Tran Thi Thuy

Land rights activist, merchant

Birth date: February 2, 1971

Activity: Land rights activist, merchant

Date of arrest: August 16, 2010

Sentence: Sentenced to 8 years imprisonment followed by 5 years house arrest on May 30, 2011

Charge: Attempting to overthrow the government (Article 79)

Current location: Xuan Loc Prison, Dong Nai province


Tran Thi Thuy is a devoted campaigner for justice, for both herself and other victims of government land grabs in Ben Tre Province. She is a Hoa Hao Buddhist and member of Viet Tan. Her family is often harassed and brutalized by security police and criminal gangs directed by the authorities. In 2011, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention ruled that the Hanoi government’s detention and conviction of Tran Thi Thuy and 6 other activists is in violation of international law.