“Boat People” is a term usually associated with trauma. It correlates to the evacuation phenomenon of the Vietnamese people after the Vietnam civil war which occurred from 1954 to 1975. Millions of people left their homes, only to be challenged by the ocean, with the impending fear of death, but all worthwhile for the pursuit of freedom and happiness. According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), between 200,000 and 400,000 boat people died at sea. The Boat People’s Tragedy is an indictment toward the Vietnamese Communist government.

On 30 April 1975, also known as “the Fall of Saigon”, The Communist Government dismantled the old regime, and those associated with the former government were either killed or taken from their families and forced to endure hard labour in ‘re-education’ camps, or taken to work on rural projects. Millions of Vietnamese people suffered political and religious persecution.

We are the lucky ones who managed to reach the shores of a nation which embraces freedom and democracy. This, however, does little to mitigate the constant reminder we endure of the many families that did not make it to their safe haven, the hundreds of thousands of our brethren who were laid to rest in the South China Sea.

This mass exodus awakened many across the world to the importance of freedom an democracy and the lengths people would go to in order to escape tyranny. We are the lucky ones. We found our freedom and security. Our pain will abate but our memory will not. In gratitude, we and our descendants have shown extreme dedication both laboriously and intellectually to contribute to the progress and advancement of world freedom and democracy. We finally have the chance to commemorate our fellow brothers, sisters,fathers, mothers, friends and family who have all died on their journey to a better life.They died for us to live. They died for what we have today. Their deaths represent the struggle for freedom the Vietnamese people have had to suffer. We will remember them and pray for them. We will remember their despair, their sacrifices and the countless lives lost in the quest for peacefull.

Why do we want to build a Monument for Vietnamese Boat People? We would like to create a landmark that captures our stories and our legacy for generations to come. Certainly for those who have luckily survived from the journey, we have not forgotten those hopelessness, horrifying, desperate, near-death moments on the seas for days on with fragile hope of life,

Vietnamese Boat People Monuments have been erected in many places around the world, including Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth in Australia. The purpose is to ackowledge those who have lost their lives on the deadly journeys to freedom, to pay tribute to Australians and the Australian Government who have accepted the Vietnamese refugees with their open arms. It is a legacy of our identity, the Vietnamese Refugees. It is a testimony of humanity, resilience and diversity that we all celebrate and share.

Warmest thanks and regards./-