The 41-year-old blogger and asylum seeker, also known as Thai Van Duong, was last seen by his neighbours leaving his home in Bangkok on April 13 at around 11 am. During the day, Thai was live-streaming on YouTube, discussing the recent trial of fellow Vietnamese journalist Nguyen Lan Thang.
Later that day calls and texts to his phone went unanswered. On Friday, April 14, neighbours and friends said he did not answer the door when they attended his residence.
On April 16, Vietnamese police confirmed they had arrested a person entering Vietnam from Laos without identification, claiming his name was Duong Van Thai. These reports have been refuted by Thai’s friends, who believe he had no intention of returning to Vietnam.
According to Thai’s close friends, upon inspection of the blogger’s house on Monday, important items including his identification, wallet, bank cards, and laptop all remained inside. His recently renewed United Nations refugee card also remained, which confirms his refugee status according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
The blogger is currently detained in a prison in the northern province of Ha Tinh in Vietnam.
Thai, who has more than 119,000 followers on his YouTube channel, fled Vietnam in 2018 to Thailand, fearing for his life after publishing remarks critical of the Vietnamese government and leaders of the Communist Party. He has since been living in Bangkok under refugee status.
Before his disappearance, Thai’s final live-stream on YouTube discussed the trial of Vietnamese blogger Nguyen Lan Thang, who was sentenced to six years in prison on April 12, including two years of house arrest after the initial jail term is served.
The IFJ said, “Duong Van Thai’s abduction demonstrates the significant danger faced by Vietnamese journalists and sets a grave precedent for the safety of overseas media workers. Repressive and severe punishments in Vietnam for critical and independent journalism mean Thai will likely face persecution for his work. The IFJ condemns the abduction and detention of Thai and calls on Vietnamese authorities to ensure his immediate release and allow his return to Thailand.”