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Thailand Extradites Vietnamese Activist Y Quynh Bdap Despite Rights Warnings; Lawyer Says He 'Disappeared' from Custody

Thai authorities extradited Vietnamese activist Y Quynh Bdap to Vietnam despite warnings from rights groups that he could face persecution. His lawyer says Bdap "disappeared" from Thai custody after being transferred to police and that his current location is unknown. Bdap, a co‑founder of Montagnards Stand for Justice, denies charges linking him to deadly 2023 clashes and was convicted in absentia and sentenced to 10 years. Human Rights Watch condemned the extradition as part of a pattern of transnational repression.

03:18 PM, 12/01/2025Politics

BANGKOK — Thai authorities handed over Y Quynh Bdap, a Vietnamese activist who had been held in Bangkok since last year, to Vietnamese officials on Friday, his lawyer said. His current whereabouts are unknown, and his lawyer has described the handover as a possible enforced disappearance in violation of Thai anti‑torture and disappearance laws.

Lawyer's account and legal steps

Nadthasiri Bergman, Bdap’s lawyer, told reporters that Bdap "disappeared from the custody of Thai authorities on Friday, and as of now, we still don’t know his whereabouts." The Department of Corrections said it transferred Bdap from a Bangkok prison to police custody after the Court of Appeal upheld a lower court order to extradite him to Vietnam.

Who is Bdap and the charges

Bdap, 33, is a co‑founder of Montagnards Stand for Justice, an organization that advocates for the rights of Vietnam’s Montagnard ethnic minority communities. Vietnamese authorities accused him of organizing anti‑government unrest in Dak Lak province in 2023 that they say left nine people dead, including police officers and government officials. Bdap has consistently denied the allegations, saying his work is peaceful human rights advocacy focused on religious freedom and documenting abuses.

"I am a human rights activist fighting for religious freedom and advocating for people's rights," Bdap said in a video released shortly before his detention. "My activities are peaceful, consisting only of collecting and writing reports on human rights violations in Vietnam."

According to his lawyer, Bdap went into hiding in Thailand after learning Vietnamese authorities were seeking information about him but was detained in Bangkok in June 2024. He was later convicted in absentia in Vietnam on terrorism charges and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

International concerns

Human Rights Watch and other rights groups have criticized Thailand for returning dissidents to countries where they may face persecution, calling the practice a form of "transnational repression." Sunai Phasuk, Asia adviser for Human Rights Watch, said the extradition was "appalling" and warned it undermines Thailand’s human rights standing, especially while it serves on international human rights bodies.

Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang rejected criticism that the trials of those involved in the 2023 clashes amounted to a crackdown on ethnic minorities.

Current status

Thai authorities have not provided public details about Bdap’s transfer or his current location. Rights groups and his legal team are calling for transparency, documentation of the transfer, and assurances that he will not face torture or enforced disappearance.

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