The Khmer-Krom people are the indigenous peoples of the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam. The land is inhabited by approximately 8 million people who remain deeply attached to their culture and traditions. However, the Vietnamese Communist government has for decades restricted the rights of Khmer‐Krom people, resulting in severe human rights violations, including land confiscation, social and economic marginalization, restrictions on learning their language, history and religious practices.
According to information received by UNPO, on November 18, 2025, the People’s Court of Region 12 in Vinh Long Province, Vietnam, held a closed-door trial and sentenced three Khmer-Krom human rights activists to three and a half years in prison on unclear charges.
Prior to the trial, Mr Thach Nga, Mr Thach Xuan Dong and Venerable Kim Som Rinh were arrested in March earlier this year on the charges of ‘abusing democratic freedoms’ linked to the Facebook posts the three used to raise human rights concerns affecting the Khmer-Krom community and criticise the Vietnamese government for ‘violating democracy and human rights.’ According to the anonymous witness, on their social media, they had also previously shared ‘books on human rights, indigenous rights, and the right to self-determination of ethnic groups.’
The activists had spent eight months in pre-trial detention without any access to legal representation and basic judicial safeguards, both of which are required under international human rights law. UNPO has previously expressed concerns highlighted by UN experts that some detainees are subjected to torture or other ill-treatment during pre-trial detention, while others are denied contact with their families and essential medical care.
Further allegations for the trial were based on Article 331 of Vietnam’s Penal Code, a widely criticised provision that is widely used to silence activists and target dissent.
Viet Nam remains a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council and is obligated to uphold the highest standards of human rights. Despite repeated appeals from KKF, the United Nations, and civil society partners urging Vietnam to uphold due process, the authorities proceeded with a trial that excluded public oversight. This is not an isolated incident, but a systematic effort to weaponize the country’s legal system to target activists and indigenous peoples and stifle fundamental freedoms.
UNPO and KKF urgently call the United Nations to engage in the dialogue with Vietnam and demand the immediate release Mr. Thach Nga, Venerable Kim Som Rinh, Mr. Thach Xuan Dong and all other Khmer-Krom activists who were illegally imprisoned. Furthermore, we jointly call for the termination of legal or any other forms of intimidation against the Khmer-Krom people.
We also call on the Vietnamese government to allow human rights officers from foreign embassies in Vietnam to conduct in-person visits with the detained Khmer-Krom human rights defenders to assess their well-being, treatment, and conditions of detention.
Additionally, UNPO urges the United Nations to pay attention to Article 331 of Vietnam’s Penal Code, which has been systematically employed to suppress those who are advocating for human rights in the country and raising concerns about state policies.
UNPO stands in full solidarity with Mr. Thach Nga, Mr. Thach Xuan Dong, and Venerable Kim Som Rinh, their families and all activists and human rights defenders. We also express full support to the Khmer-Krom people in their fight for justice, equality, and human dignity despite the mounting repression.
