Viet. Court Rejects Catholics` Appeal In Land Case

Scores of riot police cordoned off streets around the court in Hanoi`s Ha Dong district, blocking more than 1,000 Catholic followers.

A Vietnamese court on Friday upheld convictions against eight Roman Catholics arrested during a land dispute with the government, after authorities revoked their lawyer's licence and barred him from attending the appeal.

Scores of riot police cordoned off streets around the court in Hanoi's Ha Dong district, blocking more than 1,000 Catholic followers who congregated outside from getting near the building.

In December, a court found the eight guilty of destroying property and damaging public order in a row over land once attached to the Thai Ha church in Hanoi. Seven were handed suspended prison terms and the eighth was given a warning.

Nguyen Van Khai, a priest at the Thai Ha church, said the eight might appeal again. The only remaining avenue for appeal would be to the Supreme People's Court, Vietnam's highest.

"I think we will continue to demand justice for our church," he said after the court adjourned.

In August, state television showed pictures of people using hoes and hammers to break down what it said was a section of a brick wall surrounding the disputed plot of land, leading to the charges against the eight.

The sentences in December were relatively light, political analysts have said.

Nevertheless, with the Church's backing, the eight not only appealed against the convictions but sought to sue several state-run news outlets for defamation.

Their case has become a cause celebre for Vietnam's Catholics. Outside the court, church followers wore pictures of the Virgin Mary around their necks, waved palm fronds, sang psalms and chanted "Innocent!".

Such public demonstrations, or displays of solidarity, are rare in the Communist Party-ruled Southeast Asian state.

Religion remains under state supervision in the mostly Buddhist country, although Vietnam has the second largest Catholic community in Southeast Asia after the Philippines, with about 6-8 million among the 86.5 million population.

LAWYER ABSENT

The Thai Ha Catholics say they have been trying for years to get back a large plot next to their church that the government took control of about five decades ago. They staged several protests last year around the land.

Late on Thursday, Ho Chi Minh City-based lawyer Le Tran Luat, who was representing the eight, said he was barred from travelling to Hanoi. Luat's office was also ordered closed.

"I am not able to come to Hanoi to take part in the appeal," Luat told Reuters in an email.

"I have to 'work' with the police in Ho Chi Minh City at their invitation. At present, whenever I go out on the street four to six security cadres follow on motorcycles. If I don't go to the police to 'work' as they want me to, they will use coercive force like they have with some of my staff."

Several state-run newspapers, including the Communist Party's mouthpiece, Nhan Dan, carried articles on Friday saying Luat had used false documents and employed non-attorneys to work as lawyers. Luat also failed to pay taxes, Nhan Dan said, adding that his office licence had been revoked from March 25.

Luat had represented the eight in their first trial and was also helping them with their defamation cases.