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Nguyen Hong Thi Thu's story
By boat to freedom
The reason I left Vietnam was so my family could flee the Communist. My father was an army
general serving Vietnam and after Communist come they took my father to the education camp
and life there was very difficult. We were very sad.
My mum always hoped to escape from Vietnam to another country. We hope to go America because I got my aunty who lives there for twenty years. My mum has a friend and her friend got a small boat from South Vietnam.
Departure by night
I leave at night with about five people. They got us a boat that will travel to Malaysia.
The small boat has about twenty people. I can take only one pair trouser and one shirt,
that's all, no food because I must look like you are going to the shop. Otherwise, the
Communist would ask questions.
I don't want to leave my family but my mother always said 'You must go to the boat and escape from Vietnam'. I scared and just lucky to escape like that. Sometimes the Gov. caught the people and took them back but I just praying for the God, 'Oh help my family'.
No room for sleeping
I travelled in the sea about seven days. Oh, terrible. The first day they got water and
some food like some lemon. The second day and third day, there just only a little bit
water, drink about one small cup. And fourth day and five day after I drink just a little
bit of water. I thought I will die. Oh, terrible!
Seasick the first day and the second day and also dizzy, but the third day and fourth day because I can't eat, just drink water and I feel seasick a lot. We floated seven days and after that I saw the big boats working for the oil company. They just say they will take me to Malaysia, Pulau Bidong Island.
I remember, the first time I came to that island I don't know where my brother is. I thought he go to Canada or America and I just came there and I thought there was nobody, no friend there and then I saw my brother. My brother said 'Oh, I can't believe that one'.
'My face shining from tears'
I was in the camp over four months. I didn't know anything about Australia except I knew
about Kangaroos and crocodile. I find out about Australia after I meet the government
official. They very friendly.
When I leave the island for a camp in Kuala Lumpur, I know I will go to Australia. They got a small library. I look for the books about Australia but can only find out about NSW and about the famous Sydney Opera House.
Then after one month I got listed. I feel the freedom. They got a Boeing 707 for the people travelling from Malaysia to Australia. About sixty people, twenty-one people for Melbourne and others went to Sydney. Oh, my face shining from tears because I'm very happy.
Modern Australian History
| The beginning of Immigration to Australia | Convicts in Australia | Letter from a convict |
Immigration
| immigration background | Attitudes towards European immigration | Postwar immigration | Extracts - Immigration Restriction Act 1901 | Refugee's story |
Chronology of key events from:
| 1848-1890 leading upto Gold | 1892-1945 | 1945-73 | 1973-92 |