Still there was news of an elderly person who died at a hospital as a result of a scuffle. The massive protests in the cradle of the communist revolution have been taken very seriously by the Vietnamese Communist Party, prompting it to send Politburo member Pham The Duyet, who was born in Thai Binh, to soothe the masses' anger. Mr. Duyet reportedly has visited the area twice since the outbreak of unrest. But residents suspect these measures are only a way to soothe popular anger and help higher officials to escape the ire. In another move to scare protesters, authority arrested more than 100 people and wrung forced confessions of their wrongdoing on local television.
Official corruption stands at the heart of the unrest.
Residents charge that funds for construction of a bridge as well as much international humanitarian aid were stolen. Farmers in Quynh Phu village were the first to demand local officials to publicize financial records regarding the building of a bridge in Thai Binh, but their request was turned down. The wave of anger spread to Thai Thuy and 50 villages nearby, paralyzing the whole area, even during the National Assembly election on July 20. Corruption surrounding the bridge construction was only one reason for the farmers to vent their deep-seated resentment of a system which has not delivered on promises 22 years after the war's end. In 1946, farmers had to pay four types of taxes.