Malaysian-born US soldier files lawsuit over Iraq deployment
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Malaysian-born US soldier files lawsuit over Iraq deployment
Wed, Sep 10, 2008
AFP
A Malaysian-born US Army soldier has launched a legal bid to prevent being sent to Iraq, claiming deployment to the warzone would conflict with his religious beliefs, lawyers said Friday.
Calvin Lee Chee Keong, a 26-year-old Malaysian who has permanent residency in the United States, said in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles that he had been duped into joining the military by recruiters in 2004. Lee, a Buddhist, said he had been told he would never have to leave the United States during his three years military service or go to war, lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union said.
However, he sought conscientious objector status after discovering that his service was being extended and his unit was being deployed to Iraq, the ACLU said in a statement.
"Every action of killing is so evil and wrong, I don't want to do any evil things and see any suffering happening right in front of my eyes," Lee said in the statement.
The Department of the Army rejected his conscientious objector application without explanation, despite recommendations for his release by Army officers, a chaplain and a mental health specialist, the ACLU said.
"Based on the record, the Army has no basis in fact and no good reason to refuse Calvin?s application," said Deborah Karpatkin, Lee's attorney.
"As Calvin wrote in his CO application, he learned in the Army that America is about seeking religious freedom."
A spokesman for the Army declined to comment.
Lee, who is currently assigned to the 58th Combat Engineer Company based at Fort Irwin, California, joined the Army in 2004 after a recruiter approached him at a job fair in San Francisco, the ACLU said.Despite his uneasiness, Lee continued to work, turning down promotions in rank and salary as he felt his faith required, the ACLU said.
By November, Lee applied to a Malaysian temple to live as a monk after the end of his Army service, which was originally scheduled for September, the ACLU said.
But in December, the Army informed Lee that his term of service was being extended and his unit would be deployed to Iraq, the ACLU said.
http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20071021-31321.html -
Oh he sign up for the army just to get US permanent citizenship?
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this kind of fellas deserve to be the targets for live range
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arbarden ? ....Originally posted by maggot:Oh he sign up for the army just to get US permanent citizenship?
he certainly didn't sign up to defend freedom ... -
religous conflictOriginally posted by Fatum:arbarden ? ....
he certainly didn't sign up to defend freedom ... -
Hmm...seems interestingOriginally posted by Fatum:arbarden ? ....
he certainly didn't sign up to defend freedom ... -
He's an ass.Originally posted by maggot:Oh he sign up for the army just to get US permanent citizenship? -
ROFL check out the dateOriginally posted by LazerLordz:Malaysian-born US soldier files lawsuit over Iraq deployment
Wed, Sep 10, 2008
AFP
http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20071021-31321.html -
Doraemon got machine to change newspaper to future newspaper what...Originally posted by infantry:ROFL check out the date -
From the article, I gather he was already a PR when he enlisted.Originally posted by maggot:Oh he sign up for the army just to get US permanent citizenship?
I wonder if his intention of enlisting was to obtain US citizenship. PRs who are are serving, or who have served, in the US military are given priority in applications for US citizenship. -
Coward. Join army is to kill.
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...or be killed.Originally posted by crusader91:Coward. Join army is to kill.
Yup, he's one yellow belly bastard and a disgrace to the race. Luckily he's from Malaysia.
BTW, did any of you also have very bad "trust issues" when working with Malaysian Chinese? Or am I the only one?
In any case, watch out. Many of them are very devious. Trust a snake before you trust a MY Chinese. -
i dont mind sia if i was in his place..
in many ways the US Military Organisation is much fairer to career soldiers..u get what u werk for -
HearOriginally posted by chino65:In any case, watch out. Many of them are very devious. Trust a snake before you trust a MY Chinese. -
Well do they need unfit ex-career soldier?Originally posted by Rockhound:i dont mind sia if i was in his place..
in many ways the US Military Organisation is much fairer to career soldiers..u get what u werk for
If they need probably I will sign up -
"Join the Army! Go to new places, meet new people... and kill them!"
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he sign up for the money.
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ACLU
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"When In Rome, Live like the Romans Do"
If he disagrees with what the US is doing in Iraq or even question the US presence there, he is always fully welcome to desert the US Army, abandon his US PR status and go back to good o' Malaysia.
And being a Buddhist meant the 'killings' there violated his religious beliefs, WHY THE FCUK DID HE ENLIST IN THE US MILITARY FOR? Well, this didn't stop the Buddhist Bumese Military personnel from shooting Buddhist Monks, did they?
Being so 'morally correct', he should have enrolled in the Malaysian Army, confirm no shooting wars...unless he kenna sent with M'sian PK Ops in Somlia or Bosnia.
Another bastard who wants to make his cake and eats it too. -
Can I become buddhist and use this as a good reason not to go army?
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Of course! If you don't want to do NS, it's your choice!Originally posted by Darkness_hacker99: Can I become buddhist and use this as a good reason not to go army?
SG is a free country.
Of course, being a free country, the govt is also free to throw you in jail.
Fair is fair.
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Because he's like a lot of opportunist idiots that we have lots of in SG.Originally posted by Black Aces:"When In Rome, Live like the Romans Do"
If he disagrees with what the US is doing in Iraq or even question the US presence there, he is always fully welcome to desert the US Army, abandon his US PR status and go back to good o' Malaysia.
And being a Buddhist meant the 'killings' there violated his religious beliefs, WHY THE FCUK DID HE ENLIST IN THE US MILITARY FOR? Well, this didn't stop the Buddhist Bumese Military personnel from shooting Buddhist Monks, did they?
Being so 'morally correct', he should have enrolled in the Malaysian Army, confirm no shooting wars...unless he kenna sent with M'sian PK Ops in Somlia or Bosnia.
Another bastard who wants to make his cake and eats it too.
Secondly, it's amusing he didn't bother to find out more about his MOS (US Army term for vocation) and allow his recruiter to pull a fast one on him. It has happened many times, where high school graduates sign up for e.g Engineers/Military Intelligence and get thrown into Infantry MOS. -
Man, I like that one!Originally posted by chino65:Of course! If you don't want to do NS, it's your choice!
SG is a free country.
Of course, being a free country, the govt is also free to throw you in jail.
Fair is fair. -
Originally posted by LazerLordz:
Calvin the Malaysian Chinese enlisted in Combat Engineers probably thinking that at worst, he would be at the rear of the front line.
Secondly, it's amusing he didn't bother to find out more about his MOS (US Army term for vocation) and allow his recruiter to pull a fast one on him. It has happened many times, where high school graduates sign up for e.g Engineers/Military Intelligence and get thrown into Infantry MOS.
But in Iraq, there is no clear frontline or rear areas.
In fact, insurgents actually prefer to attack soft targets like Combat Engineers.
The famous Jessica Lynch was from a Maintenance Company and her convoy was ambushed and nearly wiped out with survivors being captured - Jessica among them.
So after incidents like this, Calvin must be shxtting his pants and start telling story about Buddha.
One thing is for sure: his buddies must be relieved he lost his balls stateside instead of waiting till in Iraq where he at best will lower morale, at worst endanger the lives of his buddles.
There are women over there toting weapons. And then we have Calvin. -
nice stunt... anyone wanna try this when they send u on overseas missions to timor or elsewhere??
let me know what happens to u