Vietnamese authorities have detained three individuals, including a Vietnamese-Australian activist and a Norwegian citizen, on allegations of membership in a banned pro-democracy group and involvement in terrorism-related activities, according to official statements and advocacy organizations. The three men were reportedly arrested after entering Vietnam from Cambodia on September 18.
The Vietnamese Public Security Ministry identified the detainees as Nguyen Duc Thuan, 52, a Norwegian passport holder; Ho Pham Hiep Huy, 51, an Australian citizen of Vietnamese origin; and Thai Cong Truong Son, 46. The government alleges the men confessed to being members of Viet Tan, a U.S.-based pro-democracy organization that Hanoi designates as a terrorist entity. Charges include illegal entry into Vietnam, forging official documents, and terrorism-related offenses.
Ho Pham Hiep Huy, a Melbourne-based freelance IT professional and founder of the Australian Alliance to Combat Human Trafficking, had traveled with Nguyen Duc Thuan to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, earlier in the month to meet with fellow Vietnamese activists, according to Viet Tan. The two men flew from Bangkok to Phnom Penh on September 15 and maintained contact with their families until September 18. However, they did not board a scheduled return flight to Bangkok on September 19, leading to concerns over their whereabouts.
Family members, including Huy’s wife, Chloe Dang, have expressed deep concern and urged the Australian government to press both Cambodia and Vietnam for information and the safe return of the detainees. Dang described the ongoing uncertainty as mentally and emotionally distressing, emphasizing her desire to know her husband’s status. The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it is providing consular assistance and making urgent inquiries with Vietnamese authorities.
Viet Tan has strongly denied the Vietnamese government’s claims, describing the charges as fabricated and the detention as an act of transnational repression aimed at silencing peaceful political advocacy. The organization emphasized that it pursues nonviolent democratic reforms and accused the Vietnamese government of abducting activists beyond its borders. Viet Tan called on the Australian and Norwegian governments to seek direct access to the detainees to ensure their wellbeing and access to medical care.
Human rights groups have criticized Vietnam’s broader crackdown on dissidents and activists in recent years, citing increasing arrests and ongoing harassment of political opponents. Vietnam maintains strict restrictions on political expression and treats Viet Tan as a terrorist organization, a classification disputed by international observers. Civil society groups and United Nations human rights experts have warned about Vietnam’s cooperation with neighboring countries to suppress dissent, often involving forced disappearances and detentions beyond its borders.
The families of the detained men have filed appeals with the United Nations working group on enforced or involuntary disappearances, seeking international intervention. Meanwhile, advocacy groups continue to highlight the case as part of a growing pattern of repression against Vietnamese activists living abroad or engaging with the diaspora.