A court in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday began the trial of 12 people, including two American citizens, on subversion charges as government authorities step up a crackdown on dissent.

The defendants are accused of attempting to overthrow the government by recruiting members for a U.S.-based exile group called the Provisional Central Government of Vietnam and by engaging in anti-state activities, the official Vietnam News Agency said.

Vietnam’s government has labeled the little-known group a terrorist organization.

The news agency said two Vietnam-born American citizens are accused of ordering other members of the group to distribute anti-state leaflets, take over state radio stations to broadcast anti-government messages, and participate in anti-government protests. It said most of the plans were thwarted.

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The news agency identified the Americans as Han James Nguyen and Angle Phan. It did not provide their hometowns.

The trial is scheduled to last three days.

“We are taking all appropriate actions to ensure Mr. Nguyen’s welfare and to encourage an expeditious resolution to his case. Due to privacy concerns, we are unable to comment on any other case,” a U.S. State Department official said in a statement.

In January, Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security declared the California-based group a terrorist organization, a month after 15 alleged members were convicted in a failed bombing at the country’s largest airport.

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The attempted attack at the Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City in April 2017 caused a scare but no casualties.

Last week a court in central Vietnam sentenced an activist to 20 years in prison after finding him guilty of attempting to overthrow the government.

Despite sweeping economic reforms over the last 30 years that opened the country to foreign trade and investment and made Vietnam one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, the government tolerates no challenge to its one-party rule.

Amnesty International says 97 people are serving prison sentences for violating national security laws, while Human Rights Watch counts 119.</s>HANOI (Reuters) - A Vietnamese court found two Vietnamese-Americans guilty of terrorism on Wednesday and sentenced them to 14 years in prison for masterminding a series of bomb plots earlier this year, a court official told Reuters.

James Nguyen and Angel Phan were convicted, along with 10 accomplices who received short jail terms, after a two day trial. All defendants had been charged with “attempting to overthrow the state”.

Phan and Nguyen had been accused of organising at least three attacks, including the attempted bombing of Vietnam’s largest international airport in Ho Chi Minh City last April, and the successful bombing of a police station in June this year.

“The remaining 10 defendants in the same trial received prison terms of between five and 11 years,” an official at the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court told Reuters by phone.

According to state media, Phan and Nguyen were acting on behalf of the “Provisional Government of Vietnam”, a California-based organisation run by Vietnamese-Americans still loyal to the now defunct state of South Vietnam.

The U.S. organisation, which was listed as a “terrorist” group by Hanoi in January this year, dispatched Phan and Nguyen to Vietnam in February 2017 to carry out attacks on Vietnamese national holidays, the Ministry of Public Security said in a statement on its website.

Phan and Nguyen ran a network of underground operatives in Vietnam, some of whom were given titles in a shadow government such as “governor of Saigon”, or “commander of national defence guards,” the Ministry of Public Security said on Wednesday.

The pair assigned “counter-revolutionary” missions to the group’s members in Vietnam, the ministry said, including a plan to broadcast anti-government propaganda from local radio stations, organise protests, and “insult the image” of former president Ho Chi Minh.

Phan and Nguyen will be deported after serving their jail term, Voice of Vietnam radio reported.

In June, a court in Ho Chi Minh City upheld prison sentences against 15 members of the group it said were guilty of planting bombs in the international terminal of Tan Son Nhat airport in April last year.

Last month, police said it had arrested seven people from the group over the bombing of a Ho Chi Minh City police station.

The incident, in which two small explosive devices were detonated, injured three people in what police said was a “terrorist case against the people’s government”.

A police warehouse, where confiscated vehicles, mostly motorbikes, were stored, was also blown up.

The Provisional Government of Vietnam did not respond to a request for comment made via its website.

The U.S. Embassy in Hanoi was not able to provide immediate comment.</s>HANOI, Vietnam — A court in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday began the trial of 12 people, including two American citizens, on subversion charges as government authorities step up a crackdown on dissent.

The official Vietnam News Agency said the defendants are accused of attempting to overthrow the government by recruiting members for a U.S.-based exile group called the Provisional Central Government of Vietnam and by engaging in anti-state activities.

The news agency said two Vietnam-born American citizens are accused of ordering other members of the group to distribute anti-state leaflets, take over state radio stations to broadcast anti-government messages, and participate in anti-government protests. It said most of the plans were thwarted.

The trial is scheduled to last three days.

In January, the Ministry of Public Security declared the California-based group a terrorist organization, a month after 15 alleged members were convicted in a failed bombing at the country's largest airport.

The attempted attack at the Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City in April last year caused a scare but no casualties.

Last week a court in central Vietnam sentenced an activist to 20 years in prison after finding him guilty of attempting to overthrow the government.

Despite sweeping economic reforms over the past 30 years that opened the country to foreign trade and investment and made Vietnam one of the world's fastest growing economies, the government tolerates no challenge to its one-party rule.

Amnesty International says 97 people are serving prison sentences for violating national security laws, while Human Rights Watch counts 119.</s>HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — A court in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City has begun the trial of 12 people, including two American citizens, on subversion charges as government authorities step up a crackdown on dissent.

The official Vietnam News Agency said the defendants are accused of attempting to overthrow the government by recruiting members for a U.S.-based exile group called the Provisional Central Government of Vietnam and by engaging in anti-state activities.

The news agency said two Vietnam-born American citizens are accused of ordering other members of the group to distribute anti-state leaflets, take over state radio stations to broadcast anti-government messages, and participate in anti-government protests. It said most of the plans were thwarted.

The trial is scheduled to last three days.</s>Vietnam Wednesday jailed two American citizens and 10 others from an outlawed US-based "terrorist" group for attempting to overthrow the state after they spread anti-government leaflets and tried to incite protests last year.

Critics of the communist regime are routinely jailed in the one-party state. Most are loosely-linked bloggers, activists and rights lawyers, with few groups designated as "terrorist organisations".

One of those groups is the California-based Provisional National Government of Vietnam (PNGV), an anti-communist organisation with its own self-appointed prime minister that pledges allegiance to the former South Vietnam regime.

Twelve of their members were jailed for between five and 14 years after a two-day trial in Ho Chi Minh City for "attempting to overthrow the state", according to Phap Luat newspaper, the mouthpiece of the city's justice department.

They were accused of printing 4,000 leaflets, plotting to take over national radio and calling for demonstrations on April 30 last year -- celebrated as "reunification day" to mark the end of the Vietnam War in 1975.

The group included two American citizens, Phan Angel and Nguyen James Han, who allegedly travelled to Vietnam from the United States to help the failed plot, state media reported.

They were the only two to receive the harshest sentences of 14 years in prison and will be deported after serving their sentences.

"The defendants' behaviour was extremely serious, violating national security, undermining the country's stability and development (and) causing political and social disorder," the official Vietnam News Agency quoted the court decision as saying.

US embassy spokesman Pope Thrower said the safety of American citizens was a top priority.

"We will continue to monitor Mr Nguyen's welfare, advocate for him and provide consular services until his release," Thrower said in a statement. The embassy was not authorised to speak about Phan.

The foiled plan was allegedly set to coincide with a failed attack on Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat international airport last year, for which 15 PNGV members were convicted.

The group was also accused of bombing a police station in the city in June and injuring three people.

The PNGV was established in 1990 in California, where large numbers of Vietnamese refugees settled after the end of the war.

Its members, many who wear the yellow-and-red-striped southern flag of the former Saigon regime, say their aim is to "liberate Vietnam from communism".

Hanoi and Washington now enjoy close ties, although a number of incidents involving US citizens in Vietnam this year have created a diplomatic headache between the former foes.

Michael Nguyen, a California-based father of four is in custody for "attempting to overthrow the state", while American student Will Nguyen was convicted and deported last month for disturbing public order after joining protests in Ho Chi Minh City.</s>Vietnamese court sentences 2 US citizens to 14 years in jail

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — A court in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City has sentenced two Americans of Vietnamese descent to 14 years in jail after finding them guilty of attempting to overthrow the government, state media reported.

The official Vietnam News Agency says James Nguyen and Angle Phan, alleged members of the California-based Provisional Central Government of Vietnam, were convicted on Wednesday of assigning group members to distribute anti-state leaflets, take over radio stations to broadcast anti-government messages and participate in anti-state protests.

It says 10 local members of the group were convicted of the same charges in the two-day trial and sentenced to between five and 11 years in prison.

The two American citizens are to be deported after serving their sentences.</s>HANOI, Vietnam — A court in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City sentenced two Americans of Vietnamese descent to 14 years in jail on Wednesday after finding them guilty of attempting to overthrow the government, state media reported.

James Nguyen and Angle Phan, alleged members of the California-based Provisional Central Government of Vietnam, were convicted of assigning group members to distribute anti-state leaflets, take over radio stations to broadcast anti-government messages and participate in anti-state protests, the official Vietnam News Agency said.

Ten local members of the group were convicted on the same charges in the two-day trial and sentenced to between five and 11 years in prison, it said.

The two American citizens will be deported after serving their sentences, it said.

“The defendants’ acts are particularly serious, violating national security, sabotaging the country’s stability and development, causing instability in political and social order and going against the interests of the state,” the agency quoted the judges as saying.

Court officials were not available for comment Wednesday.

“We will continue to monitor Mr. Nguyen’s welfare, advocate for him and provide consular services until his release,” U.S. Embassy spokesman Pope Thrower said in a statement.

In January, the Ministry of Public Security declared the little-known group a terrorist organization, a month after 15 of its local members were convicted and sentenced up to 16 years in prison for an alleged failed bombing at Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City.

Despite sweeping economic reforms since the mid-1980s that opened the country to foreign trade and investment and made the country one of fastest growing economies in the world, the Communist government tolerates no challenge to its one-party rule.

Some Western governments and international human rights groups have criticized Vietnam for jailing people for peacefully expressing their views. The Vietnamese government says only law breakers are put behind bars.</s>Vietnam's officials and scientists launch Vietnam Innovation Network in Hanoi on Sunday. Photo by VnExpress/Ngu Hiep

"The new network will enable Vietnamese experts working in technologically advanced countries to assist their home country in preparing for the Fourth Industrial Revolution," Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said at the launch.

The network has been joined by over 100 Vietnamese scientists and tech experts living overseas as well as hundreds of their peers in Vietnam.

Pham Minh Chinh, head of the Central Organizing Commission of the Communist Party of Vietnam and member of the Party Secretariat, expressed high regard for the network and its role in Vietnam's push for “comprehensive development.”

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam called for Vietnamese intellectuals overseas to express their love for their country through actions to help Vietnam develop and not miss opportunities brought forth by Industry 4.0.

Several Vietnamese scientists working overseas spoke at the launch and proposed ways for Vietnam to take advantage of advanced technologies, adopt new market approaches and attract venture capitalists from around the world.

Dr. Bui Hai Hung, a researcher at Google's AI company DeepMind in the U.S., said that while there were many top AI experts of Vietnamese origin working across the world, Vietnam has yet to put itself on the map in this area.

He urged Vietnam to establish an AI Center, develop IT infrastructure and invest in training programs for cloud computing.

Associate Professor Ho Anh Van, who works in Japan, also affirmed that there are many Vietnamese teaching or researching in top Japanese universities, as well as experts working for top tech firms in the country.

This network would enable all Vietnamese to work and cooperate to help transfer technology back to their home country, he added.

To prepare for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Prime Minister Phuc has approved a long-term strategy on scientific and technological development and innovation with vision, including Industry 4.0, until 2035, Minister of Science and Technology Chu Ngoc Anh said at the event.

Over the past two years, Vietnam's ranking in the Global Innovation Index has jumped 14 places to 45th among 126 countries and economies, with many businesses focusing on investing in research and development, he noted.

However, Anh stressed that to develop further, Vietnam needs the assistance of Vietnamese scientists and experts living overseas.

The new innovation network was an important step in connecting them with the country, he added.

The launch of the Vietnam Innovation Network was the first event in a five-day program that also includes talks between scientists and the government and relevant ministries as well as visits to hi-tech parks in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.</s>There will be more flight options for Vietnam's domestic and international travellers when property developer FLC Group JSC launches Bamboo Airways in October.

Planning to operate 37 routes, the airline wants to cash in on the growing domestic middle class and rising international tourist numbers.

The launch is set to go ahead as long as the airline receives the government's aviation license, which is 'forthcoming' according to Bamboo Airways chairman Trinh Van Quyet.

While the aviation in Vietnam already seems well served, according to IATA the Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City route is the sixth busiest in the world, and in the next 20 years the country will be in the top five of the world's fastest-growing air travel markets.</s>Vietnam among 10 most interesting destinations, top globetrotter says

Washington DC native Don Parrish, 73, has been called "the world's most travelled" person.

He has been to 193 United Nations countries and visited 500 World Heritage sites around the world.

The Telegraph asked him to suggest some of the world’s must-visit places based on his experiences and insights. A ranking based on his travel experiences and insights published by the U.K. newspaper named Vietnam among the top 10 interesting destinations.

Parrish had only 11 days to stay in Vietnam. Like many foreigners, he was impressed by the number of motorbikes on city streets.

He was even more impressed that the the motorcyclists were "self-organized" at busy intersections without traffic lights or traffic police.

“I was also mesmerized by their attitude to not focus on the war that had killed so many people, but to focus their energy on the future,” he said.

Parrish's list of the most interesting destinations included North Korea, Japan’s Iwo Jima, Socotra (Yemen), the Pitcairn Islands, Bosaso (Somalia), the South Pole, Mount Athos (Greece), Tristan da Cunha and Marion Island (South Africa).

Vietnam's rising popularity has been reflected in several high global rankings, with seasoned travelers and prestigious travel magazines highlighting the country's many attractions.

The U.S. News newspaper earlier this month named Vietnam as one of 30 best solo travel destinations alongside neighbors Singapore and Thailand.

Earlier this year, TripAdvisor readers ranked Vietnam as one of the 10 best places to go in the world.
A court in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City begins the trial of twelve people, including two Vietnam-born Americans, on charges of attempting to overthrow the government.