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Listen   Thanh Hue talks about her journey

Journey
- Thanh Hue -

"We feel responsible for our children, [that's] why we came like this [as refugees]. If we did not have any children, we wouldn't leave because we don't want to leave our country."

"The first thing is money, to pay for the trip is not easy, but we saved. Our country had been in war times for twenty five years so the currency is not settled like here... we bought some gold. And then we're waiting and waiting and then five years after, my husband's cousin recommended to us one organiser who was in the army of the former government. And he secretly arranged the trip. And then that time it cost three tails of gold for each person, so we can afford it."

"So, all the summer the plan of the escape at that time is going to China, and then through Hainan Island between China and Vietnam. We had very good preparation before we went. My husband sometimes took my eldest son with him, [to the coast] to explain to him because he's a bit wise, to show him how we'd go."

"And then we went ahead and we get set on the day. And we try to make some supplies; I made biscuits for the trip. At that time we still live with my mother in law and my brother and sister in laws too. We did not say anything to them, except lie that we plan to go to Saigon, that's it. We tried to keep everything normal. And that day my children still went to school, my husband and I still went to class and did everything normal. I cooked and make some food... it was my birthday but we went with bare hands, didn't take anything."

"And then we're waiting until the night comes and we had a meeting place, and we see each other there. If anybody is lost just ignore it, even our children.We have to go ahead. So we have to give my children some pocket money to get the bus home. Oh! And then waiting, still my two sons did not turn up."

"We're waiting. Eventually they turned up. Thank goodness my son is so smart - the guide was lost, they took the wrong way, but my son remembered, he said no not that way."

"So, we went on a small boat like a taxi boat, rowed and stayed and waited for the other boat. In my imagination, it should be a big boat at least. And when we saw the boat, we saw the fishing boat, about one and a half metre wide and about six to seven metres long! But we have a small engine, so we were thankful for that. No cover, nothing, that's it! That's it, and we just went overseas."

"The people [on Chinese land] gave us some fruit and things, and so we tried to leave and we were running out of fuel. And then they said you have to buy it. When we tried to escape we still tried to hide some gold, just for trading some food and things. Somebody gave them a small ring to get some fuel and then we continued our escape. And then we went along the island, Hainan Island is really big, and we know it's in the open ocean, very dangerous, so we tried to go very close to the shore."

"So we land on the island, a few times, and still the people tried to help us. I am so touched and so grateful. It took us about eighteen days until we reach Macau. We saw lots of hydrofoils, and they came from Hong Kong to Macau, for the casino. A lot of people look at us like we came from different worlds. We, with our clothes tattered, torn and very tired, and in a small boat. Even when we approached a place in a Cantonese province, the officer came to us and asked us 'Where's your big fish? Where's your big ship?' They did not believe that we went overseas [in that boat]."

"They [Macau sea police] tied the rope to their ship and took us to Hong Kong and they stop and show us the way. Very soon, the Hong Kong sea patrol police, they came and took us to land. And very soon they try to keep us there, as a detainee for a week to identify everything, interview us, then they took us to the refugee camps."

"It's a free refugee camp so you have to earn your living there. But that time, when I was still in the detainee centre I worked as a interpreter there for the people too and then I just became very sick. They sent me to the hospital; I stayed there for, maybe four weeks. And then at that time all of my family had just been transferred to the free camp."

"We lived in a room two metres square, which we shared with some people. And then my husband worked in the toys factory outside of the camp and, he took me with him and then I got the job over there too, but I was so sick. Even at the refugee camp at Hong Kong, I did two jobs, day time interpreter for the medical centre and night time as a teacher's aide for the English class for the refugees."

"I was in a hurry to be transferred to another camp to go to Australia. The information was so bad, we have to check everyday, and then we just get the news at night, and tomorrow morning we have to get ready to get transferred to another camp. I only had a very short time to say goodbye. We ran away in May, we stayed from June until December, only short time compared to other people, they stayed for years and years. Then we went to Australia."



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