Vietnamese Paper in County Sues Competitor for Libel

A Vietnamese-language daily newspaper filed a libel lawsuit Tuesday, claiming that a competitor falsely described its top editor as a “left-wing sympathizer” and “Communist leaning.”

The lawsuit was filed by Nguoi Viet News Inc., publisher of the Nguoi Viet newspaper, against Vo Dong Thanh, publisher of the Nghe Si newspaper. It seeks $5 million in damages for injury to the newspaper.

Nguoi Viet’s editor in chief, Do Ngoc Yen, also a plaintiff, claimed that the rival publication falsely implied that he was a communist sympathizer or “fellow traveler.” Alleging that he was subject to abuse and physical danger as a result, Do Ngoc Yen asked for an additional $5.1 million in damages.

The lawsuit alleges that the May 1 article was intended to “alienate the readers (of Nguoi Viet) and cause them to discontinue purchasing and reading” the paper.

Yen received threats of physical harm after the articles were published, according to his lawyer, James E. Neal.

The lawsuit, filed in Orange County Superior Court, claimed that readership of the Nguoi Viet “has been diminished and reduced” since the article appeared.

A spokesman for the Nghe Si newspaper could not be reached for comment.

Neal quoted Nguoi Viet Chairman Phan Huy Dat Tuesday as stating that most of Yen’s duties at the paper have been assumed by other employees. Phan Huy Dat said Yen has had difficulty working because of his “anguish” over the article, Neal said.

Neal described Nguoi Viet as a daily newspaper with a circulation of 12,000 and Nghe Si as a twice-a-month publication.

Both are part of an extraordinary Vietnamese-language publishing boom. Orange County is the home of 24 newspapers and six magazines printed in Vietnamese and has been called the leading center of Vietnamese-language news publishing outside Vietnam.

Vietnamese journalists in Orange County generally share a sense of bitter anti-communism and dreams of a revolution that would allow them to return to their homeland.

Yen helped found Nguoi Viet in 1978.