Australian Man and Colleague Go Missing in Cambodia, Fears of Transnational Repression

A Melbourne man and his Norwegian Vietnamese colleague have gone missing in Cambodia, sparking concerns of transnational repression by Vietnamese authorities. Hiep Tran, 50, and Duc Thuan Nguyen, 52, were last heard from on September 18, after travelling to Phnom Penh to meet Vietnamese human rights activists.

The pro-democracy group Viet Tan has alleged that the pair were abducted by Vietnamese authorities and forcibly taken to Vietnam, in what it calls "an act of transnational repression". According to Viet Tan, Vietnamese state media reported that the men had been detained and allegedly confessed to being members of the group, which the Vietnamese government considers a terrorist organisation.

"Investigation is underway to clarify the criminal conduct of the suspects to handle that case in accordance with the law,"

However, Viet Tan has rejected this account, saying the men had no intention of entering Vietnam and were abducted in Cambodia, then forcibly taken across the border. The group has called on the Australian and Norwegian governments to urgently request direct access to the men to confirm their condition and safety.

Viet Tan has expressed concern that Vietnamese authorities are using their security apparatus to pursue and repress activists and foreign nationals beyond Vietnam's borders. The group has also urged both governments and international human rights organisations to pressure the Vietnamese government for the men's immediate and unconditional release.

"Viet Tan is particularly concerned that To Lam's police state is using its security apparatus to pursue and repress activists and foreign nationals even beyond Vietnam's borders,"

The family of Hiep Tran has expressed fears for his safety, with his wife Chloe Dang saying she had lodged a missing person's report in Cambodia and was liaising with Australian consular officials. She said her husband was a passionate human rights activist and she feared he and Duc Thuan Nguyen were targeted or kidnapped because of their advocacy.

"He always knew there was a risk doing human rights work, but we never thought that this would happen,"

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was providing consular assistance to the family of the Australian reported missing in Cambodia, but could not comment further due to privacy obligations.

Phong Nguyen, who represents Viet Tan in Australia, said Hiep Tran was a long-time advocate who trained activists in digital security and had previously worked in IT for a large bank and for Telstra. He said the men's disappearance was not a normal tourist disappearance and that something must have happened very quickly that they couldn't alert anyone.

"What's concerning is that this is not a normal tourist disappearing while travelling,"

Mr. Nguyen also pointed to a rise in transnational repression, where governments targeted critics abroad, claiming there had been a significant increase in the past year in overseas Vietnamese nationals being "captured, kidnapped" and sentenced.