Chau Hen's Struggle for His Land, continued.
On December 17, 2010, Chau Hen and his wife returned to Vietnam, where he was arrested within half an hour of arriving back at his village. Police detained him completely incommunicado, severely tortured him during interrogation, and held him in solitary confinement in a dark cell at Tri Ton District Detention Center for three and a half months. He was also injected with unknown drugs that caused memory loss and left him unconscious for long periods of time and unable to speak or think clearly.
He was not allowed to see his wife until two days before his trial. At his trial on March 31, 2011, he was barely conscious. He was unable to stand or speak and had to be carried into the courtroom by four policemen. He was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment on charges of causing public disorder (Criminal Code Article 245) and destruction of property (Article 143). He had no legal representation.
In June 2011, feverish and undernourished, Chau Hen was carried on a stretcher to the clinic at An Giang provincial prison. When he was unable to respond to a question, a policeman serving as prison medic punched him in the face, knocking him unconscious and causing him to lose lots of blood. He was sent to a private hospital in An Giang under police guard. During four days’ treatment at the hospital he was shackled to the hospital bed and again injected with unknown medication before being sent back to his cell. After several months, prison authorities determined he was well enough to work and sent him to labor in the prison rice farm and later in the prison furniture factory.
On September 17, 2013, Chau Hen was released from prison three months early because of his worsening physical and mental condition. After several months in hospital he returned to his home, where police placed him under surveillance and house arrest. Chau Hen and his wife were eventually able to make it back to Thailand, where UNHCR recognized them as refugees in April 2013. Chau Hen’s wife, Neang Phon, died in Bangkok prior to his resettlement to the United States in November 2014.
He was not allowed to see his wife until two days before his trial. At his trial on March 31, 2011, he was barely conscious. He was unable to stand or speak and had to be carried into the courtroom by four policemen. He was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment on charges of causing public disorder (Criminal Code Article 245) and destruction of property (Article 143). He had no legal representation.
In June 2011, feverish and undernourished, Chau Hen was carried on a stretcher to the clinic at An Giang provincial prison. When he was unable to respond to a question, a policeman serving as prison medic punched him in the face, knocking him unconscious and causing him to lose lots of blood. He was sent to a private hospital in An Giang under police guard. During four days’ treatment at the hospital he was shackled to the hospital bed and again injected with unknown medication before being sent back to his cell. After several months, prison authorities determined he was well enough to work and sent him to labor in the prison rice farm and later in the prison furniture factory.
On September 17, 2013, Chau Hen was released from prison three months early because of his worsening physical and mental condition. After several months in hospital he returned to his home, where police placed him under surveillance and house arrest. Chau Hen and his wife were eventually able to make it back to Thailand, where UNHCR recognized them as refugees in April 2013. Chau Hen’s wife, Neang Phon, died in Bangkok prior to his resettlement to the United States in November 2014.