September 14, 2006

City Council asks president, governor to secure Almaden
Valley man’s freedom from Vietnamese prison

By Carol Rosen
Staff Writer

San Jose’s City Council entered the world of international politics this week when it unanimously voted Tuesday to ask President George Bush and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger “to pursue the prompt and safe return of Cong Thanh Do to the United States…”

The children of Cong Thanh Do appeared before the City Council on Tuesday, Sept. 12 to thank council members for their resolution asking President George Bush and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to push for the freedom of their father. Do is a U.S. citizen who lives in Almaden Valley who has been imprisoned in Vietnam. From left are Vien Do Bui, Nien Do Bui and their sister Bien Do Bui. Photo by Carol Rosen

Cong Thanh Do is a U.S. citizen who lives in the Almaden Valley. On Aug. 14, during a visit to Vietnam, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam imprisoned him without formal charges, adequate legal representation or access to physicians. It took more than two weeks for U.S. consulate officials to get permission to meet with him.

At that meeting, Do told the U.S. representatives that he was starting a hunger strike to protest his unlawful treatment by the Vietnamese government. Appar-ently, Do is still carrying out his hunger strike.

A memorandum prepared by Vice Mayor Cindy Chavez and Councilmembers Dave Cortese, Madison Nguyen and Chuck Reed, noted that Do has been “a strong, peaceful advocate on behalf of democracy within Vietnam. Over the past several years, he has worked to achieve a democratic and multi-party political system” for that country.

The memo also claimed that this action by the Vietnamese government seems to violate Article 96 of the United Nations’ Charter on Human Rights. This is a serious, dire situation, said Chavez, “and we need to take action.”

City Council members as well as U.S. Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren got together at a rally over the weekend to speak out on behalf of Do and bring his plight to the area’s attention. In addition, Reed said he personally wrote a letter to Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice asking that she and the Department of State work to achieve Do’s freedom.

District 10 Councilmember Nancy Pyle apologized for missing the event because of her recent trip to Dublin with the city’s economic development team, but said she was totally behind the resolution. Do, she said, is not just a citizen of San Jose, but one of her constituents. The fact that he is imprisoned “in another country is intolerable,” she said.

Do’s children, Bien Do Bui, Vien Do Bui and Nien Do Bui, spoke to council members during the debate period. The three thanked the council for their attention and help.

The entire resolution is, “The City of San Jose respectfully urges the President and the Governor of California to pursue the prompt and safe return of Cong Thanh Do to the United States; for the President and Governor to denounce the violation of internationally acknowledged rights of foreign citizens demonstrated by the Vietnamese Government in the matter of Cong Thanh Do; and, to oppose current efforts by the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to obtain Permanent Normal Trade Relations with the United States in an effort to join the World Trade Organization in light of the arrest and imprisonment of Cong Thanh Do.”