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A South Korean court will decide the fate of a senior Vietnamese dissident arrested here in April. The arrest sparked an outcry not just in Korea, but in Vietnam and the Vietnamese community in the U.S. Some have compared Chanh Huu Nguyen (58) to the revered Korean independence fighter Kim Koo, while others have labeled him a "brutal terrorist."
Until his arrest, Nguyen lived in Los Angeles, where there have since been a number of demonstrations calling for his release. But the Vietnamese government has also been active, sending officials to Seoul courts to demand Nguyen¡¯s extradition.
In 1995, Nguyen brought together exiled Vietnamese groups from all over the world and founded the Government of Free Vietnam in the U.S. Before the South Vietnamese government¡¯s defeat in 1975, Nguyen was an active "capitalist" at the head of a construction firm. He finally escaped in 1982, becoming one of the so-called boat people.
After coming to America, he worked again in construction and grew one of the top Vietnamese entrepreneurs there. At the same time, he was also growing into a key role among dissidents. For the Government of Free Vietnam Nguyen traveled to Germany, Italy, the Philippines -- and Korea, his second visit coming last year, when he was arrested.
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A protest in Los Angeles, California calling for the release Chanh Huu Nguyen of the exiled Government of Free Vietnam, who is in custody in Korea pending extradition proceedings.
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The trial that will determine whether Korea will turn Nguyen over to Vietnamese authorities under a 2003 extradition treaty got underway at the Seoul High Court on July 13. The Vietnamese minister of public security traveled to Korea to take the witness stand, testifying that Nguyen was behind a failed attempt to blow up statues of Ho Chi Minh in 1999 and the installation of explosives at the Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand. He testified he had seen testimony of others detained in the failed attempt to that effect. Nguyen denies involvement.
The defendant's son Quang Nguyen says it is highly likely that South Korea arrested his father without sufficient grounds, simply taking the word of the Vietnamese government. Those involved in the plot to blow up the statues were given the maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. If Nguyen is turned over to Vietnam, he is likely to receive the maximum sentence under the law. Government bodies here have been tight-lipped on the case.
Korean police say the matter has nothing to do with them, and prosecutors decline to comment citing the national interest. However, sources say an interpreter had already been obtained and was on standby in the next room when Nguyen was arrested, suggesting that the arrest was the result of careful planning. On July 14, 20 Vietnamese exiles from the U.S. and Germany gathered in Korea joined by the Rev. Kee T. Hwang, a pastor at the Sarang Community Church in Anaheim, Southern California.
Hwang said the incident upset both the Vietnamese and Korean communities in the U.S,. with a demonstration bringing together some 10,000 Vietnamese to protest against Nguyen¡¯s extradition there. "If Nguyen is sent back to Vietnam, Korea could end up becoming the enemy of Vietnamese people all over the world,¡± Hwang warned. A ruling is expected this week.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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