Hanoi abducts democracy activists: group

TRANSNATIONAL REPRESSION: A rights group said two members were kidnapped in Cambodia, forcibly brought to Vietnam and detained on ‘fabricated’ terrorism charges

Vietnamese authorities have “abducted” two pro-democracy Vietnamese activists in Cambodia, their campaign group said yesterday, after Hanoi said they and another man from the outlawed organization were arrested.

Communist Vietnam permits little to no dissent within its borders and critics say its security apparatus stretches abroad, with wanted dissidents previously abducted in Thailand and Germany.

Rights group Viet Tan said its members were “abducted” by Vietnamese authorities in Cambodia, forcibly brought to Vietnam and detained on “fabricated” terrorism charges.

They are Nguyen Duc Thuan, a Norwegian citizen, and Australian national Tran Hiep, also known as Ho Pham Hiep Huy. They were reported missing since Sept. 18, when they were traveling to meet with other Vietnamese activists in Cambodia.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security confirmed late on Monday that Thuan, 52, Hiep, 51, and a third Vietnamese man, Thai Cong Truong Son, 46, were detained on charges of terrorism and forging documents.

Viet Tan has not identified Son as a member of the group.

The ministry said the men attempted to enter Vietnam illegally from Cambodia on the night of Sept. 18.

It said the three “confessed” to being Viet Tan members and “carrying forged documents to illegally enter Vietnam to conduct terrorist and sabotage activities.”

The terrorism charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in jail.

Viet Tan’s US-based executive director Duy Hoang said that Thuan and Hiep had no intention of entering Vietnam.

“Essentially, they’re being charged with belonging to Viet Tan,” Hoang said.

“It’s clear that Hanoi wants to crack down on dissent, whether it’s from inside of Vietnam or outside,” he said.

“It’s unacceptable to have a regime that can just kidnap opponents,” he said, adding that Vietnam “needs political change.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese yesterday told reporters his government was engaging directly with Hiep’s family and providing consular assistance.

More than 160 political prisoners are detained in Vietnam, Human Rights Watch said.

Campaigners say previous cases of “transnational repression” by Vietnam include the 2017 kidnapping of fugitive Vietnamese executive Trinh Xuan Thanh from a Berlin park, and the 2023 abduction of Vietnamese blogger and government critic Duong Van Thai in Thailand.

Both men were seeking asylum outside Vietnam, but were ultimately returned and jailed.

Hoang said he believed the recent detentions were the first of a person with non-Vietnamese citizenship being “abducted outside of Vietnam because of that person’s political activities.”

“This is not a normal missing persons case,” he said.

“These are long-time human rights activists ... and we’re worried for their safety,” he said.