Domo

— Nguyen Van Lia and Tran Hoai An, both members of the Hoa Hao Buddhist sect, were sentenced to five and three years imprisonment, respectively, in December 2011 for “abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the state.” Nguyen Van Lia, aged 72, and Tran Hoai An had briefed foreign diplomats about restrictions on religious freedom and other human rights violations, and met with the U.S. Commission on Religious Freedom (USCIRF) when delegates visited Vietnam in May of 2009. Nguyen Van Lia is reportedly in poor health.