In 1925 Phan Boi Chau was arrested upon arriving in Canton, to which he had been invited by Ho (or as he was then known Nguyen Ai Quoc). As Phan was a childhood friend and mentor of Ho's as well as a fellow supporter of Vietnamese independence what was the motivation behind Ho organising the arrest of Phan at the hands of the French? Am I missing some kind of context? I would very much appreciate if anyone could explain this.
Thanks in advance.
First off, during this period in his life Ho Chi Minh went by Ly Thuy, posing as a Chinese man. The motive behind his potential betrayal of Phan Boi Chau was a desire to gain the lead role in the eyes of Russian communists, as well as support Ho's own brand of anti-French movement. If Ho actually committed this act, it is assumed that Ho believed that Phan's arrest would spur anti-French protest as well.
However, it is unlikely that Ho Chi Minh ever betrayed Phan Boi Chau. As stated, the two were boyhood friends, pursuing the same anti-French and pro-communist (slash nationalist in Ho's case) goals. A traitor named Lam Duc Thu's report of the comings and goings of Phan since 1924 refute the assumption that Ho outright betrayed Phan. In Ho's own letters to Phan the two got along well, with Phan even placing his trust in Ho for the future of the anti-communist movement, praising Ho for being well-studied from various countries. Ho saw Phan as a valuable asset to the campaign, and Phan thought the same of Ho as well. There were rivalries during the anti-French movement, sure, but Phan Boi Chau and Ly Thuy does not seem to be one of them.
Ho Chi Minh: The Missing Years, 1919-1941 by Sophie Quinn-Judge.