May 18, 2008
It is rare that elected officials do something that earns praise from across the political spectrum, but the release of Nguyen Quoc Quan is one of those instances.
Nguyen, an engineer who lives in Elk Grove, was one of six pro-democracy demonstrators arrested in Ho Chi Minh City last Nov. 1 while handing out leaflets that promoted peaceful change toward democracy in Vietnam. As The Bee’s Stephen Magagnini reported recently, the two-page flier bore the title, “Non-Violent Struggle: The Approach To Eradicate Dictatorship, Set The Stage for Democracy.” It called for civil disobedience and urged protesters to “faithfully maintain the discipline of non-violence.”
Nguyen was imprisoned for six months on vague grounds. On May 13, he was convicted of terrorism, sentenced to six months with credit for time served and ordered deported.
He might still be imprisoned without charges were it not for the protests of American diplomats and California political figures, both Democratic and Republican. Members of the state’s congressional delegation raised their voices in protest. So did members of the Legislature, including Assembly members Dave Jones, a Sacramento Democrat, and Van Tran, a Costa Mesa Republican.
Because of their efforts, Nguyen is now free. He arrived in San Francisco on Saturday.
His ordeal is a reminder that the basic freedoms Americans take for granted are all too rare. And his release is a reminder that political figures united in the support of freedom can make the world a better place.
That’s a useful lesson for politicians of all parties – and for the voters who elect them to office.