28 years ago today - on 30 April 1975 – Saigon, the capital of the former Republic of Vietnam, fell into the hands of the North Vietnamese Communists. What followed has been the darkest epoch in the 5,000 year history of the peaceful, proud and beautiful country of Vietnam.
The Communist regime implemented, and has continued to this day, a policy of oppression and fear upon its 80 million citizens Since April 1975, more than 3 million Vietnamese have escaped from their homeland seeking refuge and freedom. Nearly one million Vietnamese are believed to have perished in the attempt – drowning and being attacked by pirates among other causes. Many who survived this perilous journey still faced the further ordeal of refugee camps in Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines. Some were fortunate enough to complete the journey to Australia.
Between 1976 and 1981, 2087 Vietnamese refugees arrived in Australia directly by boat and 300 settled in Adelaide. Today there are about 14,000 Vietnamese-Australians living in Adelaide and 200,000 living in Australia. Most were allowed to settle in Australia having endured months, or even years, of appalling conditions in refugee camps. I do not need to tell any Members of this House that members of the Vietnamese-Australian community have made a successful and significant contribution. They have enriched our way of life with their cuisine (of which I am particularly fond!), their unique culture and their determination to provide a better life for their children than they themselves have enjoyed.
Today, on behalf of my constituents of Vietnamese origin, I wish to raise the continuing human rights violations and lack of democratic and religious freedom in Vietnam. Vietnamese citizens who publicly oppose the policies of the Communist regime are regularly arrested and imprisoned without due legal process. Vietnamese prisoners of conscience are frequently detained without charge, refused legal representation, imprisoned without proper trial, denied access to medical treatment and denied the right to practice their faith.
My constituents are greatly concerned regarding the health of several prisoners of conscience in Vietnam. These prisoners of conscience include Mr Le Chi Quang (lawyer), Mr Nguyen Khac Toan (freelance reporter), Mr Nguyen Vu Binh (journalist), Mr Pham Hong Son (medical doctor), Mr Nguyen Dinh Huy (University professor), Dr Nguyen Dan Que (medical doctor). Catholic priests include: Fr Nguyen Van Ly, Fr Chan Tin, Fr Nguyen Huu Giai. Buddhist monks include: Venerable Thich Huyen Quang and the Venerable Thich Quang Do, to name just a few.
The detention of these prisoners of conscience by Hanoi is in violation of the United Nations Charter on Human Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of which, I remind the House, Vietnam is a signatory. All governments have a duty to protect, promote and to uphold these very basic rights of their citizens