@ San Jose City Hall, CA

Ly Tong was still on hunger strike during the protest.

Protest over China's South Sea Claims

Routes:
Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China in San Francisco
1450 Laguna Street, San Francisco, CA 94115

to

Consulate General of Vietnam in San Francisco
1700 California St, Suite 430 San Francisco, CA 94109

1450 Laguna Street, San Francisco, CA 94115

to

Consulate General of Vietnam in San Francisco
1700 California St, Suite 430 San Francisco, CA 94109

Youth for Democracy Vietnam

Du Hoc Sinh: Nguyen Tien Trung and Hoang Lan

http://www.thtndc.net/

http://www.thtndc.net/

Celebrating Buddha 2550th Birthday
San Jose, CA
Andrew High School

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. [1] Even though this action was praised as heroic by oversea Vietnamese, many doubt the effectiveness of this method of pamphlets spreading since most pamphlets were immediately collected and destroyed by Vietnamese police.

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.[3]

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.[2]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ly_Tong

[1] Even though this action was praised as heroic by oversea Vietnamese, many doubt the effectiveness of this method of pamphlets spreading since most pamphlets were immediately collected and destroyed by Vietnamese police.

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.[3]

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.[2]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ly_Tong