Vietnam Accused of Abducting Australian, Norwegian Activists from Cambodia

Tue Sep 29 2026 11:10:15 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A pro‑democracy group claims Hanoi abducted two Viet Tan members in Cambodia, sparking international condemnation and calls for consular assistance.

A pro‑democracy organisation has charged the Vietnamese government with abducting two of its members – an Australian and a Norwegian – from Cambodia and transferring them across the Vietnamese border. Vietnamese authorities say the men entered illegally on forged documents and plan to carry out terrorist acts, while Viet Tan calls the claim a fabrication and a case of transnational repression. Australian and Norwegian officials have pledged consular support, and human-rights advocates demand accountability.

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 that they had arrested Tran Hiep and Nguyen Duc Thuan, but say they entered the country using forged documents and planned to carry out terrorist activities.

The men admitted to being members of Viet Tan, which the Vietnamese state regards as a terrorist organization.

Viet Tan called the arrest a "blatant fabrication" and a case of "transnational repression", accusing Vietnam of illegally detaining the activists on Cambodian soil before forcibly moving them to Vietnam.

The group said the two men had been traveling in the southern Cambodian border district of Kaoh Andaet when they vanished after 18 September. Tran’s wife, Chloe Dang, told Australian media he had been meeting pro‑democracy activists in Cambodia and had no intention of travelling to Vietnam. He was meant to meet her in Bangkok to board a return flight to Australia, yet never appeared.

According to a Vietnamese state media report published Monday, Tran and Nguyen were detained with a third man at the border in Tay Ninh province on 18 September. They allegedly confessed to being members of the terrorist organization Viet Tan and carrying forged documents to illegally enter Vietnam to conduct sabotage and terrorist activities.

They were charged with membership in a terrorist organization, with authorities continuing an investigation to understand the criminal acts of the suspects. The third man was identified as Thai Cong Truong Son.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said consular support was being provided to Tran’s family and that the Australian government would keep engaging directly with the family. "That's what Australian governments do for our citizens. And we'll continue to engage directly with the family," he added.

Phil Robertson, Director of Asia Human Rights and Labor Advocates, described Vietnam’s move as "arguably the most vicious and pernicious practitioner of transnational repression today in Southeast Asia" and called the act an "unacceptable outrage".

The Vietnamese and Cambodian authorities have been contacted for comment.