Supporters applaud the release of U.S. Army Muslim Chaplain James Yee, but question new charges against him, vowing to fight until all charges are dropped.

This release is made up of statements made by Yee's parent, supporters, activists about Yee's release with additional new charges aiming to discredit his character and ruin his marriage. It reflects the sentiments and anger of Asian American and Muslim Communities. Many Asian Americans compares Yee's treatment to that of Dr. Wen Ho Lee, the Los Alamos scientist who was wrongly accused by government and media as "alleged spy" in 1999-2000.

(PRWEB) November 28, 2003 - Justice for New Americans (J4NA) claimed victory in their effort to free U.S. Army Muslim Chaplain James Yee pending trial, but called the additional new charges a desperate move to save face. J4NA president Cecilia Chang said today "we will fight until all charges are dropped."
Captain James Yee, the former Muslim chaplain at Camp Delta in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, was secretly arrested on September 10. Initially, accusations of espionage and treason were broadcast nationwide in the news media who had already taken to calling him an "alleged spy". Later, he was charged with disobeying orders and security violations, but on Tuesday (11/25) he was accused of adultery and having pornography on a government computer.
"From the very beginning, I questioned the government's case against him and the political intention behind the leaked charges of espionage and treason. By releasing him, the government has effectively admitted that it never had a case against Capt. Yee." said Prof. Ling-chi Wang, director of UC Berkeley's Ethnic Studies department.
In a statement released Tuesday, Joseph Yee, the Chaplain's father thanked his son's lawyers and support groups. He decried the decision made by the Army. "I question why they are not dropping existing charges and are, instead, adding new ones. It started with allegations of spying, espionage, and treason. Now we have character assassination with smut charges that are more commonly seen in tabloids. His life will never be the same and his present career is probably over due to the initial allegations. Now his reputation is further besmirched with these false, ugly accusations. His loyalty to America, the Chaplain Corps, and his devotion to his duty should have been commended. Instead, the military subjected him to this offensive mistreatment. Can he ever be repaid for the weeks of unjustified confinement to which he was subjected? Will he ever regain his reputation? Will he ever again have the satisfaction of serving in his chosen field? For the sake of James and his family, isn't it time to drop this charade, and let him live his life in peace and freedom?"
Chang said "The Yee family, particularly his wife Huda, has suffered enough. She once told supporters that receiving the news of her husband's arrest felt like someone coming from behind to stab her in the heart. Now, with the adultery allegation, it must have felt like being stabbed twice. The government seems to act compulsively without considering the effect its actions have on those accused and their families. This is not right. If the Army is sincere about correcting the mistakes they made on this case, they should offer an explanation as to why Captain Yee was under secret arrest and kept in maximum confinement for so long."
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Justice for New Americans (J4NA), formally known as WenHoLee.org, is a California public benefit corporation formed to eliminate biases in the United States arising from the erroneous perception that it is acceptable to deny the rights of foreign-born American citizens and their American-born children based on their country of origin, ethnicity and/or religious beliefs. The rights of all United States citizens are protected equally under the U.S Constitution and Bill of Rights. Since January 2003, J4NA has joined a coalition of civil rights organizations, including Amnesty International, the ACLU, and Blue Triangle Network, protesting the mass arrests and
deportations of individuals who are of South Asian/Muslim and Middle Eastern backgrounds. Http://wwww.j4na.org
   
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Contact: Cecilia Chang 510 537-2929 or 510 552-0220