Human Rights Watch urges Thailand to free Vietnamese activist, halt deportation

2026-03-14 - 10:33

BANGKOK — Human Rights Watch on 12 March urged Thai authorities to release Vietnamese anti-corruption activist Le Chi Thanh and ensure he is not forcibly returned to Vietnam, warning he could face arbitrary detention, torture and an unfair trial. Le Chi Thanh, 43, was arrested by Thai immigration police on 6 March at his home in Pathum Thani after Vietnamese authorities cancelled his passport, which invalidated his visa. He is currently being held at the Suan Phlu Immigration Detention Center while appealing an order to revoke his visa and deport him. “Returning Le Chi Thanh to Vietnam would place the outspoken anti-corruption activist in grave danger,” said Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. She urged Thai authorities to release him, reinstate his visa and ensure he is not deported. Human Rights Watch said Le Chi Thanh, a former Vietnamese police officer, used social media to expose alleged corruption in Vietnam and had previously been imprisoned over posts criticising authorities before travelling to Thailand in 2025. The group added that Thailand’s Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act and international obligations under the United Nations Convention Against Torture prohibit returning people to countries where they risk torture or persecution.