Verbatim copy of an email from my friend Duc Nguyen, whose documentary Bolinao 52 and his work in the Philippines along with Hoi Trinh I highly support. Read, watch the video and pass it on.
Minh T. Nguyen
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Dear Friends,
While the headlines at the end of 2005 mentioned that the last remaining Vietnamese boat people who are stateless in the Philippines have finally resettled, the fact remains that more than 100 families are still left behind. The reason: they have Filipino spouses. Their cases were flatly denied without a chance for interview nor appeal. Their due processes were devoid.
When we were in the Philippines last summer, the interview process for those approved cases had just begun. Now many of those cases have already resettled in the U.S. But at that time, I saw the anxiety of those who were waiting for their fate to be determined. I saw the happiness of those who were approved. I saw the sadness of those who were rejected. And I saw the wonderment of those who stepped foot onto this country after being lost for so long. Friends, there is no word to describe what I felt and what these people felt. So I encourage you to watch this video clip:
www.bolinao52.com/images/vnmese.mov
Perhaps, it will help explain the struggle of finding home experienced by our brothers and sisters who are still stranded in far away land.
With that saying, what can we do about it?
Hoi Trinh, a lawyer from Australia was instrumental in getting apprx. 1500 people to resettled. He began lobbying for the stateless Vietnamese since late 1990s' are still in the Philippines fighting for the denied cases. Hoi has been frustrated by the bureaucrats in Washington DC. And he's exhausted his energy. But he's committed to find a solution.
Here is his immediate need:
The Vietnamese Community in Australia is looking for a Vietnamese American with a law background to volunteer in their legal centre in the Philippines. Although many of the stateless Vietnamese have already been resettled in the US, there are still 150 people who need help.
The ideal person will:
- be available for 6 months
- be willing to help with legal and non-legal tasks
- be happy to live and work in basic conditions in Manila
For more information, please email Hoi Trinh at hoi@hoitrinh.com and Linda Phillips at linda_nsw@hotmail.com
While the success of his campaign brought many Stateless Vietnamese to resettled in the U.S., the workforce in his legal aid center also diminished. Please contact Hoi if you have other ideas that you can contribute or forward this email to your friends.
Read www.vietphi.com for more info.
Duc Nguyen
Director/Producer
BOLINAO 52: A Vietnamese Boat People Documentary
www.bolinao52.com
duc@rhimp.com