A Vietnamese-American activist pro-democracy activist returned to the United States on Wednesday night after a 9-month detention on accusations of conspiring to overthrow the government of Vietnam. Nguyen Quoc Quan smiled broadly as he was greeted by his wife, children and other family members, who bore balloons and placed leis around his neck shortly after 8 p.m. as he exited a plane at Los Angeles International Airport.
"I love you a lot, and I feel very near you every minute of jail," he told his wife, Huong Mai Ngo, in Vietnamese, then repeated in broken English for reporters. He pulled her to his side. "Now even closer," he said with a smile. He said he was proud of what he accomplished and would be willing to return, with his wife's approval. "The communist government of Vietnam can't stop you, how can I?" she said.
He would only answer a few questions, promising to share details at a news conference Saturday, including the contents of a handwritten letter he brought back from another prisoner. Vietnamese authorities' decision to release Quan contrasts with the long prison terms given to Vietnamese activists who are members of the same U.S.-based dissident group.
The release came after U.S. diplomatic pressure and removes an obvious thorn in relations between the former enemies. Both countries are trying to strengthen their ties in large part because of shared concerns over China's emerging military and economic might, but American concerns over human rights in one-party, authoritarian Vietnam are complicating this.
source : the jakarta post
source : the jakarta post
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