"Standing up to a symbol"


"PROTESTS IN HOUSTON"

"Activists plan rally for human rights"

"A visit by their homeland's prime minister has inspired impassioned plans for Vietnamese -- American rallies"

This is our free - wheeling adaptation from this source: Houston Chronicle, Wednesday, June 25, 2008. By Leslie Casimir and Jenalia Moreno.

There's a fantastic colored photo of two of our former allies in front of the Vietnam - American Memorial. By Nick de la Torre.

The caption reads:

"UNITED: Truong Nhu Phung, left, and Sanh Van Le -- two war veterans who now call Houston home -- chose the city's Vietnam - American Memorial to show their opposition to Prime minister Nguyen Tan Dung's visit."


Al Hoang, age 46, "president of the Vietnamese Community of Houston" speaks out:

We do not welcome him here, we demand democracy.

"Decades after a war raged in the jungles and villages of Vietnam, another battle is brewing, but here on the streets of Houston over the fate of the Southeast Asian country.

"On the eve of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung's controversial visit to Houston, local activists are planning a flurry of rallies and protests around the city to send a clear message to the communist leader."