This photo album was created in 1985. It tells the story of the Vietnamese Land Refugees in the
Thailand-Cambodia border camps, their journey, their living conditions, their hopeless situation and above all, their faith.
The world knew very little about these refugees. Until few of them were lucky enough to be accepted to settle in another country. One fellow refugee, Vu Hoang Quan, was among the very first of them to arrive in his new welcome land, Quebec. He left behind the camps and his dear fellow friends with whom he had shared probably the hardest moments of his life.
And the most precious thing he brought along in his luggage was these photos and a refugee story to be told. This photo album was then created.
It was first presented to sister Andrée Leblanc, a Congrégation de Sainte-Croix (c.s.c) nun. She was
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| sister Andrée Leblanc |
also the director of Carrefour Sainte-Croix, dedicated to the cause of the refugees. Sister Leblanc was so touched to learn about the situation of these Vietnamese land refugees that she immediately requested the Carrefour to sponsor some of these refugees to Quebec, Canada.
Hoang Quan then contacted his best refugee friend, Trinh Huy Chuong, who was still in the camp. And this was the beginning of their sponsor operation.During the following three years, dozens of Vietnamese land refugees arrived in Québec. The Carrefour Sainte-Croix opened two welcome houses. One was run by father Pierre Dufour, c.s.c. The other was under the responsibility of brother Jean-Paul Gagnon, c.s.c
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| father Pierre Dufour |
And there was another story with this photo album…
Few months after his arrival in Québec, Hoang Quan heard about two other persons dedicated to help the refugees. He went to meet them, father Pierre Blanchard (parish priest), and brother Roger Gosselin (Ordre des Capucins). The photo album once again touched their heart and convinced them to turn their attention to the land refugees. Fund raisings were organized. Sponsorships were filled and sent. The refugees arrived…
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| father Thomas Dunleavy |
Also from this point, father Thomas Dunleavy, Maryknoll, who was working closely with the refugees in the camp, got involved in this operation. He managed to gather funds and convince his Maryknoll to finance the sponsor operation in Quebec. This precious contribution was especially aimed to help the deserters (bo doi) who had very little chance to be resettled elsewhere.
And there was still another story…
The story of father André Lamothe, jesuit. He spent years working in different refugee camps in South East Asia. In 1983, he came to visit Nongsamet, a Thai border camp for Vietnamese Land Refugees. In 1986, brother Jean-Marie Birsens, jesuit, came to visit Quan in Montreal. Quan learned that father Lamothe was back in Montréal. He came to visit him and together they read and watched each page of the photo album. Father Lamothe remembered very well his short visit to the border camp. And this was when the Jesuit community got involved in the sponsor operation.
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| father André Lamothe |
This photo album – the stories behind it – the real stories of the Vietnamese land refugees
It is our History
It is published here, unadulterated, as an acknowledgement and a tribute to the work of all people who have made it possible for these hundreds of refugees to reach this promised land.
Cuốn album này được anh Vũ Hoàng Quân làm những ngày đầu anh đến định cư tại Montreal năm 1985. Anh làm cuốn sách này là để vận động các tổ chức nhân đạo bảo lảnh cho dân tị nạn còn kẹt lại tại trại tị nạn đường bộ biên giới, nhất là những người bộ đội, khi không nước nào nhìn đến họ.
Canada là niềm hy vọng cuối cùng của nhiều người, khi các cha dòng tên ở nước này vẫn quan tâm cho mọi người, không phân biệt, vì tấm lòng nhân đạo
Anh Vũ Hoàng Quân sau khi đi vận động với các Cha, các Sơ tại các nhà dòng ở Montreal, đã tìm được bảo lảnh cho nhiều người tị nạn. Cùng với sự hơp tác của anh Trịnh Huy Chương vẫn còn ở trại, hai anh đã giúp những người tị nạn đường bộ may mắn rời trại đi định cư tại Montreal và Quebec
Nhữnh hình quý giá trong cuốn album này chưa được đăng đầy đủ lần trước, Xin đăng lại ở đây...Mời các bạn xem
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Wednesday, December 12, 2018
