Human Rights Watch urges Vietnam to free activists who disappeared in Cambodia
News Source
β’Thu, 15 Oct 2026 08:10:22 +0000
π° What Happened
Human Rights Watch has urged Vietnam to free three democracy activists who vanished in Cambodia and are now held in Vietnam. The group says the case shows Vietnam going after critics beyond its borders.
The three are Nguyen Duc Thuan, a Norwegian citizen; Tran Hiep, an Australian citizen; and Thai Cong Truong. They disappeared on 18 September after travelling from Thailand to Cambodia. Vietnam has charged them with terrorism and using forged documents.
π The Backstory
Vietnam says the men belong to Viet Tan, an opposition group it has banned, and that they tried to enter the country illegally. Their families say they never planned to cross the border. Two of them had flights home booked for the next day.
Cambodia says it has records of the two entering but none of them leaving. Rights groups point to earlier cases, including a monk sent back to Vietnam in 2007.
π― Why It Matters
If a country can seize people from a neighbouring state, no critic abroad is safe. Thuan also needs daily insulin, which makes his health an urgent worry.
Human Rights Watch has urged Vietnam to free three democracy activists who vanished in Cambodia and are now held in Vietnam. The group says the case shows Vietnam going after critics beyond its borders.
The three are Nguyen Duc Thuan, a Norwegian citizen; Tran Hiep, an Australian citizen; and Thai Cong Truong. They disappeared on 18 September after travelling from Thailand to Cambodia. Vietnam has charged them with terrorism and using forged documents.
Vietnam says the men belong to Viet Tan, an opposition group it has banned, and that they tried to enter the country illegally. Their families say they never planned to cross the border. Two of them had flights home booked for the next day.
Cambodia says it has records of the two entering but none of them leaving. Rights groups point to earlier cases, including a monk sent back to Vietnam in 2007.
If a country can seize people from a neighbouring state, no critic abroad is safe. Thuan also needs daily insulin, which makes his health an urgent worry.