Vietnamese police have detained three men accused of terrorism, including a Norwegian citizen and an Australian national of Vietnamese origin, according to the Ministry of Public Security BANGKOK -- Police in Vietnam have detained three members of a pro-democracy group, including a Norwegian citizen and an Australian national of Vietnamese origin, on terrorism allegations, according to the government and the organization. The three men said they were members of Viet Tan, a U.S.-based pro-democracy group that Vietnam’s Communist government considers a terrorist organization, Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security said. Critics have accused the Hanoi government of carrying out “transnational repression” against dissidents.
Vietnam's communist government tolerates little dissent and tightly controls the media. Viet Tan said that the men were detained in Cambodia. Vietnamese authorities said they were apprehended by the police after they entered Vietnam on Sept. 18.
The ministry identified the men as Nguyen Duc Thuan, 52, Ho Pham Hiep Huy, 51, and 46-year-old Thai Cong Truong Son. They are accused of forging seals and official documents and said Huy had an Australian passport while Thuan had a Norwegian one. Viet Tan rejected the allegations and called for the men's immediate release.
It urged Norway and Australia to seek direct access to the men and verify their condition. The rights group accused Vietnam of “transnational repression,” saying Thuan and Hiep had disappeared on Sept. 18 while traveling in Kaoh Andaet, a district in Cambodia's Takeo province bordering Vietnam. Viet Tan didn't confirm whether Son was a member, and Vietnamese authorities provided no information about his nationality.
Asked about the case on Tuesday during a press conference in Adelaide, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government is “continuing to deal, including engaging with the family involved and provide consular assistance. That’s what Australian governments do for our citizens. And we’ll continue to engage directly with the family.” Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was “making urgent inquiries with Vietnamese authorities to confirm reports that an Australian citizen has been detained.” Transnational repression has drawn increasing scrutiny from human rights groups in recent years.
Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and China have been accused of entering quid pro quo arrangements to return dissidents sought by one another’s governments. Freedom House, a U.S.-based democracy advocacy organization that tracks transnational repression, warned in 2024 that the practice was “becoming a ‘normal’ phenomenon” as more governments used it to silence dissent. The organization said some attacks were carried out unilaterally, but most depended on the cooperation or exploitation of institutions in the host country.
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