Ly Tong

Lý Tống (born Le Van Tong in 1945 in Huế, South Vietnam) is a Vietnamese-American anti-communist pilot. [http://nationmultimedia.com/2007/04/09/headlines/headlines_30031497.php]

Early life

In 1965, at the age of 19, he served in the Republic of Vietnam Air Force. He was assigned to South Vietnam's "Black Eagle" Fighter Squadron.

In April 1975, during a combat mission his A-37 bomber was hit by a Soviet anti-aircraft rocket and he had to eject out of his bomber into North Vietnam. He was imprisoned for five years in a reeducation camp. He escaped through the jungles into Cambodia to Thailand and then made his way to Singapore to petition the United States Embassy for political asylum.

In Exile

In 1984, he immigrated to the United States and he received a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
] from then President Ronald Reagan for his struggle to attain freedom from captivity in Vietnam.

February 23, 2001 the Washington State Senate passed LYTONG'S SENATE RESOLUTION 8616 to honor Ly Tong for his courageous efforts to bring democracy and freedom to the Vietnamese People.

He attended the University of New Orleans earning a master's degree.

First Return to Vietnam

In the 1990s he decided to take up anti-communist activities, and in 1992, he allegedly hijacked a Vietnam Airlines airliner. Ly Tong's copilot claimed that he was forced to fly over Ho Chi Minh City so that Ly Tong could drop thousands of leaflets calling for insurrection against the communist government of Vietnam.

He parachuted and jumped from the plane, but he landed in a swamp and was apprehended by Vietnamese soldiers and sentenced to 20 years.

In 1998, the Vietnamese government released him as part of an amnesty program along with other democracy activists Doan Viet Hoat and Nguyen Dan Que.

First Trip to Cuba

On January 1, 2000, he flew over Havana, Cuba, and dropped leaflets encouraging the Cuban people to rise up and revolt against the government of Fidel Castro.

On his return to Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport in Florida, he was detained and questioned by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement but was released without charges. The Federal Aviation Administration suspended his pilots' license.

On his return to Florida, he was hailed a hero by some Cuban-Americans and there was a return parade for his flight over Cuba. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vv05wBQruGg&feature=related]

econd Return to Vietnam

On November 17, 2000, he and a copilot flew to Thailand, from where he flew to drop 50,000 pamphlets calling for armed demonstrations against the communist government of Vietnam over Ho Chi Minh City. [ [http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/05/18/national/national_30004309.php Brief taste of freedom for Ly Tong] , "The Nation", May 18, 2006.]

Upon his return to Thai airspace he was arrested and sentenced to seven years and four months in prison.

On March 28, 2006, Ly Tong went on a hunger strike at Rayong, a Thai prison near Bangkok. A hand written note from Ly Tong was given to a prison guard who later turned it over to James Code, a Senior Political Officer with the US Embassy in Thailand. "I will continue the hunger strike until I die to protest my extradition to Vietnam", Ly Tong said to his attorney. "I've already sent a letter to the Justice Minister of Thailand informing him of my situation. You will receive the document from me within 2-3 days. You must request that Mrs. Suthathip should speak to US congress. If on May 17, 2006, the Thai Government don't release me back to the USA, you will never see me again. When you receive my documents regarding my situation please make sure that the Bangkok Post and the Nation (English newspapers of Thailand) and the media so that the world can see for themselves the severity of my situation."

In March 2006, Marlene Shoemaker with the Office of Citizens Services Consular Affairs Bureau US Department of State has informed Tong's family about his desperate situation. "We have learned that the Government of Vietnam has requested Mr. Tong's extradition to Vietnam to be tried on certain charges , and that the Attorney General of Thailand has agreed to the extradition on one criminal count of "violating Vietnamese airspace", since the Attorney General has agreed to the extradition , we understand that the process is now in the hands of Thai trial judge, who must decide whether to approve the extradition". Some Vietnamese Americans and Exile Cubans have supported Ly Tong and put pressure on the Thailand government to release Ly Tong from prison and transfer him back to the United States.

On September 14, 2006, Thailand court system agreed to extradite Ly Tong to face charges of evidently violating Vietnam's territorial security in 2000 when he dumped anti-governmental pamphlets on Ho Chi Minh City. [http://rawstory.com/news/2006/Vietnam_welcomes_Thai_ruling_to_ext_09072006.html]

A Decision by Thailand’s court to extradite Ly Tong on September 14, 2006 sparks worldwide protests. Following Seattle, Houston, Los Angeles, San Jose, San Francisco ...Some overseas Vietnamese in Ottawa, Canada united to show their support for the pro-democracy political activist. They believed that Ly Tong, who is being extradited to a third country as Vietnam to face punishment by Vietnamese Authorities. Just in one week, thousands of Vietnamese-Americans protested at Thai Consulate worldwide. In the week from September 16 to September 21, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Bolsa Avenue to the city of Ottawa, Canada and Bonn, Germany to protest against extradition.

On September 26, 2006, the Thai court of appeals accepted an appeal from Ly Tong, and on April 3, 2007, the court overturned the lower court's decision to extradite and declared Ly Tong a free man. The ruling turned against the Criminal Court's ruling, which said Ly Tong's acts were purely a security related crime and allowed the extradition. However, the Appeal Court believed that his activities were politically motivated and did not allow the extradition. [ [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070403/ap_on_re_as/thailand_vietnam_dissident Thai court won't extradite Vietnamese] , Associated Press, retrieved 2007-04-03.]

"Little Saigon" hunger strike

On February 15, 2008 Ly Tong began a hunger strike from his lawn chair in front of San Jose City Hall to protest the city's decision to name a mile-long stretch of Story Road in San Jose the "Saigon Business District" instead of "Little Saigon". Ly Tong vowed to continue his hunger strike until the San Jose city council agreed to call the Story Road business district "Little Saigon". Tong claims he has survived as long as 2 1/2 months without eating in the past before falling into a coma. On March 5, 2008, the San Jose City Council rescinded its decision to call the Vietnamese retail area "Saigon Business District", and with a 7-4 vote, decided to give the retail area merchants and residents the right to ultimately determine the name of the primarily Vietnamese business district.

Tong vowed that the council's vote had only empowered him to continue. On March 6, 2008, Tong also resolved to forgo drinking liquids, stating, "I stopped drinking water so that I can fall into a coma. I want this resolved quickly." Tong, who claims to have endured several hunger strikes during his lifetime, says he doesn't want doctors to revive him if he falls into a coma. He stated that he believed that if he did so, President Bush and California state Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger would order the city to call the area "Little Saigon."

Tong ended his hunger strike on March 13, 2008, when San Jose city leaders approved the display of a privately funded community sign in the Story Road business district for up to 3 years. City officials did not stipulate the wording to be used on the sign - so the city is allowing but not endorsing the name "Little Saigon" - but backers said it will include those words. Some property owners on Story Road also agreed to place signs on their properties as well. Afterward, Tong drank three glasses of lemonade and sipped meat broth at the Pho Lan Noodle House across the street from city hall. Tong's brief remarks to the media after his victory: "Democracy has been restored in San Jose."Fact|date=July 2008

In South Korea

On 26 August 2008, Ly Tong rent a pilot for travel purpose. But a short time after taking off, he told the pilot to fly the airplane towards North Korea so as he would lay anti-communist leaflets to North Koreans. The pilot told him that due to the amount of fuel of the airplane, it had to land back in Seoul to refill more oil, himself sending an emergency hijacking signal to the airport authorities. Tong was briefly arrested by the airport authorities.

Quotes

* "You cannot enjoy yourself when your whole country is in pain, in torture," [http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/11/24/news/viet.php?page=1]
* "My case was dismissed by the US court. It is a symbolic act for freedom and democracy. I stand for human rights and democracy in Vietnam," [http://nationmultimedia.com/2007/04/09/headlines/headlines_30031497.php]
* "I am confident that the symbolic act, of which I am charged, will be seen by those living in free and democratic countries around the world, as patriotic in the fight for a free and democratic Vietnam" [http://nationmultimedia.com/2007/04/09/headlines/headlines_30031497.php]
* "I believe in God, justice and my mission against communism"
* "Please! Send me anywhere there aren't any Communists!"
* "I cannot live my life if people are living in horrible conditions"
* "They're playing tricks again."
* "They only pay attention when you go into a coma."

ee also

* Human rights after the fall of Saigon

References

External links

* [http://nationmultimedia.com/2007/04/09/headlines/headlines_30031497.php Vietnamese Embassy bomber claims he is "for freedom and human rights"]
* [http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/11/24/news/viet.php?page=1 An old soldier still fights Vietnam War]
* [http://rawstory.com/news/2006/Vietnam_welcomes_Thai_ruling_to_ext_09072006.html Vietnam welcomes Thai ruling to extradite US anti-communist]
* [http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/showarticle.php?num=01CAS080906 Viet Nam hails Thailand’s decision to extradite Ly Tong]
* [http://thaoha.free.fr/PrinceBuuChanh_RVNArmay.html Prince Nguyen Phuc Buu Chanh and the Army of the Republic of Vietnam call for Ly Tong's Release from Thailand] Photos
* [http://citypaper.net/articles/031199/coverstory.shtml The Last Action Hero]
* [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2001809716_lyswar07.html Anti-communist leaves paper trail] "The Seattle Times"