Published:  00:00 Tuesday - July 20, 2010

Ly Tong, an American of Vietnamese origin, was arrested by Santa Clara police in California for allegedly attacking a Vietnamese singer by spraying him with a chemical, according to a US news site on July 19.

The Mercury News site reported that Ly Tong dressed himself as a woman to approach Vietnamese pop star Dam Vinh Hung and present him with flowers. He then suddenly doused him with pepper spray and was later seized by security forces.

Santa Clara police said he is expected to stand trial on July 21. He has been granted bail after paying US$52,000.

15 minutes after the incident, singer Dam Vinh Hung was able to perform again.

Ly Tong’s real name is Le Van Tong, who was born in Thua Thien-Hue in 1946. In January 2000, Ly Tong violated Vietnamese airspace and dropped leaflets against the Vietnamese state. When returning to Thailand, he was arrested for violating Thai airspace.

US court charges Ly Tong with six offences