Slain Bankstown lawyer Ho Le Dinh's voice for change made him enemies, friends say
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Ho Le Dinh was a man with a strong voice.
A political refugee with a passion for social justice, he wasn't afraid to speak out and stand up for what he believed in.
But he was also a divisive figure in Sydney's close-knit Vietnamese community who had "some friends, and some enemies" according to colleagues and associates.
Mr Ho died this week after being shot at a cafe he used to own in Bankstown.
Police are still searching for the shooter, who they describe as Pacific Islander in appearance, with an olive complexion and of medium build.
Mr Ho came to Australia in the late 1980s after fleeing Vietnam during the war, and quickly began learning English and working odd jobs.
His friend, Van Nguyen, who also fled Vietnam, said Mr Ho delivered Vietnamese newspapers in Sydney while studying law and soon became well known in the Vietnamese community.
But it wasn't long before he made his mark as an outspoken, controversial figure.
Friends say he was a strong critic of communism and believed in using his voice for change.
In one of his last interviews in September 2017, Mr Ho quoted Albert Einstein, stating: "The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it".
A video on social media shows a confrontation with a lady on the streets of Bankstown a few years ago.
Fellow Bankstown lawyer Ai Trong Than said the scuffle broke out after the Vietnamese community erected a flag in Bankstown to thank Australia for accepting them as refugees during the war.
Mr Ai said Mr Ho protested and said Australia should thank the Vietnamese refugees for the significant contribution they made to the country — and the lady shown in the video apparently took offence.
"Some people liked him, some people didn't," Mr Ai said.
Mr Ai said he was shocked and saddened to hear the news of the death of Mr Ho, who he said he didn't know well but described as "a nice fellow".
"I feel for him and especially his three young children," he added.
Happy Cup was his 'second office'
Mr Ho was a criminal lawyer who spoke Vietnamese, Chinese and English and many of his clients were of a Vietnamese background.
Mr Nguyen said his friend had a very "tough job" and said while most of Mr Ho's clients were happy with the result "some were not".
He appeared in several high-profile cases including that of a Buddhist monk who sued a Vietnamese newspaper for defamation several years ago.
He also represented Sydney man Philip Nguyen, who was convicted over the murder of a policeman in 2013.
Mr Ai said Mr Ho often had coffee with clients at the Happy Cup coffee shop where he was shot.
He said the cafe was known as Mr Ho's "second office" and many people knew they could find him there.
Fellow Bankstown lawyer Andie Lam said Mr Ho was quite active in legal research and published a dictionary of law.
She agreed he "wasn't shy" and wasn't afraid to speak his mind, often rubbing people the wrong way with his strong political views.
President of the Law Society of NSW Doug Humphries said the brazen shooting in broad daylight was "shocking".
"It is a fact of life, particularly in some criminal matters and some family matters that lawyers do face risks," he said.
"The fact that people continue to provide that representation is an indication of the community service mindset of the legal profession. We represent everyone."
He said a manager would be appointed to Mr Ho's law firm to take carriage of his files and clients.
The Vietnamese Australian Lawyers Association is preparing a tribute to Mr Ho.
Topics: law-crime-and-justice, crime, murder-and-manslaughter, sydney-2000, bankstown-2200, randwick-2031
