sentences:  In May 2011, three Viet Tan members along with four other land activists were tried during a one-day, closed trial and sentenced to prison for two to seven years.The activists, including Tran Thi Thuy and Duong Kim Khai were lobbying for land rights in Bến Tre and offered legal advice to farmers whose land has been confiscated by the government.During the trial, the defendants were denied access to a lawyer, and members of the US Congress, led by Representative Ed Royce, wrote a letter asking for their release.