We are urging our local congress members (Murray, Cantwell, McDermott and Reichert) and others to help on JoJo's case. I've included the addesses for congress members JoJo's veteran friends have spoke to in Florida and Ohio. If you're not from Seattle, please consider writing the congress members in your district.

Update: JoJo's lawyer has had some response back already from our Washington congress members, and is also suggesting we write Governor Gregoire and Mayor Nickels (who wrote JoJo a commendation for his volunteer work, see * below).

Urgent Update (10/28/08): Thank the congress members for their previous work on JoJo's case, and let them know the situation is urgent once again, with JoJo's appeal rejected and JoJo in danger of being deported again. Please ask them to contact JoJo's lawyer: Lam Nguyen-Bull at Garvey Schubert Barer.

Here's our suggestions so far:

TALKING POINTS FOR LETTERS ON JOJO

We're concerned about the safety of our friend, Dung Anh "JoJo" Tran an asylum seeker who is in danger of being imprisoned, tortured or killed if he is returned to Vietnam. His case has recently been rejected by the 9th Circuit Court, but his lawyer has filed an extension and is planning on appealing.

JoJo has lived in America for 12 years, and in Seattle for about 10. Something about all the great work JoJo does in Seattle, being specific about details of where you know him from - Amnesty International, Real Change, P-Patch, etc. and what he's done if you know him. Some of the places you can mention include: his current job, working with the homeless for SHARE - Seattle Housing and Resource Effort; volunteering for: American Red Cross (language bank), Real Change (he's on the board of directors), and ROOTS - Rising out of the Shadows (homeless teens). JoJo also grows fresh vegetables and fruit at the Cascade P Patch, and is an active member of the St. James Cathedral Parrish.

*JoJo also received a commendation from Mayor Nickels for his work cleaning up his neighborhood as part of the city of Seattle's Adopt-A-Street program.

JoJo was a tour guide for westerners who repeatedly got into trouble with the Vietnamese Intelligence Agency, especially with his last tour group of US Veterans including Navy SEALS who had served during the Vietnam War, who had done things like visit restricted areas and took photographs.

One of the veterans, Robert Gibson, testified in court that he witnessed Vietnamese army officers, including a high ranking General, threaten JoJo with death while interrogating him about his involvement with the veteran's tour group. Mr. Gibson also testified that JoJo took him to the home of a Vietnamese nun who's brother had been imprisoned in a re-education camp in hopes of learning more information concerning American POW's and MIA's. Gibson video taped the meeting and JoJo appears on that video. Gibson and JoJo fled through a tunnel just before security officers arrived. The next day the video was seized by Vietnamese officials. The nun's brother, who appeared on the video, disappeared and was never seen again.

Another veteran, Tom Trento, has video showing JoJo in danger that he is willing to let a judge see for JoJo's appeal.

We would like the congress member to
- look into the recent agreement between the US and Vietnam that allows Vietnam to accept returned asylum seekers to the US and ask what assurances we have that asylum seekers like JoJo will not be imprisoned or worse when they are sent back
- to do what they can to help JoJo win his asylum and stay in the US

ADDRESSES

Rep. Jim McDermott
1809 7th Ave.
Suite 1212
Seattle, WA 98101-1399
(206) 553-7170

DC Office:
1035 Longworth HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
(202) 225-3106

Rep. Dave Reichert
2737 78th Ave., SE, Ste. 202
Mercer Island, WA 98040
(206) 275-3438

DC Office:
1223 Longworth HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
(202) 225-7761

Senator Maria Cantwell
915 2nd Ave.
Suite 3206
Seattle, WA 98174
(206) 220-6400

DC Office:
511 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-3441

Senator Patty Murray (Veterans Affairs Committee)
2988 Jackson Federal Building
915 2nd Ave.
Seattle, WA 98174
(206)553-5545

DC Office:
173 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-2621

Rep. Connie Mack (received long letter from Bob Gibson about JoJo)
US House of Representatives
Suite 105
3301 Tamiami Trail East
Naples, FL 20515

Rep. Debra Pryce - Ohio (got JoJo and SEALS out of Viet Nam in 1996)
US House of Representatives
320 Cannon HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515

Senator Bill Nelson (wrote bill to create Navy SEAL Museum in Florida)
716 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

Rep. Tim Mahoney - FL 16th Distict
1541 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

AND:

Governor Chris Gregoire
Office of the Governor
PO Box 40002
Olympia, WA 98504-0002

Mayor Greg Nickels
PO Box 94749
Seattle, WA 98124-4749