July 29, 2013

Message from Peter Korslund - The Red Cross delegate from Denmark

Peter Korslund, on right, seen in this photo working 
with two other volunteers at Khao I Dang for 
the malnourished children under five in the 
refugee camps.  KID 1984
Hello dear friends,

I guess and hope it is not too late to send you this clip from Peter Korslund the Red Cross delegate Denmark. I received it when I returned from Montreal and it went to my spam mail. Please watch the website below.
Love and peace,
Sieu



****



July 27, 2013

Phóng Sự , ghi nhận qua giới Truyền Thông về Ngày Hội Ngộ của Gia Đình Trại Tị Nạn Đường Bộ Việt Nam tại Montréal, Canada 22 tháng sáu 2013

 

Phóng Sự do SBTN - Saigon Broadcasting Television Network - Nam California USA
với Phóng viên Hoàng Anh Quốc.

Dưới tự đề " Hành trình của một người tị nạn" Click on the link to view the video


Phóng sự do Thanh Trúc Đài Á Châu Tự Do RFA-Radio Free Asia, Hoa Thịnh Đốn, Hoa Kỳ

Phóng sự do Thời Báo Montrèal thực hiện - vì cỡ báo quá khổ scan chỉ một nữa

xin quý vị click và maximize để xem cho rõ

Phần phóng sự do phóng viên Hoàng Quốc Anh thực hiện


July 24, 2013

Hậu Trường Hội Ngộ- Vài Hình Ảnh Đền Thánh Giu Se

Những hình ảnh chụp lại khi Quân và Chương, và anh Trí đi tới Đền Thánh để chuẩn bị cho cuộc hội ngộ hôm sau...
Cảm ơn Quân và CHương đã lo được một chộ hội ngộ chu đáo hoành tráng...
Gởi các bạn vài tấm hình ghi lại hôm ấy.

L'Auberge, nơi hội ngộ sẽ bắt đầu

Đây sẽ là chổ chụp hình chung, nhưng hôm sau trời mưa hoài không dứt


Viết lời cầu nguyện cho cuộc hôi ngộ được vui vẻ

Nhìn từ L'Auberg

Nhìn từ cổng



Từ trên cao nhìn xuống

Thành phố Montreal



Bên trong Basilica

Basilica: Một chặng đường thánh giá



Basilica:  dàn pipe organ lớn nhất thế giới: The Grand Beckerath Organ

Basilica:  dàn pipe organ lớn nhất thế giới: The Grand Beckerath Organ

Crypt church, nơi sẽ làm lễ tạ ơn

Crypt Church: Đức Mẹ


Crypt church: stained glass window

Crypt church: The Casavant Organ


Nơi chôn cất cha André.: những người đang câu nguyện

Tượng Đức Mẹ trong phòng elevator

Thắp nến khẩn cầu cha André

Những người tật nguyền treo lại nạng khi đã được chửa lành 
Đền thánh Giu Se

Nơi thờ trái tim cha André

Trái tim cha được ướp trong một hộp kính, bảo vệ bằng những song sắt bên ngoài




July 23, 2013

Hậu Trường Hội Ngộ- Vài Hình Ảnh chuẩn bị

Hội ngộ đã qua nhưng những hình ảnh vẫn còn mãi. Dù thế nào đi nửa, đây là những ngày bận rộn của nhiều người...Mọi mặt bằng, mọi chổ trống nhà Quân và Chương được tận dụng tối đa...và cả đóng góp của mọi người để có ngày hội ngộ như ý.

Gởi các bạn hình ảnh nghi lại những công việc chuẩn bị cho ngày hôm ấy. 
Cảm ơn gia đình Chương, Quân, và anh Trí  đã lo lắng chu toàn mọi việc.


Trên phòng khách nhà Chương, Anh Trí lo dàn âm thanh mới mướn về

Dưới bếp, Duyên chuẩn bị cho đèn cầy tri ân
(đáng tiếc thay, những đèn cầy này bị bể khi rớt xuống trong lúc vội vả di chuyển, phải thay thế ngay bằng những cây đèn cầy đỏ, nhỏ xíu các bạn thấy tại hội ngộ)
 
Tại sofa phòng khách, Anh Trí chuẫn bị các đoạn video ngày đêm không ngũ.


Tại bàn làm việc, Chương vừa làm việc vừa thử dàn âm thanh

Dưới basement, Louis, Tommy, Thanh Mai và Antoine bận rộn với những poster tị nạn

Trên bàn, Thanh Mai, Kimberly, Duyên xếp bảng tên

Dưới sàn nhà, Thanh Mai cắt bảng tên

Ngoài sân nhà Quân, Thanh Mai sơn logo 

Đây là design của Thanh Mai, từ suy nghĩ đến thành phẩm
Kimberly chuẩn bị chơi violon cho các bác, "You Raise Me Up"  nhưng không có dịp vì chương trình thay đổi 




July 22, 2013

Nong Samet - 1983

Photo courtesy of Do Chi Sieu

A few photos from Nong Samet in 1983. 



VNLR platform Nong Samet





July 21, 2013

NW9 - How It is established - A Message from Mr Leon de Riedmatten

to all NW9 refugees:
Mr Leon posted a message long ago, but unfortunately he did not leave the email contact. We repost this message with his email such that friends can contact him. His email:

Message repost -------------------------------------------------------------
Hello,

I'm Leon de Riedmatten who opened NW9 in 1980 with ICRC.

I would be pleased to be in touch to the ones who were there at the time.

With my best wishes

Leon de Riedmatten
------------------------


HOW NW 9 WAS ESTABLISHED 
Report on the Vietnamese land refugees
Kim Ha James Banerian
The Online Archive of California

All land refugees arriving at the Thailand border had to pass through the hands of the Para “big men” for “processing”, search and oppression. Afterwards, the refugees were given over to the ICRC at a price of five hundred kg. rice per person.

On March 25, 1980, the Thai border was closed since that country was no longer accepting refugees. Consequently, the refugees had to stay temporarily in camps inside Cambodia, such as Non Chan, Non Samet, Non Makmun, until they were permitted in by the Thai government.

During that waiting period, at Non Samet, each night the Para came to get the women and girls, carrying them off like pigs to take them to their trucks for sadistic rape, unmindful of their victims' pitiful cries. After one night of abuse, one woman collapsed unconscious after suffering a hemorrhage. Another was white as a sheet, with no emotion on her face as she went into delirium at times, howling like a pig getting its throat cut. One girl resisted and was shot; we did not see her return the next day. Perhaps her corpse had been hastily buried somewhere along the road. Another victim was brought back unable to walk, her face, arms and legs bruised because of the treatment she had received. Some families were able to hide their girls among the homes of local Khmer for a time. If the Cambodians protected you, you were that fortunate. But usually you had to pay for each day you stayed with them. If the Para found out, they would have killed all of us. The Para were covered with amulets they thought had magic and their faces were black and horrible looking. A girl who was having her period when they carried her away would be left alone while they cursed their talismans for losing their magic power.

When the ICRC people came, the women and girls used to run up to them, crying and begging to be rescued. One such morning, a Swiss woman named Denyse Betchov came to visit them. Seeing the girls had been gang-raped repeatedly and many were hemorrhaging, Denyse ordered them put on her truck and sent immediately to Khao I Dang, about fifteen km. away, for treatment. The Para protested and ordered the camp closed, refusing to let her truck inside the fence. The driver of the ICRC truck felt there was nothing he could do and watched the Para guarding both sides of the gate, wielding their guns threateningly. Without hesitation, this courageous woman leaped into the truck, shoved the driver aside and got behind the wheel. Then, stepping hard on the gas, she rammed the truck into the hedge surrounding Non Samet, knocking down one wall by the gate so she could run inside. The Para were furious and on future nights they took out their anger on the new refugees, treating them even more brutally than before.

But on this particular day, Denyse got in touch with her superiors in Bangkok, asking them to intercede with the Thai Ministry of the Interior for a solution to bring the refugees out of the grasp of the Para. Her courage and compassion brought new enthusiasm to the refugees. As a result of her actions, on April 18 more than three hundred refugees from Non Samet were transported by truck to a spot closer to the Thai border. After half an hour of twisting and turning through the jungle, they were dropped off in the middle of nowhere, since the Thai government still refused to permit the refugees inside the border.

At Non Chan, the oppression of refugees continued. On the night of April 20, six hundred of these refugees opposed the attack by the Para, raising their voices and causing a commotion to prevent the Para from taking any woman away. The Board of Camp Leaders tried to save the girls by having them stay in the innermost circle of tents while the men slept on the outside. When the Para came to the camp, their translator spoke to the refugees and ordered them to lie still and not get involved with what was to happen. One of the Camp Leaders, Mr. V., started a mock fight with another refugee. They went at it, chasing each other around the camp, shouting and waking everybody up. The whole camp was aroused. Mothers hid their children. Sisters covered the faces of the young ones. The Para-some twenty to thirty of them–waved their guns and shone flashlights into the tents. There arose cries and shouts. “Mama! Save me!” “No! Please! I'm married!” “Oh God! Let me go! What have I done that you treat me this way?” “Mama! I'm too young! Don't make me go!” “Oh, God! Oh, Buddha!”

Heartrending screams mixed with the bloodcurdling shouts of the Para to frighten us all. Then all at once, everyone began to shout in one voice. The Para became afraid and dropped the women, then went over to rough up the men. They cocked their rifles and pointed them at the men. They said something in their own language and had it translated into Vietnamese. Again, everyone was made to lie still, as they threatened to shoot anyone who moved. The men lay back down quietly, but kept watching from the corners of their eyes. As soon as the Para returned to the girls' tents, the camp jumped up again, screaming and crying. This went on a few times. Several of the young men were beaten for supposedly having a hand in the resistance.

Because we were united in opposing the Para, they were defeated that time. They stomped off without taking away a single girl. We were relieved. But how would they react the next night?

The refugees were like prisoners in the camps–no more, no less. They could be sent back across the border at any time and that was the greatest fear of all. The Para took full advantage of this weakness to act like animals. They got help, too, from the Chinese-Khmer.

The next day (April 21), two persons from the camp were sent to the ICRC base to request help before the Para could retaliate the next night. Around noontime, Denyse and Mr. Leon De Riedmatten came to visit us. Following an hour or so of discussion with the camp leaders, these two got on the radio and asked permission of their superiors to transfer the six hundred from Non Chan closer to the border. Permission granted, the order was announced. At once, everyone began to pack their meager belongings. The men were mobilized to take down the huts and clean up the area. Women and children were already lined up to go.

The Para were incensed. They charged in to steal the refugees' food and whatever else they could get their hands on. They vowed to kill any Vietnamese refugee who came by later. (The next day, in fact, some fifty refugees came out of the jungle. That night, all the girls–about thirty–were the victims of violent revenge for what had happened the previous day. Even a middle-aged woman was not spared, nor were those who were pregnant. They were there just one night. The following day, the Red Cross took them, too, to NW 9.)

But Denyse's efforts to help the refugees came to an abrupt end in May 1980 when she was suddenly transferred. We wept as we saw her off that last day with us. We gave her letters and notes written in Vietnamese, French and English. Even today we still recall the valiant and charitable actions of that woman hardly thirty years old who tried to rescue us. Emotion-filled songs were sung and someone gave her a pair of wooden shoes made at the camp. And we embraced and thanked her profusely. Denyse could not help but cry, too, as she went from hut to hut to say farewell and shake hands and wave goodbye. She had to leave, but the refugees would never forget her.

When the refugees were taken finally from Non Chan to the new camp in the jungle, no one wanted to get off the truck, for we were out in the middle of nowhere. We saw nothing but trees and the blue from tents of the three hundred Non Samet refugees who had preceded us. Our disappointment and anxiety grew. Wearily, we just sat where we were. Our hopes of being taken to Thailand were dashed. But finally, we did get out and joined NW 9, where the camp leader, “B”, instructed us in the rules of the camp.

That night, we lay on the grass in the tents we had just built, glad to be out of the hands of the Para, but sorry to be abandoned in the jungle. All at once there was a scream. We jumped, startled, and gave a shout. We had not forgotten the terrors we had just left and hearing a scream made us all fearful again. After checking it out, however, we discovered it was not the Para that caused the screaming, but snakes. One had crawled up beside a girl and she had been frightened. The snakes were everywhere in the jungle, coming out at night and creeping into the tents. Therefore, we made hammocks out of rice sacks so we could sleep above ground with greater security. Families had anywhere from two to six hammocks, depending on what they could afford. You might see a pair of bamboo posts from which hung two or three swinging rice sacks and hammocks. As time went on, the lives of the refugees became more and more associated with their hammocks. After eating, where could you go? We lay in the hammocks and gossiped or discussed matters important to us.

Each day after that, the ICRC brought more refugees into NW 9, sometimes a few, sometimes a hundred. They were all ragged and dirty, their feet bleeding from the walk, some leaning on others to complete the journey. They were pale as ghosts. No one escaped the net laid by the Para and Khmer Rouge. None the less, each refugee's eyes were bright for having reached his/her destination.

July 18, 2013

Hình Ảnh Hội Ngộ 5 - Trao Quà Lưu Niệm

Photo courtesy of VNLR
Photo by TDT Studio

Chị Rạng trao quà cho Martine 

 
Martine và Rạng chụp tại Site Two North 26 năm về trước

Chị Rạng trao quà cho Martine



Luc Payant , một chàng Y tá người Québecoise năm xưa tại Bệnh Viện COERR Site Two South
 
27 năm sau....Chị Hoàn trao quà cho Luc

 Dương trao quà cho Urai, một Xét nghiệm viên của Médicins Sans Frontieres
Trại Rythisen , Ampil Site 2 North và South....28 năm sau...
Urai , 28  years ago along the border of Thailand-Cambodia with Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF)...Now she is working at Montreal General Hospital with Peter Chuong
The earth is round and small...isn't it??

Dương trao quà cho Urai

Tài trao quà cho Prapapis

Prapapis with other VNLR and Medical team


28 năm sau, Tài trao quà cho Prapapis

28 years ago----Site Two South

Tài trao quà cho Prapapis

Chương trao quà cho Sơ Andrée LeBlanc và cha Pierre Defour

Cha Pierre Dufour cùng những người tị nạn Việt Nam <đường bộ và đường biển>  tại Maison d'acceuil , Montreal năm 1988

Chương trao quà cho Sơ Andrée LeBlanc và cha Pierre Dufour

Chương trao quà cho Sơ Andrée LeBlanc và cha Pierre Dufour


Bác Kim Sắc Toàn trao quà cho sơ Andrée LeBlanc

Bác Kim Sắc Toàn trao quà cho sơ Andrée LeBlanc

Anh Đài trao quà cho Dennis, Jim, và Lionel .
Chị Hương đại diện nhận quà cho các vị ân nhân
Thu Hương with Father Pierre Ceyrac, the past US Senator Mark O. Hatfield (R-Oregon) and James Towey in Washington DC

Quân tặng quà cho Bob, anh Hiếu đại diện nhận quà


Đức Ông Monsignor Pierre Gaudette và Thuận


Anh Phụng trao quà cho cha Tom
The last one still alive benefactor who is still helping the refugees in Thailand....Father Tom.

Anh Phụng trao quà cho cha Tom

Siêu trao Certificate of Honor của thành phố San Francisco cho Martine
Không về được Montreal dự hội ngộ, thành phố San Francisco trao tặng bác Lâm Nê Certificate of Honor tại tư gia bác ở Oakland, do anh Đỗ Chí Siêu đem tới.

"Colonel Lam Ne
The Hero of our History
In grateful Appreciation of your leadership and commitment
in serving Vietnamese land refugees in camps
 on the border of Thailand and Cambodia"


Siêu và chị Vy trao Certificate of Honor của thành phố San Francisco cho Quân, Chương, và Hưng

Siêu và chị Vy trao Certificate of Honor của thành phố San Francisco cho Quân, Chương, và Hưng



Bác Kiểm nói lời cảm ơn tới các ân nhân


Nối vòng tay lớn - hẹn sẽ gặp lại 

Nối vòng tay lớn - hẹn sẽ gặp lại 

Gia đình bác Kim Sắc Toàn chụp hình với ân nhân sơ Andrée LeBlanc


 
Design by Free WordPress Themes | Bloggerized by Lasantha - Premium Blogger Themes | Best WordPress Themes