct disguised trading activities, bully honest people, disregard the law, disregard the health and lives of others, give themselves the right to control, dominate, monopolize, and beat anyone in Van Ninh district as well as in the peaceful sea of ​​our homeland."

Mr. Reo also wrote: "In the immediate future, to ensure our right to live, our right to freely operate normally, to avoid dark forces from destroying our assets at sea and our lives, we ask for permission to defend ourselves." Mr. Reo said he was so upset because he was forced into a corner.

After playing the role and collecting evidence, we brought Mr. Reo's petition to the People's Committee of Van Ninh District, requesting a solution. On May 31, the People's Committee of Van Ninh District sent a document requesting the District Police to advise on a response.

It was not until the afternoon of June 7, 20 days later, that Mr. Phan Xuan Reo was invited to the District Police to work. Mr. Reo said he had explained the whole incident. Afterwards, the Van Ninh District Police asked him to get a medical certificate and asked about his request for compensation for damages.

Before that, on May 30, a person named P. came to Mr. Reo's house to apologize and ask for compensation for the beating. After that, a person calling himself L. called to apologize to Mr. Reo. Mr. Reo asked him to go to the district police station to work and write a commitment not to touch him again. In the recording provided by Mr. Reo, the person named L. said: "That day was so frustrating. Prices went up. It's too late, okay? I was angry and poked him like that, but if I tried to beat him, it would be different. We've "done it", I apologize. It's too much trouble going up and down the police station. Let me tell you, you can withdraw the complaint."

To clarify the content that the fishermen reflected, we contacted Mr. Nguyen Ba L. by phone to make an appointment to work but received no response.

Local "is keeping an eye on the situation" (!)

Regarding the settlement of the fishermen's petition for help, on June 13, Mr. Dam Ngoc Quang, Chairman of the People's Committee of Van Ninh district, responded in writing to Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper.

Regarding the fishermen's reflection that some people used boats and canoes to travel along Van Phong Bay from Van Gia to Dam Mon to buy cheap lobsters, and if they did not sell, they would be cursed and assaulted, the document of the District People's Committee clearly stated: Regarding the incident reported by the newspaper, the locality grasped the situation in early April 2023, and directed the competent authorities to inspect, verify, and handle it in accordance with the provisions of the law. The locality is continuing to monitor and resolve related issues, resolutely and promptly handle violations of the law.

(To be continued)

^(*) See Lao Dong Newspaper from issue dated June 16

Source: https://nld.com.vn/thoi-su/con-do-long-hanh-o-vinh-van-phong-tieng-ngu-dan-ai-thau-20230616223036963.htm