Key Events * Cross-Border Repression Fears Intensify as Thailand Returns Y Quỳnh B’Đăp to Việt Nam; * Government Struggles to Respond
The major works of writer Doãn Quốc Sỹ (1923–2025) effectively capture the inner world of Vietnamese intellectuals of his
On March 17, 2023, environmental lawyer Đặng Đình Bách, imprisoned in Việt Nam since 2021, began a partial hunger strike.
In a deeply alarming development for refugee protection in Southeast Asia, the Thai authorities have confirmed that Montagnard activist Y Quỳnh B’Đăp—a UN-recognized refugee and one of the founders of the human rights group Montagnards Stand for Justice—was forcibly returned to Viet Nam on Nov. 28, despite ongoing efforts by his lawyers and human rights organizations to determine his whereabouts and halt any transfer.
On Nov. 29, while lawyers and advocates were still seeking access to B’Đăp and attempting to clarify whether he remained in Thai custody, a complaint was filed with Thailand’s Office of the Attorney General's Center for the Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance, citing grave concerns that he was at risk of refoulement—an act prohibited under international law.
Shortly after the complaint was submitted, the Royal Thai Police informed the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances that B’Đăp had already been handed over to Vietnamese authorities the previous day. No prior public notification was made. His legal representatives, who had filed urgent petitions requesting the Thai government to halt any extradition or transfer, were not given access to him and received no official confirmation during the period he was missing.
B’Đăp, a prominent advocate for the rights of the Montagnard indigenous minority in Việt Nam’s Central Highlands, had been in Thailand since 2018 seeking political asylum. However, the Vietnamese authorities accused him of involvement in the June 2023 Đăk Lăk attacks, a charge he and rights groups have consistently rejected as politically motivated.
Human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and the UN Special Procedures on Human Rights, have repeatedly warned that any forced return of B’Đăp would place him at serious risk of torture, incommunicado detention, and an unfair trial.
Thailand, although not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, is bound by the Convention Against Torture, which strictly prohibits returning any individual to a country where they face a substantial risk of harm.
The sudden transfer of a recognized refugee—without due process, without allowing legal counsel access, and before the resolution of formal complaints—has raised immediate concerns about Thailand’s compliance with its international obligations.
Advocates say the manner of B’Đăp’s removal bears the characteristics of an enforced disappearance, a practice in which individuals are deprived of liberty and transferred across borders without transparency. His current location inside Việt Nam, his legal status, and the conditions of his detention are unknown.
Human rights groups have been urgently calling for:
Further details will be reported as they become available.
Việt Nam’s central government has ordered a full investigation into the deadly flash floods and landslides that struck the South Central Coast this month, as questions mount over disaster readiness, hydropower management, and the absence of timely evacuation warnings.
On the morning of Nov. 26, Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà instructed ministries and local authorities to identify the causes of the disaster and determine the responsibilities of all individuals and organizations involved.
The call for accountability comes after catastrophic flooding in the former Phú Yên Province left at least 63 people dead, eight missing, and submerged roughly 150,000 homes. Initial estimates place economic losses at nearly 5.5 trillion đồng ($209 million), making it one of the most destructive floods the region has experienced in decades.
At the center of public scrutiny is the Ba Hạ River hydropower plant, whose sudden and unprecedented release of water is widely believed to have intensified the disaster.
On the morning of Nov. 19, the plant discharged 9,233 cubic meters of water per second downstream as the reservoir level reached 104.96 meters, with inflows of 9,600 cubic meters per second. By 11:30 a.m. the same day, the discharge increased sharply to 12,970 cubic meters per second.
The situation deteriorated rapidly. At 1:20 p.m., the reservoir reached 105 meters, with 14,100 cubic meters per second flowing into the dam; downstream discharge reached 14,056 cubic meters per second. By late afternoon, inflows surged to 16,120 cubic meters per second, and the total volume released downstream climbed to 16,100 cubic meters per second — the highest discharge rate since Ba Hạ began operation.
The torrent overwhelmed communities in mere minutes. Floodwaters rose so fast in early morning hours that residents in nearby wards and communes — including Tuy Hòa, Hòa Thịnh, and Phú Yên — had virtually no time to evacuate.
Entire neighborhoods were swallowed by water within an hour of the first release, trapping families inside their homes and forcing many to climb onto rooftops.
A major point of contention is the apparent absence of early warning and evacuation orders. Advanced notice to residents in high-risk zones is a fundamental part of Vietnam’s disaster-preparedness protocols. However, this was precisely the point where the system appeared to fail.
State media published no information about when — or whether — evacuation directives were issued prior to the massive discharge. As late as the evening of Nov. 18, online pages associated with local authorities, such as the Hòa Thịnh Commune Police and Đắk Lắk Provincial Police, carried no warnings, alerts, or evacuation instructions related to Ba Hạ’s impending release.
When the floodwaters finally struck, rescue forces were unable to immediately reach the hardest-hit areas. Before official rescue teams could arrive, residents trapped in inundated neighborhoods were forced to rescue one another using makeshift boats, ropes, and improvised equipment.
As Việt Nam confronts the scale of devastation, calls for transparency, accountability, and a reexamination of hydropower and disaster-management practices are growing louder.
The government’s investigation may determine not only the technical causes behind the tragedy but also whether systemic failures in communication and emergency planning cost lives that could have been saved.
Việt Nam has awarded approximately $43 million in 5G contracts to China’s telecom giants Huawei and ZTE, marking a notable shift toward Beijing’s technology even as Western rivals remain active in the country’s digital build-out, Reuters reports.
According to sources familiar with the matter, a consortium including Huawei secured a $23 million contract in April, shortly after Washington imposed tariffs on Vietnamese goods. Meanwhile, ZTE landed two antenna-system contracts totaling over $20 million, including one awarded just last week.
State-owned operators appear to favour Chinese suppliers for secondary 5G infrastructure components, while core 5G network contracts continue to go to Western firms such as Ericsson, Nokia, and chipmaker Qualcomm.
The deals come amid growing scepticism in Western capitals. U.S. and European officials warn that integrating Chinese 5G equipment into Việt Nam’s telecom infrastructure could pose security and supply-chain risks, potentially undermining trust in the country’s digital backbone.
For Hà Nội, the shift reflects a pragmatic recalibration: balancing economic diplomacy with China, maintaining a critical role in regional supply chains, and navigating increasingly tense trade relations with the United States. As Việt Nam deepens ties with Beijing, the new 5G contracts suggest technology infrastructure may become a new frontier of influence — and contention.
On Nov. 24, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia issued an official rebuttal to a widely shared social-media post claiming that Phú Quốc Island in Việt Nam was being connected by a new sea bridge from Cambodia, Asia News Network reports.
The viral post, accompanied by a coastal construction photo, alleged that Vietnam was building a 4.7 km sea route to Hà Tiên General Port — plus an extra 7 km stretch toward Tiên Hai Island, roughly 30 km from Phú Quốc.
According to the ministry’s statement, the image is misleading: it actually shows ongoing construction of a road to the multifunctional port in Hà Tiên City — entirely within Vietnamese territory. Both the Vietnamese ambassador in Phnom Penh and the Vietnamese Embassy confirmed that no sea-bridge or cross-border maritime project exists.
The ministry cautioned that the distribution of such false information could sow public misunderstanding and damage the traditionally friendly relations between Cambodia and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. It urged users to refrain from sharing unverified claims that could inflame cross-border sensitivities.
The episode occurs amid growing concerns in Southeast Asia over the rapid spread of misinformation online. In response, Phnom Penh’s foreign ministry emphasized the importance of responsible information sharing, especially on issues with diplomatic and regional repercussions.
For Hà Nội and Phnom Penh — both neighbors with intertwined histories and shared maritime agreements like the 1982 Cambodia–Vietnam Agreement on Historical Waters — guarding against unfounded rumors is essential to preserving trust. The Cambodian government’s swift denial underscores how quickly a baseless claim can ripple through public opinion and risk undermining carefully maintained bilateral goodwill.
The ministry concluded its statement with a plea to the public and media consumers to verify claims before reposting. It warned that “the spread of such false information must stop” to safeguard the friendly ties between the two countries.
Land-rights activist Nguyễn Thị Tâm, a member of the Dương Nội Village, was reportedly released from prison on Nov. 24, 2025, roughly seven months before completing her six-year sentence under Article 117. Social media posts in Việt Nam circulated images and testimony indicating that she was released early. Tâm, arrested in June 2020 for her outspoken activism against land seizures in Dương Nội, a village near Hà Nội, had earlier reported harsh treatment and threats while in detention. The authorities have not yet issued any public statement confirming the circumstances of her release.
Human rights defender Phạm Thanh Nghiên wrote on her Facebook post that the family of political prisoner Đỗ Minh Hiền informed her that Hiền was transferred from Ninh Bình Detention Center back to Ba Sao Prison (in Nam Hà city) on Nov. 28, 2025.
In late September, the Ninh Bình People’s Court sentenced Hiền to an additional 18 months in prison for “resisting officers on duty,” even as he was already serving a six-year term for “propaganda against the state.” After activist Trịnh Bá Phương, Hiền is the second prisoner to receive another sentence while incarcerated.
Hiền, 68, a former state official, was arrested in July 2023 for sending commentaries on Marxism–Leninism to Communist Party leaders and state agencies, urging Vietnam to abandon socialism for national progress. Although he never published his writings online, he was still given a six-year sentence for “anti-state propaganda.” His health has deteriorated significantly; he suffers from hypertension, diabetes, and declining vision.
A planned US-Vietnam resort under The Trump Organization — billed as a $1.5 billion “mega project” — is moving slowly, according to a recent investigation, The Wall Street Journal reports. Local developers tied to the venture have a track record of failed projects. As delays mount, doubts are growing over whether the resort will ever materialize — raising fresh questions about the risks of high-profile branding deals in Vietnam’s volatile property market.
Asia Sentinel/Correspondent/Nov. 26
“The term ‘prisoner of conscience’ is not new in Vietnam’s public discourse, but the case of Trịnh Bá Phương highlights a deepening and aggressive wound in the country’s human rights record. Phương’s story is a stark demonstration of how, in a single-party state, genuine social criticism is systematically reframed as an act of treason, effectively erasing the boundaries between legitimate civil society and criminality.”
Key Events * Severe Floods in Central Việt Nam Leave 55 Dead, Cause Widespread Damage as More Rain Approaches; * Ministry of
Key Events * Last-Minute Speaker Purge Mars International Vietnam Studies Conference; * New Seat Plan Boosts Central, Military and Police Power in
Key Events * Party Central Committee Delays Leadership Decisions; * Hà Nội’s New Party Chief Signals the Consolidation of Tô Lâm’
Key Events * Human Rights Advocates Condemn Việt Nam’s Detention of BBC Journalist During Tô Lam’s UK Visit; * Court
Vietnam's independent news and analyses, right in your inbox.
