Fwd: [uNAVSA-Core] Press Release: San Jose Police Brutally Beat San Jose State University Student
Bao Thien Ngo
From: Seng So <sen...@unavsa.org>
Date: Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 11:55 AM
Subject: [uNAVSA-Core] Press Release: San Jose Police Brutally Beat San Jose State University Student
To: uNAVSA <unavs...@yahoogroups.com>, ebo...@norcaluvsa.org
uNAVSA Press Release
October 28, 2009
San Jose Police Brutally Beat San Jose State University Student
20-year-old, Phuong Ho was brutally beaten by San Jose police officers on September 3, 2009 in his home. A cell phone video taken by Dimitri Masouris, Ho's roommate, show police officers using batons and a Taser gun on the unarmed Phuong as he laid sprawled against the wall. Ho can be seen and heard on the ground moaning, crying and pleading with officers as their baton strikes were distinctly audible. The video documents a further baton strike after Ho was handcuffed, despite Phuong offering no signs of resistance.
http://news.aol.com/article/video-shows-san-jose-police-beating/493066
http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_13645936?nclick_check=1
Let Us Not Forget
Unfortunately, the brutal beating of Phuong Ho was not the San Jose law enforcement’s first time of questionable decision-making and actions when it has dealt with the Vietnamese community. Vietnamese Americans still mourn the 2003 police killing of Cau Thi Bich Tran in San Jose, CA. Tran, a Vietnamese mother of two, was shot and killed in her apartment as her husband and children begged and pleaded for officers not to shoot. At the time, Cau Tran was holding a vegetable cleaver, which the San Jose police officer used as justification for the shooting.
On Mother's Day, May 10, 2009, Daniel Pham was shot and killed by San Jose police officers in the backyard of his home, despite protests from Brian Pham, Daniel's brother, to not shoot. Pham was mentally ill. Over five months later, the two officers have not been held accountable for their fatal, excessive use of force. Neither officer was reprimanded as the San Jose police department has not accepted any responsibility of wrong doing.
Take a Stand
Sadly, the actions of the San Jose police department are not isolated occurrences. They stem from a deeper rooted ignorance and misunderstanding of differences in cultures and communities. While these incidents directly impacted our Vietnamese American community, we stand in solidarity with all people of color as we collectively fight prejudice and injustice. As uNAVSA works with UVSA NorCal and other local, regional organizations to formally respond to these brutalities, we strongly encourage you to take your own stand however you can, whether as part of a rally or protest, a solemn candlelight vigil, or even a personal reflection to educate oneself.
We should never wait for these tragedies to feel the urgency to take action. However, as they occur in such a repetitive fashion, we must feel the imperative to stand up against injustice and the wrongful loss of life. In the wake of historical misunderstandings between law enforcement and immigrant, low-income communities that have led to varying outcomes of excessive force to death, we must be the momentum that begins to hold such officers accountable for their actions. In addition to fighting and raising awareness around police brutality and racial profiling, we must also pro-actively educate our communities about our differences and the barriers that divide us only in perception.
Only through such a holistic approach that treats not only the symptoms, but also fights the root causes can we advocate for sustainable change and progress in our communities. We hope this can begin a healthy and productive dialogue in our community as we try to grow and push forward through the aftermath of this tragedy.
In Solidarity
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Seng So
uNAVSA
Northern California | CoRR Representative
510.584.6860
sen...@unavsa.org | so.se...@gmail.com
-Community. Love. Liberation-
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