Source: Amnesty International –
In response to reports of cooperation between Thai and Vietnamese authorities that led to the arrest and detention of anti-corruption activist Le Chi Thanh, currently held at Bangkok’s Suan Phlu Immigration Detention Centre in Thailand, Amnesty International’s Co-Regional Director Montse Ferrer said:
“The detention of Le Chi Thanh is the latest troubling instance of transnational repression by Thai and Vietnamese authorities. The arbitrary revocation of Le Chi Thanh’s passport is alarming, indicating an attempt by Vietnamese authorities to coerce an activist living in exile into returning and then facing persecution.
“The Thai authorities must immediately release Le Chi Thanh and refrain from returning him to Viet Nam, where he could face serious human rights violations. We also call on the international community to publicly condemn the Vietnamese government for its ongoing cross-border efforts to silence peaceful dissent.
“No one should be returned to a country where they are at real risk of serious human rights violations. Any such return will breach the principle of non-refoulement as laid out in international human rights.”