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Family of Detained Việt Tân Members Reports to Interpol and UN

Family of Detained Việt Tân Members Reports to Interpol and UN

The families of two members of the Việt Tân political party, which the Vietnamese government deems a terrorist organization, have taken significant steps following their detention. They have reported the matter to Interpol and submitted a complaint to the United Nations regarding enforced disappearances.

Chloe Đặng, the wife of Hồ Phạm Hiệp, one of the detained individuals, expressed her deep concern for her husband's safety. She had just returned to Australia from Thailand and recounted that both her husband and another member, Nguyễn Đức Thuận, had traveled to Thailand before heading to Cambodia for work. She stated that on September 19, when she arrived at the airport, neither of them was there, despite having communicated with her husband the night before.

In her attempts to locate her husband, Đặng reached out to various authorities, including the police in Thailand, Interpol, and the Australian embassy in both Thailand and Cambodia. She noted that the Australian government was not informed of its citizens' detention until late in the evening of September 28, through Vietnamese media rather than official channels.

Hồ Phạm Hiệp is known for his human rights activism and co-founded Em Việt, an organization assisting victims of human trafficking. His wife emphasized that neither he nor Nguyễn Đức Thuận intended to travel to Vietnam, and their trip to Cambodia was solely for meeting human rights activists.

On September 28, the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security announced the arrests of three individuals, including Hiệp and Thuận, claiming they entered Vietnam illegally with the intent to engage in terrorist activities. The ministry stated that they were apprehended while crossing the border into Tây Ninh province.

In response, a spokesperson for the Việt Tân organization accused the Vietnamese government of kidnapping its members in Cambodia. Nguyễn Phong, a representative of Việt Tân, asserted that the detained individuals were involved in peaceful human rights activities and had no plans to return to Vietnam, calling the accusations of illegal entry absurd.

The families of the detained individuals have alerted the Australian and Norwegian governments, urging them to investigate the situation and engage with Cambodian authorities. They have also filed a complaint with the UN working group on enforced disappearances.

Human rights lawyer Nguyễn Văn Đài, currently in political asylum in Germany, commented on the situation, recalling previous cases of Vietnamese citizens who disappeared abroad under similar circumstances. He expressed concern that the Vietnamese government would pursue prosecution against the detained individuals, predicting long prison sentences.

The unfolding events highlight the ongoing tensions surrounding Việt Tân and the Vietnamese government's stance on dissent and political opposition.

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