What's Happening in San Jose Vietnamese Community: Continued

February 24, 1999: The notorious General Tran Do, 75 , hero of the revolution, shunted by Hanoi's leaderships now an old man lives in a one room apartment tucked behind a printing shop in Hanoi with a cell phone and VCR to get by.  San Jose Mercury News.

Police reported protests cost surpass $100,000 and helps from other police departments including no vacation given although with peaceful crowd and business came to standstill. However, ice-cream is much in demand. Nevertheless, the event united Vietnamese in many ways and revitalized the hatred for communism, on Tuesday night at least 150 still protest at the store front.

February 23, 1999: More news and pictures of Tran Van Truong including protest scenes. Pictures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,6,7,8,9, over 10,000 protesters, Truong's picture, articles update from KCBS with new picture ,  and links related to the protests. However, CBS repoted between 10,000 to 20,000 at rally. From Vietnamese radios reported live on the evening of Feb. 22, 1999,

over 20,000 Vietnameses participated in the protest after Truong rehang Communist flag and Ho poster, also many well known Vietnamese entertainers came to support and entertain protesters since 7:00 p.m., probalbly would go on thru the night of 23rd Feb.; also live radio (Saigon Radio Hai Ngoai 1430 AM in San Jose) program for calling in has been on air in the afternoon also going on thru midnight. O.C Register reported more than 15,000 people came to the rally Monday night and raised over $200,000.

By 01:00 a.m. on the 23rd of Feb., Saigon Radio Hai-Ngoai reported tens of thousand protesters left the protest area in an orderly and a remarkable peaceful protest in such magnitude. By 01:30 a.m., people continue call in to express opinion with regards to Truong's Communist flag. Massive rally reported by L.A times of more than 10,000, and why politicians are missing in the rally?

February22, 1999: The fight broke out triggered by pro-communist threw a bottle to protesters and over 40 protesters arrested as a result when Ho poster rehang by Truong and why the showed of responses in little Saigon, with no ending  in sight. Clergy appeals for calm with new strategy, and peaceful protest continues after Saturday skirmishes. Raised $12,000 by radio for protesters. Nevertheless, on the brighter side, in San Jose the Tet festival got sunshine after all on Sunday for festivals goers despite the rain on Saturday.

Demontrations get heat up in Little Saigon, the numbers could get to tens of thousand people there tonight, rumored, including elected officials and the governor to support community rally. Please standby for more news..... In the meanwhile, all Vietnamese radios continue to air all days of this new developments in Little Saigon and in San Jose.

February 20, 1999: New progress and cooperation: police-protester with a peaceful protest even if rehang of Communist flag. But...not for long both sides vowed to stand firm. The faces of Tran Van Truong and his psyche. However, in other news, factions agreed to hold new elections to represent the community in Little Saigon 200,000 strong Vietnameses and litigation were withdrawn on the last election contests between Bui Binh Ban and Do Trong Duc groups. Today Tet celebration at Santa Clara county fairgrounds and downtown San Jose will draw at leat 50,000 Vietnameses.

February 19, 1999: Police department costs $24,000 in overtime to maintain the peace at protest of Truong's Ho poster and cooperation between community and police in the matter with community liaison. Also Saturday 20, 1999 Vietnamese festival downtown location and at County Fairgrounds information.

February 17, 1999: Police Chief warned rehang Ho's poster would face arrest. The chief said: Truong cannot created a situation where it takes half the police force to keep the peace draw controversy O.C Register,

and Truong paid no rent of almost $9,000 , But L.A Time reported he owed  $21,000 in back rent in 1997, 3 arrested in the protest LA Times.

February 16, 1999: Happy Vietnamese New Year! and... Little Saigon news again with big protest accompanied by about 100 riot  police pictured by  L.A Times , Bay Area Celebration location by S.J Mercury News.

February 14, 1999: Happy Valentine!, and theTraditions  and protest at the same time  also reported by LA. Times at Vietnamese Tet in Little Saigon. Culture at Tet by O.C Register including events celebration there.

February 13, 1999: More news from Little Saigon O.C Register  and the president is finally vindicated by the senate and it's over. Here is a list of Tet (Lunar New Year) in Little Saigon O.C. Register..... and Love is at Tet at events there. More on Communist Flag tension L.A. times.

February 12, 1999:  Anger continues from Judge ruling in Little Saigon  L.A Times.

February 11, 1999: Agency's chief Nguyen Kim Long of The Refugee Federation  Services Agency in Seattle was questioned in its operations. Rumored he resigned but not really as of Feb. 10. Vietnamese groups fumed and are organizing to protest the articles reported by  Seattle Post-Intelligencer as bias on February 6 details and 10 . Agency yearly budget is about 2 million dollars and served 1,500 refugees a year.

Amid reporting Vietnamese community in Seattle, the paper obviously attended to and reported other related news of Vietnamese in Westminster in the ordered Truong's Ho poster is o.k., reported by the Associated Press. Ho Chi Minh poster again, triggered about another 700 protesters outside the courtroom in Santa Ana. However The O.C Register.

December 11,1988: U.N. charter of Human Rights was commemorated by  more than hundreds of Vietnamese with a hunger strike for 24 hours of 30 people, including Vietnamese dissident Doan Viet Hoat, who was recently released by Vietnam.

Organized by San Jose Vietnameses with over 60 organizations signed on the proclaimation. The program commenced at 6 p.m. Dec. 9, 98 and the strike ended at 6 p.m.on the 50 years anniversary on Dec.10 in front of the United Nation Plaza off Market street in San Francisco.

December 8, 1998: A new protest against IRCC was staged in front of Santa Clara county board of supervisors on Dec. 7, 1998(see link on IRCC).

December 1, 1998: KVVN - AM 1430 director Jaime Arbona, a radio channel of Bay Area has rescinded the contract with some Vietnamese programs. The issues related to the resignation demanded Mr. Loc Vu, executive director of IRCC a non profit social services agency, announced on the same radio channel on November 30, 98. Also San Jose Police has also removed yesterday at 7 PM materials considered in violation of city ordinances.

Though, SJPD has also requested the demontration group as a good will gesture to remove those materials themseft but declined to do so. However, they stepped aside nicely to let SJPD to do the job.  A meeting by Mr. Jim McEntee director of Human Relations Department of Santa Clara County to mediate between the two groups  on Monday also reported failures to reconcile ( see link on IRCC above for details).

A national party Dai Viet Quoc Dan Dang (Dai Viet Nationalist Party) has commemorated its 59 years aniversary (started in 1939 in North Vietnam)  in San Jose on Sunday, November 29, 98. Originally organized against the French occupation but later opposed the Vietnamese Communist party. About 200 people including representation from many Vietnamese groups in San Jose attended.

Also the singing group Teresa of Vietnamese Catholic Church helped the opening ceremony by performing the South Vietnam National Anthem and the Party Anthem. Hundreds of delegates from all over world have come to San Jose to elect a new executive of the party. Dr. Nguyen ton Hoan, former minister of Youth Affairs of the new westernize government and later in 1964, deputy prime minister of RVN has been named chairman of the party and also, Dr. Ly Ngoc Duong, president of the executive committee.

Thanksgiving soccer games organized by the Youth Vietnamese American Soccer Federation held 3 days competition on 26, 27 and 28 of November at Andrew high school stadium announced the winners are: Hoa Binh team-first place, Sao Moi-second place, Cal-poly, third place and Expo-Seatle, WA - fourth place. Team players are Expo-Seatle,WA; Thanh Nien Mien Tay; Cal-Poly; Hoa Binh; Sao Moi; Lam Son, Little Saigon and Quang Trung.

November 25, 1998: Vietnamese Americans are preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving in San Jose, mostly with family members at home. Some are taking the holidays for an out of town trip. VAC as requested by seniors also organized a trip to lake Tahoe-Reno for 2 days by bus for 42 people including 2 staffs as tour guide. We also provide free morning breakfast and Vietnamese videos on the bus to entertain members while on the long trip - 4 hrs.

Usually  a field trip once a month is organized for members dependent on destination requested. In general, places to visit including scenery of California or even to Little Saigon where the largest Vietnamese residing in the southern state in Orange County, Disneyland, Hollywood and movies studio or closer to home San Francisco. Out of state trip has been contemplated; to Vancouver, Canada in the near future. Most of our seniors do not have the opportunity to travel due to age and without younger members to look after their welfare on a long trip so our trips are very popular to them.

San Jose, however, is also a city with the largest Vietnamese concentration in the U.S and they are the most active in various activities including participating in U.S. politics such as supportive in various level of national, state and local candidacies in a recent election with both party affiliation.

Recently, San Jose Mercury News with a bureau in Hanoi, Vietnam has announced in early 1999, they will distributed a Vietnamese issue weekly called  Viet Mercury a free 32 page tabloid proved Vietnamese community has become a de-facto group to be reckoned with.

Nevertheless, within the Vietnamese community, some events are also shaking up the tranquility. Dtails on IRCC.