In part 16 of Laura Lam\'s series, Ho Chi Minh reaches a crossroads in Hong Kong, gaining support as he faces extradition and execution.

>>Part 1: Paris, my two worlds
>>Part 2: A journey in search of freedom
>>Part 3: Nguyen the Patriot
>>Part 4: Indochina and little emperors
>>Part 5: The rise of patriotism
>>Part 6: Finding a compass
>>Part 7: Young Ho Chi Minh with Grand Chef Escoffier
>>Part 8: Young Ho Chi Minh in America
>>Part 9: Ho Chi Minh versus Albert Sarraut
>>Part 10: The path of destiny
>>Part 11: Moscow’s resolution on Indochina
>>Part 12: Lenin and Peoples of the East
>>Part 13: From Moscow to Canton
>>Part 14: A cross-cultural political training school
>>Part 15: Hong Kong, City without Gates

Ho Tung Mau met with Frank Loseby, a prominent British lawyer known for his kindness and integrity. Having defended a Vietnamese man some years earlier in a similar situation, Loseby knew the situation in Indochina well. He agreed to take the case immediately. He met Quoc and felt a sense of profound respect for him. He told Quoc that one of his colleagues had represented Dr. Sun Yat-Sen when he was arrested and detained in London for his political activities. Quoc was concerned about not having money for the legal fees. But Loseby said, “I know you are leader of the Vietnamese revolution. I’ll defend you because of honor, not for money.”

Frank Loseby, Nguyen Ai Quoc’s lawyer

The French had produced enough documents to “legalize” the arrest. At the High Court in Hong Kong, they accused him of trying to “overthrow the government of the British Kingdom”. First, Loseby pointed out that Sung Man Cho was arrested on June 6 but the arrest warrant was issued on June 12. He also argued that if the accused was to be deported to Indochina, it was certain that he would be executed.

The French were confident that the Hong Kong authorities would hand Quoc over to them. On August 24, 1931, the Sûreté Générale’s office in Ha Noi sent a telegram to Sai Gon informing them that Nguyen Ai Quoc would leave Hong Kong on September 1 on the General Metzinger. Two policemen had been assigned to escort Quoc back to Viet Nam.

After nine hearings between June and October 1931, Sung Man Cho was found not guilty of any crime. The High Court ordered his release. He would not be allowed to remain in Hong Kong, however. Quoc himself requested permission to go temporarily to Great Britain.

The French continued to put pressure on the Hong Kong government for the deportation. Earlier they had set a ransom of 75,000 Indochinese dollars for anyone who could capture and hand him in. Meanwhile, the Sûreté Générale asked their agent “Pinot” for information about other members of the Revolutionary Youth League arrested in Canton. They thought these Vietnamese might have been in contact with Quoc. Agent Pinot was Lam Duc Thu (Nguyen Cong Vien), a member of the League who had betrayed Nguyen Ai Quoc, which led to his arrest on June 6.

Frank Loseby decided to fight the issue of deportation by submitting the case to the Privy Council in London.

On September 12, 1931, La Prade, the French Consult General in Hong Kong, sent a telegram to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris:

“The Supreme Court, after declaring the expulsion order valid this morning, authorized Nguyen Ai Quoc, as requested yesterday, to appeal to the Privy Council in London.

What I understand is that this decision will not be implemented before one year and that, in the interval, the rebel will remain in detention here.”

Shortly afterwards, Frank Loseby wrote a public statement about Quoc, “I want to let you all know that my client is a highly educated man. For various reasons, I am the only person that he can trust. Due to humanitarian reasons, I often visit him and we developed a very close friendship. Therefore, if he is given to the French to be executed, or if the French spy organization kills him, it would be my personal loss.”

Frank Loseby’s wife, Rosa, was sympathetic toward Quoc’s dilemma. She and their baby daughter, Patricia, would visit him at Victoria Prison every Saturday afternoon. In early November 1931, an earlier tuberculosis condition flared up and Quoc was seriously ill. He was admitted to a hospital ward for prisoners. His meals in prison consisted of water spinach in the morning and boiled rice with salty fish in the evening. The poor diet was badly affecting his fragile physical condition. Frank Loseby arranged to have his daily meals brought to the hospital from a Chinese restaurant in the area. Quoc would remain in the hospital for more than a year.

Rosa Loseby and her daughter continued to visit Quoc. Each week they brought him a few necessities and a large bunch of flowers. Quoc was especially appreciative of receiving the flowers. Their natural scents and beauty moved him. Flowers had become his companion, helping to reduce the harsh impact of the isolated prison cell. While desperately longing to break away from the oppressive confinement, they helped him to visualize peaceful surroundings with flower gardens, fruit trees, fresh breezes, and a sense of order and harmony.

One day, while at the Central Market buying flowers, Rosa Loseby ran into the wife of the British Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong. The two women chatted and the Colonial Secretary’s wife decided to go to the hospital with Rosa Loseby. At this first meeting, she was impressed with Quoc’s fluency in English and deeply moved by his manners and expression. She was torn by his ordeal. When she returned home and told her husband about the hospital visit, the Colonial Secretary decided to meet the intriguing prisoner. This encounter would help change the fate of Nguyen Ai Quoc.

In late 1931, Prince Cuong De, a descendant of the Nguyen dynasty who was in exile in Japan, sent Quoc a heartfelt letter and 300 yen to help with Quoc’s medical expenses.

During the long year of waiting for a decision from the Privy Council, Quoc tried to cope with despair and loneliness by immersing himself in writing. Aside from composing poetry, Quoc devoted his time to the writing of a book. It was about life’s great challenges and human suffering. The memoir contained his trans-cultural experiences and his personal philosophy. The entire manuscript was written in English.