Melbourne human rights activist disappears in Cambodia as wife urges Albanese government help

September 28, 2026 • World • Guardian World • 1 min read

Summary

An Australian-Vietnamese human rights activist, Tran Hiep, has gone missing in Cambodia since September 18 after a trip to Phnom Penh. His wife has asked the Australian government to help find him and pressure Cambodia to investigate his disappearance.

Key Facts

Tran Hiep is a 50-year-old Australian Vietnamese democracy activist and IT professional.
He disappeared after traveling to Cambodia to meet with other human rights defenders.
He was supposed to fly from Phnom Penh to Bangkok but never boarded the flight.
His wife, Chloe Dang, has not heard from him since September 18 and is very worried.
Tran Hiep co-founded the Australian Alliance to Combat Human Trafficking.
He traveled with another activist, Nguyen Duc Thuan, who also went missing.
Viet Tan, a pro-democracy group, said these disappearances are linked to political repression.
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs is providing help to the family but is limited in public details.
The families have asked the United Nations to investigate the case as an enforced disappearance.