Talk:Ly Tong

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More information about this article... The following comments have been left for this page: The article on the Vietnamese-American dissident Ly Tong (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ly_Tong) is surprisingly very well written. It's a surprise since most articles on Vietnamese-American anti-communist figures are normally written in poor English and are full of anti-communist slogans and idioms that have been clumsily translated from the Vietnamese. The writer of the Ly Tong article wrote it in an articulate style commonly used in American journalism and obviously made an effort to make it sound neutral and objective. However, one can still detect that it's meant as a pro-Ly Tong piece and one designed to further his cause. All referenced materials and links listed are pro-Ly Tong in nature and anti-communist. A neutral and objective article should list sources from both sides of the argument. I invite readers and Wikipedia staff to read the article and to comment as to its objectivity. Ly Tong, for whatever his political beliefs, did committed major crimes in the US, Thailand and Vietnam. To use force to take over civil aircraft (hijacking) and then to violate the airspace of any sovereign country are criminal acts that must be condemned and punished, especially in the post 9-11 era. Can we imagine what would have happened if someone hijacked a Canadian plane and then proceeded to cross into US airspace, heading for New York or Washington? It would have been shot down in good order and justifiably so. Back in the Reagan era, it might have deemed heroic and even cute to commit such acts as long as they were against communist countries. In the post 9/11 era, any endorsement of a terrorist-like behavior is dangerous and must be condemned by all Americans and people around the world. (edit)

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[edit] Thai court paves way to extradite dissident

The Associated Press

Published: September 7, 2006

BANGKOK A Thai criminal court ruled Thursday that Ly Tong, a high- profile Vietnamese-American dissident, could be extradited to Vietnam, where he would face charges of violating airspace for hijacking a plane and dropping 50,000 anti-Communist leaflets over Ho Chi Minh City in 2000.

Tong, a South Vietnamese air force veteran who later became a U.S. citizen, hijacked the twin-engine plane from Thailand in November 2000. The leaflet dropping coincided with a visit to Vietnam by Bill Clinton, then president of the United States.

Tong, who had hijacked planes before to spread his political message, was arrested after landing in Thailand and later sentenced to a Thai prison, where he served five years.

The Vietnamese government sent an extradition request to Thailand in 2004 charging Tong with slandering the Hanoi government and violating the territorial security of Vietnam.

The Thai court did not consider the slander charge, deeming it a political offense, and therefore not grounds for extradition under Thai law.

But the court ruled that there was "sufficient reason to extradite the defendant to face trial in Vietnam," arguing that "the national security offense is not a political offense."

Tong vowed to appeal the decision within the 15-day deadline set by the court. The Vietnamese government has three months to arrange for extradition, and if the time elapses without action on Vietnam's part, Tong can be set free, the court said.

Tong provided air support to U.S. ground troops during the Vietnam War, but was shot down over North Vietnam in 1975 and spent five years in a prison camp before he finally escaped. He eventually sought refuge in the United States.

In 1992, he hijacked a Vietnamese Airlines plane and forced the pilot to fly over Ho Chi Minh City as he dropped anti-Communist leaflets. He then parachuted from the plane, thinking to lead a revolution against the Communist regime, but was instead captured by Vietnamese authorities and imprisoned.

In a government amnesty, Tong was released and returned to the United States in 1998, at which point he rented an aircraft to drop anti-Communist leaflets over Havana.

"I went there to save my country, not harm my country. When I dropped the leaflets in Vietnam, I harmed the Communist Party," he testified last month.

BANGKOK A Thai criminal court ruled Thursday that Ly Tong, a high- profile Vietnamese-American dissident, could be extradited to Vietnam, where he would face charges of violating airspace for hijacking a plane and dropping 50,000 anti-Communist leaflets over Ho Chi Minh City in 2000.

Tong, a South Vietnamese air force veteran who later became a U.S. citizen, hijacked the twin-engine plane from Thailand in November 2000. The leaflet dropping coincided with a visit to Vietnam by Bill Clinton, then president of the United States.

Tong, who had hijacked planes before to spread his political message, was arrested after landing in Thailand and later sentenced to a Thai prison, where he served five years.

The Vietnamese government sent an extradition request to Thailand in 2004 charging Tong with slandering the Hanoi government and violating the territorial security of Vietnam.

The Thai court did not consider the slander charge, deeming it a political offense, and therefore not grounds for extradition under Thai law.

But the court ruled that there was "sufficient reason to extradite the defendant to face trial in Vietnam," arguing that "the national security offense is not a political offense."

Tong vowed to appeal the decision within the 15-day deadline set by the court. The Vietnamese government has three months to arrange for extradition, and if the time elapses without action on Vietnam's part, Tong can be set free, the court said.

Tong provided air support to U.S. ground troops during the Vietnam War, but was shot down over North Vietnam in 1975 and spent five years in a prison camp before he finally escaped. He eventually sought refuge in the United States.

In 1992, he hijacked a Vietnamese Airlines plane and forced the pilot to fly over Ho Chi Minh City as he dropped anti-Communist leaflets. He then parachuted from the plane, thinking to lead a revolution against the Communist regime, but was instead captured by Vietnamese authorities and imprisoned.

In a government amnesty, Tong was released and returned to the United States in 1998, at which point he rented an aircraft to drop anti-Communist leaflets over Havana.

"I went there to save my country, not harm my country. When I dropped the leaflets in Vietnam, I harmed the Communist Party," he testified last month.Bnguyen 11:34, 22 September 2006 (UTC)