Chau Minh Tuong was sentenced to one-year imprisonment by the Tan Uyen town people’s court on the charge of looting.

Tuong confessed that on May 13 he joined a demonstration in protest against China’s illegal placement of its oil rig deep inside Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone.

Seeing extremists damage property of Cao Vien Co. Ltd. in Tan Uyen town, Tuong and one of his friends stormed into the company, stealing a computer, a scanner, and computer accessories.

Chau Minh Tuong

He was seized while attempting to flee from a security guards and local police.

The same day, the Ben Cat village people’s court also tried Le Van Nghiem for causing social disorder and vandalism to property.

Nghiem is one of more than 800 others involved in damaging property of foreign-invested companies in Binh Duong province during an anti-China rally on May 13.

Nghiem is a worker at Chan Viet Joint Stock Company in An Thanh, Ben Cat town. He incited workers to join the rally and prevented on-duty officials carrying out their tasks.

He even used a torch to smash the front shield of a car carrying the police chief of Tay An village who came to calm down the situation.

He was sentenced to three years in prison for causing social disorder and damaging property.

Tuong and Nghiem are the first two extremists standing the trial. Others will be brought to court in the coming days.