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Vietnamese officials considering punishment for actor in U.S. film ["We Were Soldiers"]
Associated Press
| September 19, 2002
Posted on 09/19/2002 10:23:35 PM PDT by HAL9000
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) -- Vietnamese officials were meeting Friday to consider whether to punish an actor branded a "national traitor" for starring with Mel Gibson in the Hollywood movie "We Were Soldiers." Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City, where actor Don Duong lives, proposed earlier that he be fined and banned from acting or leaving the country for five years for appearing in the movie, which they said distorted the history and image of Vietnamese soldiers.
Officials from the Ministry of Culture and Information were meeting Friday to consider the proposal, and will submit a recommendation to the ministry for a final decision, ministry Cinematic Department Director Nguyen Phuc Thanh said.
Vietnam's communist government has led a strident campaign against "We Were Soldiers" in the country's state-controlled media.
The movie, not approved for sale in Vietnam but widely available on bootleg DVDs, depicts a bloody three-day battle in November 1965 in Vietnam's Ia Drang valley, the first major clash between the North Vietnamese army and U.S. troops in the Vietnam War.
In the film, the U.S. troops have little idea of what they face and are overrun and suffer heavy casualties. Both sides are portrayed as courageous and self-sacrificing, while their families are shown grieving the deaths of their loved ones.
The movie is based on the book "We Were Soldiers Once ... and Young" by the U.S. commander in the battle, retired Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore.
Duong played commander Nguyen Huu An, who led the Vietnamese soldiers to victory.
Duong, one of Vietnam's most popular actors, has appeared in numerous domestic movies about the war. He also played the role of a refugee camp translator in "Green Dragon," a movie directed by Vietnamese American Tony Linh Bui about Vietnamese who fled the country after the end of the war and dreamed of living in the United States.
"Both movies distort the legitimate war history of our people and the humanity of the Vietnamese," army newspaper Quan Doi Nhan Dan (People's Army) said in a front-page article Wednesday.
The newspaper demanded stern punishment for Duong.
"By becoming a propagandist and henchman for 'hostile forces' and tarnishing the Vietnamese soldiers and people, Don Duong has sold his conscience cheaply and become a national traitor," it said.
Duong couldn't be reached for comment, but in an earlier interview with The Associated Press, he said he was surprised at the reaction and has decided not to play any more roles in foreign movies about the Vietnam War.
Vietnamese movies about the war invariably portray Vietnamese soldiers as noble and Americans as cruel murderers.
TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: donduong; melgibson; vietnam; weweresoldiers
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To: All
...From the desert to the sea in Southern California...
...VAN THAI TRAN is now being interviewed about DON DUONG on the JUDICIAL REPORT
Report Radio Show airing on...
...KPLS 830 AM .."Radio on the Right"..
ENJOY
To: All
...Looks like the VAN THAI TRAN Interview Segment has been edited out of tonight's airing in Southern California.
...It was an Oustanding Interview.
...Radio Hostess/Interviewer JANE CHASTAIN announced that .."WE WERE SOLDIERS".. Director/Producer/Screenwriter RANDALL WALLACE was also scheduled to appear on the JUDICIAL WATCH Report later this week to put the spotlight on DON DUONG's Case until told from higher up to keep silent to protect the man.
To: All; Joy Angela
...Only the 1st hour of today's 2 hour JUDICIAL WATCH Report was aired tonight in the one hour slot that airs in Southern California.
...VAN THAI TRAN's outstanding Interview about DON DUONG took place in the show's 2nd hour.
To: All
NEVER FORGET
To: All; VOA
...NEVER FORGET Actor DON DUONG = Post No. 3...
To: All; HAL9000; Joy Angela; Snow Bunny; VOA; Fred Mertz; goldilucky; Carl/NewsMax; Judicial Watch; ...
NEVER FORGET
..'PLIGHT of VIETNAMESE ACTOR GARNERS U.S. ATTENTION'..
...is today's 'The World' Article posted on Page A-20 in the main section of today's Los Angeles Times. This Article does not appear on the LAT website, just like Monday's Article on persecuted .."WE WERE SOLDIERS".. Vietnamese Actor and Saigon Resident DON DOUNG did not.
...Yesterday a persecuted DON DUONG was "Interrogated" by the Communist Government of Vietnam for -EIGHT HOURS- after which they tried to push him into confessing to being a TRAITOR of the State. DON DUONG refused. A second "Interrogation" is fast approaching.
...Our U.S. Consulate General in Saigon is scheduling a meeting with DON DUONG to check his physical well being.
PRAY FOR DON DUONG...
Signed:
ALOHA RONNIE / Vet-Battle of IA DRANG-1965
http://WeWereSoldiers.com ..&..
http://www.lzxray.com
NEVER FORGET
To: ALOHA RONNIE
How horrible. The Senate made a huge error against the safety of America when they passed Clinton's PTNR agreement with China.
The Communist Government is barely human! Interrogating this man until he signs a Confession? That means TORTURING him!!!
Isn't it something, how EVIL isn't content to just win, as it would do if it jailed Don Duong, but EVIL must also get the person to denouce TRUTH as part of the final victory...
Remember...EVIL isn't content to rule, it must have your SOUL too.
To: ALOHA RONNIE
To: ALOHA RONNIE; goldilucky; FreedominJesusChrist; Fred Mertz
How can we support Communism at all?!
Here it is, the year 2002, and the Vietnamese Communist Government is barely human!
SEE the link above to learn how they are interrogating/torturing this poor man Don Duong, until he signs a Confession of Treason just because he played a part in Mel Gibson's move WE WERE SOLDIERS!
To: All; Joy Angela; Registered; Angelwood; Republic; Alamo-Girl; Ron C.; mr spike; Landru; d14truth; ..
NEVER FORGET
...It was Anti-U.S. College Students HILLARY RODHAM -&- BILL CLINTON who did everything they could to make sure their Partner HO CHI MINH destroyed Freedom in a then Free South Vietnam long ago...
...thus eventually leading to a fine International Movie Star DON DUONG being attacked as a TRAITOR in his own Country ...with his very life now at stake.
And now a still Anti-U.S. HILLARY RODHAM is doing everything she can to destroy our own Freedom in America, like she did in a once Free South Vietnam, as the next President of the United States in 2004.
PREPARE... for DON DUONG and US are all in this TOGETHER!!!!
NEVER FORGET
To: ALOHA RONNIE
Prayers for Don Duong..and for us!
Dear Father in Heaven, please know how much we love you. And no matter what the enemies of Truth may do or have us do, in our souls there is only Love for you and Faith in your mercy and salvation.
These Evil Ones can torture and scar but they can never rob mankind of the Salvation of Jesus Christ and the Victory against evil in the Resurrection. Please comfort Don Duong in this time of need and trial and offer him strength against Your enemies. Amen
To: Joy Angela
...................A-M-E-N...............
To: ALOHA RONNIE
Vietnam can burn in hell. I will never forget nor forgive what they did to OUR troops. They are NOT a country nor people I will ever favor no matter what.
Thanks Ronnie !!!!!!
To: ALOHA RONNIE
This is just horrible. I never read the commie L.A. Times. Nothing but complete horse dung being reported. The one who owns this paper controls the news "fit" for people like you and me to read.
To: Joy Angela
My former roommate was from Vietanam and escaped to America from the communist thugs who raped, robbed and murdered people there. She managed to escape because her family has wealth...in the form of gold. When I tell her of what is going on in America about government officials like Clinton and others supporting communist leaders and countries...she responds by stating those people supporting communists are crazy and stupid as they have never had to live under such extreme and violent conditions.
Communism is alive and well in Russia, China, Vietnam and Cuba. It never died, but instead was renamed to color it..... "global democracy" and socialism.
Sorry, but a rose by any other name is still a rose.
To: ALOHA RONNIE
PREPARE... for DON DUONG and US are all in this TOGETHER!!!! The battle is against all saints as this is indeed a Holy War. United I stand....for the sake of my freedom..not security.
As far as I am concerned, Hillary's verbal antics against the U.S. are not protected under the First Amendment. She should be deported immediately for advocating the overthrow of this Country. In earlier times, people like her were hung in front of the public for such outrageous acts. In some countries they horsewhip those who advocate the overthrow of their country.
To: goldilucky
...Partner of HO CHIN MINH =
...President HILLARY RODHAM-2004
To: ALOHA RONNIE
Kind of reminds you of the story of Animal Farm where at the very end of the story, the author points out that it was hard to distinguish all the so called wanna be lords in control because, to the little people, these "lords" resembled more like beastly creatures.
To: Snow Bunny
...As the Vietnam BOB HOPE touring trooperette that you so selflessly were when the fur and the mines were flying with you right down there among'em...
...I fully understand your sentiment against today's Vietnam.
.."WE WERE SOLDIERS".. Vietnamese Actor DON DUONG is now finding out personally just what the Vietnam War was always really all about =
...One's Loss of Freedom to Invading Communism.
...The True Invader of a then Free South Vietnam was the convoluted French Communism instilled in the mind of a young College Student HO CHI MINH in the Paris, France of the 1920's...
...that he then brought home with him to instill in all of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia...
...leading to a most horrible of KILLING FIELDS.
NEVER FORGET
To: Snow Bunny; goldilucky; Joy Angela; VOA; Alamo-Girl; Republic; Registered; d14truth; ...
NEVER FORGET
...Partners of HO CHI MINH =
...HILLARY RODHAM..-&-..
...BILL CLINTON.
...While being impeached BILL CLINTON told all that all the nations of the world should be working from the same level playing field instead of one (US) above all the rest...
...and then said it again this very week in England in front of Prime Minister TONY BLAIR.
The Enemy is now Within...
and always has been.
NEVER FORGET
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