A pro-democracy group has accused the Vietnamese government of abducting two of its members, an Australian and a Norwegian citizen, in Cambodia and taking them back across the border.
Vietnamese authorities confirmed the arrests of Tran Hiep and Nguyen Duc Thuan, but claim the men entered the country using forged documents and intended to carry out terrorist activities. The officials say the suspects admitted to being members of Viet Tan, a group the government labels a terrorist organisation.
Viet Tan described the arrests as "a blatant fabrication intended to conceal the fact that the Viet Tan members were abducted in Cambodia and forcibly taken to Vietnam" – calling it a form of transnational repression that violates Cambodia’s sovereignty and international law.
The men were last seen in the southern Cambodian border district of Kaoh Andaet in September. Tran Hiep’s wife, Chloe Dang, said he was meeting pro‑democracy activists in Cambodia and had no intention of traveling to Vietnam, and was supposed to board a flight from Bangkok back to Australia without ever arriving.
According to a Vietnamese state media report published on Monday, the two activists were detained with a third suspect, Thai Cong Truong Son, at the border in Tay Ninh province on 18 September. They allegedly confessed to membership in the terrorist organisation and to carrying forged documents to illegally enter Vietnam for sabotage purposes.
"A state orchestrating the abduction of individuals abroad and forcibly taking them to its territory is a serious act of transnational repression," said Viet Tan.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed consular support was being provided to Tran’s family and pledged continued engagement with the family.
Phil Robertson, Director of Asia Human Rights and Labor Advocates, described the operation as an "unacceptable outrage" and characterised Hanoi as a leading practiser of transnational repression in Southeast Asia.
Both Vietnamese and Cambodian authorities have been contacted for comment as the case develops.
