VUWSA Stages Sit-In at Vietnamese Embassy

Following recent reporting by Stuff and Salient on the case of the Vietnamese delegation accused of indecent assault against two waitstaff at Saigon restaurant in 2024, and the subsequent announcement that New Zealand will not pursue extradition of the accused men the Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association (VUWSA) and Ali Cook staged a peaceful Sit-in at 1.30pm on Friday 3 October at the Vietnamese Embassy in Wellington.

A spokesperson for Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has said his thoughts remain with the victims, noting:

“It’s disappointing that Police requests for extradition have been unsuccessful – clearly it is not the outcome we wanted.”

In response, VUWSA and Cook are calling on the Vietnamese Government to work in good faith with New Zealand Police to reopen the extradition process, and to ensure that the two men wanted for police interviews are returned to face New Zealand’s justice system.

The sit-in highlighted:

● The need for stronger cooperation between New Zealand and Vietnamese authorities.

● The importance of supporting survivors and ensuring accountability, regardless of political or diplomatic complexities.

Ali Cook and VUWSA urge the Vietnamese Government to demonstrate accountability by engaging directly with Police requests and facilitating the extradition process.