SYNOPSIS
OF VO DUC VAN’S BIOGRAPHY
Vo Duc Van (aka Nguyen Nha Trang,) was born on December 20, 1959 in the city of My Tho, Vietnam. Vo Duc Van escaped Vietnam by boat in 1980 (boat people) and has lived in the United States ever since. After finishing High School, he continued through college at California State University, Pomona and earned his bachelor in civil engineering.
In 1993, Vo Duc Van joined an Anti-Communist organization led by Nguyen Huu Chanh. The organization activities were covered by “humanitarian work” with Agent Orange programs to help people suffered during the war. In 1994, Mr. Vo Duc Van was extradited back to the United States for suspicious to overthrow the government.
Vo Duc Van is a member of Government of Free Vietnam and a member of the Coalition Political Party of Free Vietnam and he is also a member of the Free Vietnam Youth.
In 1995, Mr. Vo return to Indochina along the borders of Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos, where he led the “Dinh Bo Linh Special Operation Force” appointed by Coalition Political Party of Free Vietnam. In 2001, outrage by the arrest and sentencing of many religious leaders in Vietnam and the arrest of 37 of Government of Free Vietnam’s members by the Communist Government of Vietnam. Most of them were sentenced up to twenty years in jail and two of the 37 arrested were brutally beaten to death. Mr. Vo Duc Van was one of those four people that planted two bombs in front of the Vietnamese Communist Embassy in Bangkok Thailand without a trigger by purpose to send a message to the Communist Party in Vietnam.
Pressured by the Vietnamese Department of Foreign Affairs to the Thailand Government, Mr. Vo Duc Van was arrested in Santa Ana on October 12, 2001 by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Vo had trial on June 12, 2002 and was found not guilty however, by the extradition treaty between the United Stated and Thailand Government, within sixty days from the trial date; the Thailand Government must submit extradition document or Mr. Vo Duc Van will be free.
During the APECT Summit in Brunei on August 5, 2002 with the presence of the United States Secretary of the State; Mr. Collin Powel, Mr. Nguyen Duy Nien representing the Communist Government of Vietnam urged the United States and Thailand Government to extradite Mr. Vo Duc Van.
Mr. Vo Duc Van will have a trail in a Federal Court on August 19, 2002 at 2:00pm in the city of Santa Ana, with appointed judge the Honorable Kamanoco.
Whereas, under Article 3(1), (a) and (b) of the Extradition Treaty between United State and Thailand Government, sign on Dec 14, 1983 and effected by May 17, 1991. In Article 3(1), (a) and (b) of the Extradition Treaty clearly said:
ARTICLE 3
Political and Military Offenses
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Extradition shall not be granted when:
(a). The offense for which extradition is sought is a political offense; or
(b). It is established that extradition is requested for political purposes.
By the Extradition Treaty in Article 3, we urge the United Stated Government to protect their citizen, Mr. Vo Duc Van.
To our generous supporters and media:
Democracy and Freedom is the very subject of this letter. Whereas, Mr. Vo Duc Van, a member of the Government of Free Vietnam (GFVN) was recently arrested by the U.S. police in Los Angeles. The bomb scare setup inside the Vietnamese Embassy in Bangkok was intentionally a message sent to the Communist rulers in Vietnam as a warning for their cruel oppression against many religious leaders, for their illegal kidnapping of many members of the GFVN living in Cambodia, Thailand and the unjust trial against these members in Saigon. The heroic action of Mr. Van Duc Vo was similar to the acts realized by Mr. Tran Hong when Hong used a bulldozer to crack down the gate of the Vietnamese Embassy in Paris; also similar to the acts done by Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Hanh throwing a gas bomb into the Vietnamese Embassy in London. The judicial courts in France and England acquitted these two heroes.
Accusing Mr. Van Duc Vo’s actions with the tragic terrorist incident on September 11th would be similar to accusing the bombing by the U.S. in Afghanistan as a terrorist act. It is also similar when the Vietnamese Communists used the bomb scare case in Thailand to accuse the GFVN as terrorist.
Mr. Van Duc Vo faces grave danger if he is extradited to Thailand because the Communist government of Vietnam has been pressuring to transfer jurisdiction of Vo to them.
The GFVN has its office located in Orange County, California. Its mission is to keep close liaison between the Vietnamese people domestically and internationally. This office is run in accordance with the laws of the United States and the spirit of the U.S. Constitution. Although the GFVN pursues the just cause for freedom and democracy by overthrowing the Communist dictatorship in Vietnam, this office is not a place from which to “wage a war”, as said by some newspapers.
For all that, we unanimously request:
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Immediate release and dismiss all charge against Mr. Van Duc Vo. (case #: 02-06091 DDP; trial date: Aug. 19/2002; location: Fed. Buldg., Santa Ana, CA; Judge: Kamanoco).
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Deny the Thai Royal Government’s extradition request under article 3 (1) - (a) and (b) of the Extradition Treaty between the United States and Thailand Government because it involved a political act.
and protest:
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The Communist Rulers in Vietnam for their accusation toward the GFVN as terrorist while themselves, they daily inflicted terror inside Vietnam, and helped the terrorists abroad including the Al Qaeda and Abu Sayyab terrorist organizations.
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The extradition of Mr. Vo Duc Van by the United States because he did nothing wrong in accordance to the United State’ laws.
In conclusion, the release of Mr. Vo Duc Van would show that the United States truly stands by its well-known tradition of freedom, democracy, and justice. And we ask for a just and fair action should be taken.
Schedule of special event on the PROTEST
1. The Meeting and Music:
Location: SASSCER PARK (corner of Ross Street and Fourth Street, city of Santa Ana)
Time: From 01:00 P.M to 9:00 P.M on Sunday August 18, 2002
2. The Hunger Strike (At the same location of meeting Sasscer Park)
Time: From 09:00 P.M on Sunday August 18, 2002
To 02:00P.M on Monday August 19, 2002
Your presence at this special even would be warmly welcome and your publicize of this serious case to friends and supporters would be greatly appreciate.
Should you have any questions regarding to this protest, please do not hesitate to contact us at (714) 638-9990 or (714) 636-9514
By mailing address: 12755 Brookhurst Street, Suite 205. Garden Grove, CA 92840
Very Truly Yours,
Press contacts:
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Mr. Thu Truong: Cel-phone: (714) 715-7546
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Mr. Ha Nguyen: Cel-phone: (714) 390-1096
:: PRESS RELEASE ::
August 24, 2002
RE: REQUEST FOR THE RELEASE OF MR. VO DUC VAN AND PROTEST
12755 Brookhurst St., #104, Garden Grove, CA 92840 * Tel: (714) 638-9990 * Fax: (714) 638-9997 *
