THE BOATPEOPLE SAGA
HAS NOT ENDED
As a part of the
30th anniversary of the fall
of Saigon, in March this year, some 150 former Vietnamese refugees from
several
countries in the world
including Australia came to Malaysia and Indonesia to erect
Memorials
on the Bidong and Galang islands where, during the late 70s-90s, nearly
half
a million Vietnamese boatpeople
stayed temporarily
after fleeing the Hanoi ruling clique.
The
Memorials
pay tribute to the hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese
asylum seekers who perished while
seeking freedom, and also honour the UNHCR, the Malaysian and Indonesian peoples for helping those who survived to reach their
shores.
One side of the
Memorial
reads:
“In
commemoration of the hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese
people who perished
on the way to freedom (1975-1996). Though they
died of hunger or thirst, or being raped, or exhaustion or any other causes, we
pray that they may now enjoy lasting peace.
Their sacrifice will never be
forgotten. - OVERSEAS VIETNAMESE COMMUNITIES 2005”
The other side reads:
“In
appreciation of the efforts of UNHCR, the Red Cross and the Indonesian Red
Crescent Society and other world
relief
organizations, the Indonesian government and
people, as
well as
all countries of
first asylum and
resettlement. We
also express our
gratitude to the thousands of individuals who worked
hard in helping the
Vietnamese refugees. - OVERSEAS VIETNAMESE COMMUNITIES 2005”
The readings are
similar on the
Memorial erected in
Bidong Island.
The inauguration
ceremonies were organized very solemnly in both countries with the presence of
representatives of UNHCR, several non
governmental organizations and
officials from the local and state governments. In the evening, the former refugees were
also welcomed in a reception and state dinner.
In
early June 2005, the
whole overseas Vietnamese communities were
shocked to learn that the
Galang Memorial had been
dismantled and again on the 30th of
June of the decision of the Malaysian government to
demolish the Bidong
Memorial.
Extracts from
local
newspapers read:
Associated
Press, Malaysia Wednesday 15 June
2005
“The Star said the foreign ministry had ordered the
Terengganu government to remove the plaque. Citing
unidentified sources, the Star said the foreign ministry ordered the
plaque’s
removal after the
Vietnamese government protested.”
Star
online – Kuala Terengganu, Wednesday 15 June
2005
“A memorial at the former
refugee island of
Pulau
Bidong has become a
diplomatic issue,
following a
protest by the Vietnamese government. The country wants the
memorial, erected in
March by a group of former refugees, to be demolished…
It is learnt that the
Foreign Ministry has sent a directive to the Terengganu Government to tear down
the plaque…”
The
Jakarta Post, Batam 20 June
2005
“The Jakarta Post source,
who requested anonymity, has said that the destruction of the
plaque was
carried out on the orders of President Susilo, as conveyed
through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the request of the Vietnamese
government. The Vietnamese
government took the view that the wording on the plaque
denigrated the dignity of Vietnam.”
AFP
Kuala Lumpur, 30 June
2005
“
‘We have to take into account the
relationship
between the Malaysian and
Vietnamese governments on the issue’ state secretary Muhatar
Abdullah
told the
official Bernama news
agency”
The Overseas Vietnamese
Communities are not surprised about the reaction of the Vietnamese communist
government.
During the Vietnam War, the communists used a combination of
military force, subversion, propaganda and
terrorism to overwhelm the
South
Vietnam government and to deceive the
whole world.
That propaganda apparatus is now used to persuade the
Malaysian and Indonesian governments to
demolish the
boatpeople Memorials.
Hanoi regime
wants to hide the evidence of the fact that their post-war
policies such as concentration camps, new
economic zones, mental intimidation…which drove
millions of people from their
homeland and hundreds of thousands to their
death. The demand proves the regime
as being utterly stubborn,
immoral and having no respect for the dead.
The dead, the
deceased boat people did exist. The refugees, who survived,
all have relatives or someone they know, disappeared
in the sea. Somewhere in the
countries in South East Asia such as Malaysia, Indonesia,
Thailand… and in the former refugee camps in
Bidong and Galang, the cemeteries, the mass graves where
hundred of boatpeople were buried are
still there. Hundreds of thousands others
lost their life in the
South Sea, they died in hunger, in pain, in despair,
in wretchedness, unknown, without a decent burial, a grave. The ocean was a gigantic mass grave for
them.
The
Memorials built in Bidong and
Galang are the mass entombments for
nearly a million boat people perished at sea. These places will be forever engraved in the history of
mankind as a powerful testament to the force of humanity, where
the innocent victims of a most cruel tyranny finally were offered
solace in the caring hands of the
world community.
The former
refugees and religious leaders have returned to those
islands to pray for the
soul of the dead and
also to express our thanks to the
kindheartedness of the local people who rescued,
sheltered and gave them refuge in their hour
of need.
It is
shameful that the governments of
Malaysia and
Indonesia have given in to the demand of the
Hanoi regime to
dismantle and demolish both
Memorials.
That demand is evil, inhuman, and
immoral and the conduct of the two governments is
unacceptable and
unforgivable.
The most
beautiful thing in the language of human beings is the expression
of thanks and gratitude. From the bottom of our heart, we say: ‘the
people of
Malaysia and
Indonesia still have our respect and hope that the
gratitude we feel is understood’.
Dr C.T. Bui OAM
MD
Former
federal president of the
Vietnamese Community in Australia
July 2005
REFERENCES
Vietnamese Community in
Australia - Media
Release -
01
July
2005
Ngo Nhan Dung – Nhung nguoi da chet deu co that – Nguoi Viet On Line 21 June
2005
Ngo Nhan Dung translated by Quynh Dao – The Dead Did Exist - June 2005