Tanh’s real name is Phan Ngoc An, born on August 9,1943, in Phuoc Thuan commune, Tuy Phuoc district, central Binh Dinh province.

Tanh has registered his residency in Lien Tri Pagoda, at 153 Luong Dinh Cua street, precinct 2, Ho Chi Minh City. He has been an accomplice of Thich Quang Do for quite a long time. Thanks to that he holds some “key positions” in the so-called organisation “Unified Vietnam Buddhist Church” which has not been licensed by the government.

From 1978-1986, Tanh was sent to the re-education camp on the charge of carrying out subversive activities. In 1987, Tanh was set free and continued to practise in Lien Tri Pagoda.

Instead of feeling ashamed of what he had done, Tanh continued to carry out activities against the regime on orders from Thich Quang Do and Vietnamese reactionary forces exiled abroad.

On October 2,1992 Tanh was caught red-handed distributing anti-government documents and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment and five years’ probation.

In the hands of Thich Quang Do and reactionary forces abroad, Tanh is only a puppet. After serving the court’s sentence, Tanh worked as an agent of the Religionalised Institute of the Unified Vietnam Buddhist Church. He was also promoted to General Manager of the Social Humanitarian Fund. In fact, his function was no more than a spy for Thich Quang Do.

On August 23, while Tanh was preparing to distribute money to petitioners gathering in front of the citizen-reception office of the Party Central Committee and the State at No 110 Cau Giay street, Hanoi, he was arrested and deported to Ho Chi Minh City.

Initially, Tanh admitted he had received VND300 million from Thich Quang Do to go to Hanoi to distribute it to petitioners gathering at Mai Xuan Thuong park and No 110 Cau Giay street.

Do, Tanh and other social opponents attempted to gather petitioners in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and other localities to create bedlam and then to take pictures and send them to exiled opponents.

What Thich Quang Do and Thich Khong Tanh have done in service of reactionary forces and political opportunists inside and outside the country violates the country’s laws and constitution and runs against the interests of the Vietnamese people.