Cao Van Tinh

Land rights activist

Birth date: September 3, 1974

Activity: Land rights activist

Date of arrest: February 22, 2011

Sentence: Sentenced to 5 years imprisonment (later reduced to 4.5 years) followed by 4 years house arrest on May 30, 2011

Charge: Attempting to overthrow the government (Article 79)

Current location: Ben Tre Detention Center, Ben Tre Province


A resident of Can Tho, Cao Van Tinh has been involved in land rights campaigns since 2001. He participated in the 27-day peaceful sit-in outside government offices in Saigon in 2007. In 2011, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention ruled that the Hanoi government’s detention and conviction of Cao Van Tinh and 6 other activists is in violation of international law.