A sigh of relief and a new start

In the last 13 months, Don Duong went from film star to pariah to actor-in-exile -- a harrowing journey that, for the moment, has ended here in the safe confines of his sister’s suburban home.

The 46-year-old actor, who once won Vietnam’s equivalent of the Oscar and worked with stars like Mel Gibson on American movies, flew out of Ho Chi Minh City last Wednesday with his immediate family after a lengthy campaign by the government-owned media to brand him a traitor. His only crime: appearing in “We Were Soldiers” with Gibson and “Green Dragon” with Patrick Swayze and Forest Whitaker.

“I’m worried because I come here with empty hands. I’m starting from zero,” said Duong, wearing a 1999 Sundance Film Festival sweatshirt. His sister, Susie Bui, translated as he gave his first interview since arriving in the U.S. “First I must plan everything for my children. I have to get them into school,” he said. “We just applied for our Social Security cards.” Next comes learning English, of which he speaks very little. Then, “after everything, I would like to have the chance to act again.”

The actor said he had been living in constant fear of arrest -- right up to the day he left his native country, where he had been denounced as “a human puppet” who had “lost his honor” for performing in films that “distorted ... the humanity of the Vietnamese people.”

Those accusations touched off a campaign of harassment that culminated in his being confronted with this choice: Admit that he was a traitor and face punishment or leave the country that he loved.

He said he could not, on principle, “put a bad and false mark” on his family’s name by admitting to a crime he had not committed.

But the decision was bittersweet. “I’m upset because I didn’t want to leave Vietnam,” he said. “I left behind my home, all my family and friends, but I am happy because my children now have a chance. I feel at peace here because there is nothing to be afraid of.”

His plight became a cause celebre among some in the Hollywood community, who launched a letter-writing campaign in September to help him. Three months later, the U.S. State Department became involved and an agreement was reached that allowed Duong and his immediate family entry into the United States.

Duong was one of Vietnam’s leading actors, having appeared in 50 films. His best actor “Oscar” was awarded there in 1993. He also starred in two films that won best picture in Vietnamese film festivals. In 2000, Vietnam submitted “Three Seasons,” in which he starred, as its entry to the Academy Awards for best foreign film.

For reasons he does not fully understand, the first newspaper condemnation came in May -- despite praise for “We Were Soldiers” from another government paper only two months earlier -- and eventually snowballed into accusations of treason. Duong said he was baffled that anyone could see betrayal in his work; he said “We Were Soldiers” treated Vietnamese soldiers with respect and “Green Dragon” offered a realistic portrayal of Vietnamese refugees.

By September, though, he had been booted out of the Vietnamese actors guild, a group that he had belonged to for 18 years. He also was interrogated by government officials in the department that regulates the country’s cultural affairs and told to sign an admission of guilt.

“The police came to my house at midnight on Sept. 16 and banged on my door,” he said. The next day, his passport was seized by another government division. A week later, he was questioned by officials who demanded that he write a report about why he took the roles in “We Were Soldiers” and “Green Dragon.” He did so. Afterward, he was told to write that he was a traitor. He refused.

He was told by government interrogators that he had to check into the police station every few days and tell them where he was going and where he had been. He was also told that he would be questioned again and again until he admitted he was a traitor.

“When I refused again, they said if I agreed to accept my guilt, they would forgive it,” said Duong, who by this point suspected his phones were tapped and his e-mail monitored. “I didn’t believe it. Why would I have to write it? I did nothing wrong. If I signed it, I believe they would have used it to arrest me.” Then in October, his 11-year-old, Linh, and his 16-year-old, Long, were pulled from their classrooms and interrogated.

That was the lowest point, Duong said. “The school officials questioned them. Their friends were questioning them. When they came home from school they were very quiet. It really hurt me when my children would be silent to me.”

As negotiations to leave the country were underway, the pressure continued and Duong said he learned of a possible plot to frame him for a crime.

Then, days before they left, he said, a mob of 20 people entered his sister’s restaurant. One of the men took out a knife and slashed a picture of Duong standing with Swayze and burned Duong’s image with a cigarette.

The morning of their departure, there was a report in the government-owned paper that said that Duong had spoken ill of Vietnam and that stronger action should be taken against him.

At the airport, as he was preparing to board the plane with his family, police suddenly approached and plucked him from the line. “They told me that if we want to, we can arrest you,” Duong said. “They tore open every suitcase and searched through everything.” As police rummaged through the family’s suitcases, staff from the U.S. Consulate began making a flurry of phone calls to hold the EVA Airlines flight. His wife and two sons were allowed to board, while Duong was kept back, wondering whether he would ever see them again.

Duong watched as police pulled from the suitcase letters and e-mails of support sent to him from his American and Vietnamese friends. They poked around and seized another pile of press clippings from the L.A. Times and other Western media organizations.

Fifteen minutes passed. Then the police put a piece of paper in front of him and told him to sign it. He anxiously read what turned out to be only a confirmation stating what they had taken from his suitcases. He signed and was allowed to proceed.

“I feel very lucky,” Duong said. “If I delayed my travel or the article came out one day later, I think I would have been arrested.” He credits author Joe Galloway, who co-wrote the book on which the film “We Were Soldiers” was based, for working behind the scenes with the State Department to secure his safety.

“I met Don during the movie and he’s such a decent, honorable guy. I was outraged when I heard this had happened,” Galloway said. “I immediately contacted Colin Powell’s chief of staff.” Matt Daley, the deputy assistant secretary for the East Asian and Pacific bureau of the Department of State, became the point person in the U.S., and Ambassador Ray Burghardt handled the situation in Hanoi.

“The diplomats [in the U.S.] did a remarkably good job,” said Galloway. “The proof of it is that Don and his family are here.” His guardian angel, Duong said, was Emi Lynn Yamauchi, the U.S. consul general in Ho Chi Minh City, who not only got his passport returned to him last month but stayed in constant contact with the family in the U.S. Her staff escorted the actor to the airport and made sure he got on the plane.

Among those in Hollywood who campaigned for Duong was “We Were Soldiers” filmmaker Randall Wallace. After Duong made it to the U.S. last week, Wallace said, “Don’s sacrifices for freedom make me personally more determined to be worthy of my own.”

In a prepared statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hanoi billed Duong’s departure as a simple immigration matter: “The Vietnamese government always pursues a policy of humanitarianism and goodwill on immigration of Vietnamese citizens, especially on the grounds of family reunion,” it said. “Don Duong’s case belongs to this category.”

Daley said that it was not an easy decision for Vietnamese officials “since the memories of the war remain and ... those memories are stronger there than here.” He said that the problems Duong had at the airport were unfortunate. “We obviously regret that local officials engaged in this kind of harassment. We continue in private and in public to urge Vietnam to strengthen the respect for human rights, including freedom of artistic expression.”

Duong said he was thankful to all the people who helped him, especially artists in Vietnam and around the world who “raised their voice” on his behalf.

“I think people should speak up, otherwise nothing will ever change,” he said. “You must stand up for what you believe, otherwise you are empty.”