The belated statement by the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security on the night of September 28, 2026, regarding the arrest of three Viet Tan party members in the Tay Ninh border area is sparking a new diplomatic and legal crisis.
Vietnam claims that Mr. Nguyen Duc Thuan, Mr. Ho Pham Hiep Huy—also known as Tran Hiep—and Mr. Thai Cong Truong Son were “caught red-handed” while “illegally entering” from Cambodia to carry out “terrorist” activities.
However, independent information provided by the families, international organizations, and the victims’ own travel itineraries paints a completely different picture. This has raised suspicions of a cross-border coercive operation organized and carried out by Hanoi.
The suspicions began on September 25, 2026, when the Viet Tan Party issued a statement regarding the mysterious disappearance of Mr. Nguyen Duc Thuan and Mr. Tran Hiep in Cambodia. The key detail that refuted the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security’s “self-initiated illegal entry” narrative was the existence of two airline tickets for a return flight to Bangkok.
According to data released by the Council of Asian Democrats and Liberals, Mr. Thuan is a Norwegian citizen, while Mr. Hiep—an Australian citizen—flew from Bangkok to Phnom Penh on September 15, 2026, to meet with democracy activists.
Both men had purchased return tickets to Bangkok on Cambodia Airways flight KR701, scheduled to depart on the morning of September 19. Mr. Hiep’s wife was waiting for him in Bangkok, but he did not show up. Meanwhile, airline records confirm that they did not board the flight.
The inconsistency lies in the fact that, while the Vietnamese side claimed to have “caught them red-handed” at the My Quy Tay border post at 9:50 p.m. on September 18, they remained silent for 10 days before releasing the information.
Why is it that an accusation of terrorism—a serious charge—is completely lacking in evidence: no specific targets, no weapons or explosives presented, and, most notably, the complete absence of footage from the security camera systems that are always present at border crossings?
Suspicions of forced abduction become even more plausible when international observers compare this case to a series of previous precedents.
For instance, in 2017, Mr. Trinh Xuan Thanh disappeared in Berlin and then suddenly “turned himself in” in Hanoi, prompting the German government to angrily release clear evidence of an abduction and proceed with the expulsion of a Vietnamese intelligence officer.
Similarly, in April 2023, blogger Duong Van Thai—a refugee whose status had been recognized by the United Nations—was forcibly taken into an unknown vehicle in Thailand, leaving all his belongings behind at his home. Just three days later, the familiar scenario repeated itself: state media reported that Mr. Thai had been arrested for “illegal entry” in Ha Tinh Province.
This incident immediately drew sharp condemnation from the international community. According to Mr. Phil Robertson, Director of the Asian Human Rights and Labor Advocacy Organization, he bluntly called this an “unacceptable” act and warned of the escalating level of transnational repression by Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security.
This action seriously violates Cambodia’s sovereignty and directly challenges international legal norms. Notably, the Viet Tan party members are citizens of Norway and Australia—countries that are close partners of Hanoi.
Hanoi’s foreign policy is revealing a stark contradiction. On the one hand, Vietnam is striving to project an image of an open partner, seeking trade agreements and attracting international investment.
On the other hand, the government continues to condone security forces extending their reach beyond its borders to apprehend political dissidents.
It is reported that the relevant countries and international organizations are pushing for an international investigation to put an end to the Ba Dinh leadership’s recurring pattern of flouting international law.
Tra My – Thoibao.de
