Vietnam Accused of Kidnapping Australian and Norwegian Activists in Cambodia

Tue Sep 29 2026 11:21:55 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A pro‑democracy group claims Vietnamese authorities abducted two of its members in Cambodia and deported them to Vietnam, sparking concerns over transnational repression.

Viet Tan, a pro‑democracy advocacy network, says Vietnamese security forces illicitly captured Australian Tran Hiep and Norwegian Nguyen Duc Thuan near the Cambodian border and forced them into Vietnam. Vietnamese officials deny the allegation, describing the men as forged‑document users who admitted membership in a group the government labels a terrorist organization. The group decries the act as a blatant violation of Cambodia’s sovereignty and international law. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pledged consular support to the victims’ families, while Vatican and human-rights specialists urge the Vietnamese government to comply with international norms. The incident underscores mounting fears of Southeast Asian states engaging in cross‑border repression.

A pro‑democracy group has alleged that Vietnamese authorities abducted two of its members—an Australian and a Norwegian citizen—in Cambodia and transported them back into Vietnam.

Viet Tan, a movement that operates within Vietnam and abroad, claims the men were spotted in the southern Cambodian district of Kaoh Andaet and disappeared after 18 September. The organisation says the activists were forcibly taken across the border and that their arrest was a deliberate act of transnational repression, violating Cambodia’s sovereignty and the principles of international law.

Vietnamese officials, however, confirm the arrest of Tran Hiep and Nguyen Duc Thuan, stating that the men entered the country with forged documents and admitted to being members of a group the government identifies as a terrorist organization. State media reported that the two men, along with a third individual named Thai Cong Truong Son, were detained in Tay Ninh province on 18 September. They were charged with membership in a terrorist organization while investigators investigate alleged criminal acts.

Tran’s wife, Chloe Dang, told ABC that her husband was meeting pro‑human‑rights activists in Cambodia and had no intention of traveling to Vietnam. She reported that he was scheduled to return to Australia from Bangkok but never surfaced.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced consular support for the family, emphasizing the government’s duty to assist Australian citizens abroad. “That’s what Australian governments do for our citizens. And we’ll continue to engage directly with the family,” he added.

Human‑rights advocates have condemned the incident. “This act is an unacceptable outrage and illustrates Hanoi’s notorious engagement in transnational repression,” said Phil Robertson, director of Asia Human Rights and Labor Advocates.

The Vietnamese, Cambodian, and international communities await further statements from the Vietnamese authorities, while human‑rights groups call for investigations into alleged violations of international law.