On 28 November Thai authorities handed UN-recognised refugee Y Quynh Bdap over to Vietnamese officials who had travelled to Thailand after Bdap’s appeal against his extradition was denied by a Thai judge on 26 November.  

Shortly after the handover, Bdap was flown to Vietnam, where he faces 10 years in prison on spurious terrorism charges. Bdap’s current whereabouts are unknown; his lawyers, family and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) have not received any updates since he was handed over to Vietnamese officials. 

Bdap’s refoulement occurred despite strong international pressure to halt the extradition. In October 2024, 12 UN Special Procedures sent an allegation letter to the government of Thailand, highlighting concerns that his extradition would violate international law, as Bdap faces well-founded fears of torture, arbitrary detention and he was sentenced in a rushed trial that did not meet international standards of fairness and independence. 

The judge’s order required that Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul sign off on the extradition. It is unclear whether this occurred. Bdap’s lawyers believe proxy authority was given to a member of his cabinet, as the prime minister was in southern Thailand responding to severe flood damage. 

Bdap is the founder of the Montagnard Stand for Justice (MSFJ) human rights organisation, which was designated a terrorist group by Vietnamese state media on 6 March 2024. Prior to this designation, Bdap had been charged in absentia along with nearly 100 other members of the Montagnard ethnic group in connection with various terrorism-related charges. 

Bdap has been recognised as a refugee by the UNHCR. However, in September 2024, a judge ruled that he could be returned to Vietnam in a hearing attended by various human rights observers, local and international NGOs, representatives of several embassies, and staff from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. 

The government of Thailand faced heavy criticism and condemnation in February 2025, when a group of 40 Uyghurs were illegally and forcibly returned to China. Uyghurs in China face torture, arbitrary detention, destruction of cultural sites, forced labour, and severe restrictions on freedom of religion and assembly. 

The UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief Dr. Nazila Ghanea told CSW: ‘Returning individuals to a country where they face persecution or torture is a grave violation of international law. Non-refoulement is a cornerstone of human rights protection, and states must uphold it without exception. I am dismayed by Y Quynh Bdap’s extradition from Thailand in violation of customary international law.’ 

CSW’s CEO Scot Bower said: ‘Y Quynh Bdap’s extradition to Vietnam is an egregious and flagrant breach of international law. Thailand is a willing and hospitable co-conspirator in Vietnam’s transnational repression of a UNHCR-recognised refugee. This was coordinated at lightning speed—and over the weekend—making it impossible for governments and advocates to intervene. Despite Thailand and Vietnam being members of the UN Human Rights Council, the refoulement of Mr Bdap makes a mockery of both governments’ commitments and obligations to uphold the highest standards of international law and respect for universal human rights. Both must be held accountable for their actions.’ 

Note to Editors:  

1. The majority of Vietnam’s Montagnard community are Christians and live in the country’s central highlands. The community has a long history of conflict with the Vietnamese government and have faced intense harassment and intimidation since a June 2023 attack on provincial Communist party offices in Dak Lak that left nine dead, including local party officials and police.