Vietnamese Americans are rallying to the support of an activist arrested after he orchestrated an air drop of 50,000 anti-communist leaflets in Ho Chi Minh City.
Thai officials arrested Ly Tong, 50, of New Orleans, alleging that he coerced a pilot he had hired for flying lessons to fly into Vietnam so Tong could toss out the leaflets Nov. 16, the eve of President Clinton's visit to Vietnam.
About 250 residents of the Little Saigon neighborhood of Westminster have formed a committee to free Tong, a writer and naturalized U.S. citizen who was a pilot with the former South Vietnamese armed forces. Similar efforts have begun in Vietnamese American areas of Houston and San Jose.
"He is seen as a hero, not a thug," said Van Vo, producer of the Vietnamese American radio program "Living in America." "He fights for human rights for a country, something that no one else dares to do, and should be released."
On Friday, about a dozen Little Saigon community leaders plan to meet with Royal Thai Consul General Piyawat Niyomrerks in Los Angeles to seek Tong's release.
The leaflets Tong dropped encouraged the Vietnamese people to stage a march for freedom during Clinton's visit, and said Vietnamese Americans would support their actions. It was the third such drop for <
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guestb9f37c5dff62bb8e88157dfb said:
Ahem. Irizarry said that he currently runs the office.
Dirk van Ulden said:
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guestb9f37c5dff62bb8e88157dfb said:
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