A Vietnamese blogger for Radio Free Asia (RFA) has gone missing one day after seeking asylum in Thailand, the Washington-based broadcaster has said on Wednesday.
“Truong Duy Nhat, who often criticised the Vietnamese communist government, went to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Bangkok on January 25 to apply for refugee status,’’ RFA said on Tuesday, citing “exile sources.”
The broadcaster said he last made contact with RFA editors on January 26 and has not been heard from since.
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“We are extremely concerned about his safety and well-being.
“We hope to hear from him as soon as possible about his whereabouts and to be assured that he’s not in any danger,’’ RFA president Libby Liu said.
Nhat served two years in prison beginning in 2014 for publishing criticism of the Vietnamese government.
His last post on RFA suggested changes in Vietnam following anti-government demonstrations in Venezuela.
According to the RFA, which provides news to a number of Asian countries with limited press freedom, Nhat’s disappearance has raised concerns over his possible abduction and sent a “chill’’ through the Vietnamese refugee community in Thailand.
Thailand does not recognise the status of refugees or asylum seekers, who are generally treated as illegal immigrants and consequently incarcerated.
The South-East Asian country is also known to overlook human rights issues in favour of relations with oppressive regimes, with the most prominent case being the current detention and possible extradition of Melbourne footballer Hakeem al-Araibi back to his native Bahrain. (NAN)
