Y Quynh Bđăp
Y Quynh Bđăp is a member of the Ede ethnic group from Đắk Lắk province, one of the Montagnard indigenous peoples native to Vietnam's Central Highlands,[1][2][3] who co-founded the Montagnards Stand for Justice organization that supports freedom of religion and Montagnard rights.[4] Recognized as a political refugee by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Y Quynh lived in Thailand between 2018 and his extradition in 2025.
2024 arrest
[edit]In January 2024, the Vietnamese government convicted Y Quynh in absentia of terrorism charges in connection to the 2023 Đắk Lắk attacks, sentencing him to 10 years in prison.[5][4]
On 11 June 2024, Y Quynh was arrested by immigration police in Bangkok[6] and held at Bangkok Remand Prison. In October 2024, Quynh's extradition to Vietnam was approved by the Criminal Court in Bangkok,[1] whose decision was criticized by Thailand's National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and Human Rights Watch (HRW) which both state that he faces torture if extradited.[3][7][8]
On 28 November 2025, according to his lawyer, Y Quynh was extradited to Vietnam.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Thai Court Grants Request for Extradition of Montagnard Activist to Vietnam". thediplomat.com. Retrieved 2024-10-20.
- ^ "Quốc tế kêu gọi bảo vệ Y Quynh Bđăp sau tuyên bố mới của Việt Nam". BBC News Tiếng Việt (in Vietnamese). 2024-10-19. Retrieved 2024-10-20.
- ^ a b "Vietnamese dissident's arrest raises alarm". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 2024-10-20.
- ^ a b "Court approves extradition of Vietnamese activist". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 2024-10-20.
- ^ "Rights groups urge Thailand not to extradite Vietnamese activist, saying he's at risk if sent home". AP News. 2024-06-13. Retrieved 2024-10-20.
- ^ "Vụ Y Quynh Bđăp: 'Phép thử' cho ông Tô Lâm và tân thủ tướng Thái Lan?". BBC News Tiếng Việt (in Vietnamese). 2024-10-10. Retrieved 2024-10-20.
- ^ "Rights groups urge Thailand to release Vietnamese activist, saying he faces torture if extradited". AP News. 2024-10-18. Retrieved 2024-10-20.
- ^ "US lawmakers back Vietnamese activist held in Thailand". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 2024-10-20.
- ^ "Thailand extradites a Vietnamese activist despite concerns from rights groups". AP News. Retrieved 1 December 2025.