Vietnamese authorities have detained three men on terrorism and document-forgery allegations, including a Norwegian citizen and an Australian national of Vietnamese origin, in a case that has triggered competing claims over how the arrests took place.
Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security identified the men as Nguyen Duc Thuan, 52, Ho Pham Hiep Huy, 51, and Thai Cong Truong Son, 46. Authorities said they were detained on Sept. 18 while allegedly attempting to enter Vietnam illegally from Cambodia through Tay Ninh province.
Vietnamese authorities said the three acknowledged being members of Viet Tan, a US-based pro-democracy organisation that Hanoi classifies as a terrorist organisation. Investigators also accused them of carrying forged documents and entering the country to conduct alleged terrorist and sabotage activities.
According to Vietnamese authorities, Thuan was carrying a Norwegian passport along with two Vietnamese identity cards allegedly bearing a different name. Huy was carrying an Australian passport issued under the name Tran Hiep. Authorities have provided limited information about Son’s nationality.
Viet Tan disputes the government’s account. The organisation says Thuan and Huy disappeared in Cambodia on Sept. 18 while travelling in Takeo province near the Vietnamese border and alleges that they were abducted and forcibly taken into Vietnam. The allegation has not been independently established, and Vietnamese authorities have not publicly addressed the claim.
The two men had reportedly travelled to Cambodia several days earlier and were expected to leave the country on Sept. 19. Viet Tan said their last known communication was on the morning of Sept. 18, before they failed to board their scheduled flight.
The case has prompted involvement from the Australian and Norwegian governments. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Canberra was providing consular assistance to Huy and his family, while Australian officials said they were making urgent inquiries with Vietnamese authorities to confirm the detention.
Vietnamese authorities said the investigation remains ongoing and that the three men will be prosecuted under Vietnamese law. No court has yet ruled on the allegations against them.
The case has also renewed attention on allegations of cross-border pressure against dissidents in Southeast Asia, where human rights organisations have raised concerns over the detention, deportation and transfer of political opponents between countries.
