
Seven human rights defenders are to face trial on 30 May 2011 at the People's Court of Ben Tre, in Vietnam, on charges of coercion. They are land rights activists and religious freedom advocates who oppose the confiscation of land by the authorities, Pastor Duong Kim Khai, Ms Tran Thi Thuy, Mr Nguyen Thanh Tam, Mr Pham Van Thong, Mr Nguyen Chi Thanh, Ms Pham Ngoc Hoa and Mr Cao Van Tinh. Pastor Duong Kim Khai, Tran Thi Thuy and Nguyen Thanh Tam are members of Viet Tan, an organisation which advocates for a democratic Vietnam through peaceful activities. All seven have been held incommunicado since their arrests last summer.