Residents of Chiềng Ban Commune, Mai Sơn District, Sơn La Province are outraged after a violent assault and ongoing threats arose from a dispute over purchasing coffee.
Incident Summary
Mr. Đào Viết Hưu (53), a resident of Mai Tiên Cooperative in Chiềng Ban, filed a complaint with the Mai Sơn District Police alleging that staff from Thu Thủy Private Company violently attacked his son-in-law, Mr. Hà Văn Trung (born 1983). Mr. Trung is still receiving treatment at Việt Đức Hospital. According to the complaint, the company’s employees have continued to threaten Mr. Trung, warning the family not to sell coffee to any other buyer.
The incident occurred around 9 p.m. on November 18, 2011, in the alley leading to Mr. Hưu’s home, while his family was selling coffee to a different purchasing firm. Four employees of Thu Thủy Company—Lê Văn Bảo, Nguyễn Văn Đoàn, Trần Văn Đông, and Trư Văn Quynh—arrived by motorbike, blocked the alley, and carried weapons. They attacked Mr. Bùi Duy Cường, a coffee buyer representing Thái Hòa Coffee Company’s Sơn La branch. When family members, including Mr. Trung, tried to intervene, Bảo and Đông chased and struck them with weapons.
Underlying Dispute
Mrs. Nguyễn Thị Lan explained that her family of five households grows coffee. Her husband, Mr. Hưu, had a sales contract with Thu Thủy Company, represented by Mr. Phạm Thu. Under the contract, the family delivered more than 32 tons of coffee parchment on schedule, valued at 2.469 billion VND. After deducting the advance payments, the company still owed the family over 300 million VND. Mr. Hưu asked to adjust the coffee price to reflect the market, but the company refused. On the afternoon of November 18, while handing over the final shipment, the family decided instead to sell the coffee to Thái Hòa Coffee Company. This disagreement allegedly led Thu Thủy Company to organize the violent assault, aiming to force prices down and engage in unfair competition.
Aftermath and Ongoing Threats
Immediately after the attack, the family called local authorities. Because it was late at night, the perpetrators fled, and village head Nguyễn Huy Tưởng suggested handling the matter the next morning. Around noon on November 19, Chiềng Ban Commune police inspected the scene and collected information, but have since given no further response. On November 22, Mr. Hưu’s family submitted a formal report to the Mai Sơn District Police.
In the days following, residents of Mai Tiên Cooperative have expressed strong anger, as members of Thu Thủy Private Company reportedly continue to intimidate the family, pressuring them to withdraw their complaint.