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| This undated picture shows pro-democracy activist Nguyen Quoc Quan being detained in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. |
"My husband said that even after months in prison he was better off and freer than the Vietnamese people today," said Ngo. "He said that to do something good you have to be ready to pay a price."
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Vietnam deports U.S. activist
- Nguyen Quoc Quan was originally charged with terrorism
- Charges later reduced to subversion
- Nguyen did not admit to wrongdoing, wife says
By Brian Walker, CNN
January 31, 2013
(CNN) -- A pro-democracy activist released from a
Vietnamese prison was on his way to his California home after nine months in
detention, according to his family.
Nguyen Quoc Quan, who holds a U.S. passport, was
arrested April 17, 2012, at Ho Chi Min City's Tan Son Nhat International
Airport. He was originally charged with terrorism and attempting to overthrow
the government, but those charges were later reduced to subversion.
His deportation Wednesday was a surprise, following
the postponement of his trial last week.
State media said that Nguyen, 58, of Elk Grove,
California, admitted to taking part in illegal activities and was flown out
Vietnam for humanitarian reasons.
But the activist's wife said that when he called her
before leaving Vietnam, Nguyen denied ever admitting to wrongdoing and said
that he was not finished working for democracy there.
Nguyen's family and U.S.-based legal counsel welcomed
the news.
"Dr. Quan's release comes as a major and
wonderful surprise, given that the government has on trial 22 people right now
for subversion, and recently convicted 14 others of similar charges based on
protected advocacy of nonviolent democratic reform," said Linda Malone, a
professor at William & Mary Law School in Virginia.
"There is no question that the media attention,
public outrage and efforts of the State Department were critical in preventing
conviction of a U.S. citizen for exercising a clearly protected human right to
freedom of speech and thought," she said in a statement.
Nguyen's wife, Ngo Mai Huong, said Nguyen had gone to
Vietnam planning to visit his younger sister and talk about democracy and the
rule of law.
Ngo told CNN that she got a phone call early Wednesday
from a U.S. consular official, who told her that she "had better sit
down" before he delivered some news.
"I thought that it had to do with his health or
that something had gone wrong at the trial," she said from California.
"Instead, he said my husband was on a plane headed home and I couldn't
speak. I just cried and cried."
Nguyen was "an important member of
leadership" in the Viet Tan democracy organization, says the group's
spokesperson, Duy Hoang.
The former high school teacher went to Vietnam in
April to meet with other grassroots democracy activists, but was arrested at
the airport on arrival, Duy said.
According to a report published last year in the
Communist Youth Union-run Tuoi Tre news, "police caught (Nguyen) bringing
documents on terrorist training to allegedly incite demonstrations in Ho Chi
Minh City as well as other provinces and cities" during festivities
marking the reunification of North and South Vietnam and May Day.
Vietnam's Security Ministry determined that Nguyen planned
to hold a "demonstration and terrorist activities planned by ... Viet
Tan," said a report in the state-run Vietnam News Agency.
"The government detained him because he was
opposed to them," said Duy. "But when they couldn't substantiate the
terrorism charges against him first they dropped them to subversion and then
ultimately they just released him because the publicity and political pressure
from the U.S. and politicians in Washington was too strong."
The Viet Tan group -- which has offices in California,
Japan, Australia and France -- says on its website it is "committed to
peaceful, nonviolent struggle" to defend human rights and promote
democracy despite what it calls a "backward dictatorship."
This was not the first time Quan had been detained in Vietnam.
He was released in 2008 after serving six months in
prison for a terrorism conviction, according to Tuoi Tre news. Viet Tan said in
that case he'd actually been detained in November 2007 "for distributing
materials promoting nonviolent tactics for civil resistance."
But Nguyen appears ready to keep up his pressure for
reforms.
3 comments:
VC gov't has no conscience. They are atheis, they don't believe in God or sin. They murdered some hundreds of thousands of Christains during world war II. But now, time has changed as more and more VC beginning to accept Catholic/Christain as a way of life. As a result of this, their country has become a much better place to live but still alot more yet need to be done e,g. VC is still a dictator state where no one can have a say. But at the same time they are able to work together as a team in order to show to the world that they are a strong nation. So, in a way no matter what happened, they are able to collaborate with one another for the benefit of the nation. Unlike Hun Sin, he doesn't have any value in his leadership role. His attitude is like 'I am the boss and I do whatever I like'. But in Vietnam, make no mistake, they all are the boss, they would make certain agreement before any action can be taken. They would not devalue their own people are system. Whereas Hun Sin he devalues all of his opponents, instead of using the skills of conformity. What a shame>>>>>>>>>>>
VCs hate dissidents, but they are still more humane than idiot Hun Sen. WHy is Hun Sen not learning this from his master? Is he too dumb ?
Mike long lost buddy back in the 60's.
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