Vietnamese-American to be deported from Hanoi

14/05/2008 17:05:12

A US-based political activist is set to be deported from the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi.

Embassy officials say Vietnamese-American citizen Nguyen Quoc Quan will be sent back to California this weekend after being being charged with terrorism.

The 54-year-old engineer from Sacramento was arrested last November along with several other activists of the Viet Tan who were preparing to distribute leaflets opposed to one-party rule.

Mr Quan, also a Thai citizen and a Vietnamese national appeared yesterday the Ho Chi Minh City People's Court.

The court sentenced Mr Quan to six months jail, but with time already served he will be sent back to the United States this weekend.

The Hanoi government describes Viet Tan as a terrorist group, but the party says it does not support the use of violence.

Viet Tan says the pamphlets seized by police at the time of last November's arrests promoted peaceful democratic change.

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