(MOFA) - Following the meeting between Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh and Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman on the sideline of the recent ASEAN Ministerial Meeting Retreat, on February 25th 2017 the Malaysian side agreed to grant the representative of the Embassy of Vietnam in Malaysia a consular access to the suspect bearing Vietnamese passport in connection with the death of a Korean national.

Accordingly, in the morning of February 25th 2017, representative from the Embassy of Vietnam in Malaysia made a consular visit to the suspect and was able to confirm the suspect is a Vietnamese, her name is Doan Thi Huong, born in 1988 in Nam Dinh Province. Doan Thi Huong appeared then to be in stable health condition. In the meeting with the Embassy official, Doan Thi Huong said that she had been tricked and thought she was taking part in a prank for a comedy video.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has instructed the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia to request the Malaysian side to handle the case in accordance with Malaysian law as well as international law and practice. The Embassy was also instructed to seek procedures in order to provide legal support as well as to ensure the legitimate rights for the Vietnamese citizen.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other Vietnamese authorities will work closely with the Malaysian authorities in the ongoing process to investigate the case.