PERTH, WA: Septem er 8, 1988
Registered by Australia Post Publication No. WAR 0202
Number 2600
POST ADDRESS: PO Box 50, Northbridge, 6000 W.A. LOCATION: 26 John St, Northbridge (east off Fitzgerald St).
TELEPHO E: (09) 328 1388
I 's a
FAX (09) 328 7307
ot
pla·
sa • •I g
Senator Chaney's tribute to Aquinas • Pages 6 and 7
PRICE 60¢
You g
Pages 8 and 9 special
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He's a fraillooking little man. He lo s o be in is nties but rea ly e is in his late 30s. He's am guyen, the lio -hearted Vietnamese lieves that p ay rs helped bring im ustralia. ead all about is great escape rom South v·etnam, is wife's nightm i bi o escape with a aby in r rms and his grit and etermination that put im on the road o success in Perth. His sto is o Pages 8 and 9.
made good tells s story
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A church sponso ed document is called Prison The Last Resort because t e p ison system as failed to do what it promises, Father Stephen Astill SJ said at onday's p ess conference to launch the document. 'The judgement of 200 'ea of ustrali n hi tory is that it d not wor and it fail to deliver the ood ocial
Ch re es
s
a ion of crime. d on People foe • the immorality of the He said that even on action its If and this grounds of pure ecowas often a Christi n nomi pragmatism it attitude, he id. But c t 1 per head per there was need to loo' · week to administer at the conte t in community ervice \ ·hi h the action compared to the priand not happen on system that cost move into the judge36 . mental approach: 'You hav committ d therefore you to aa l. 'The church hr ughout hi tor h t d for cornpasan d munitv orders.-
ervice
asking s ciety a system that ks
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(Est. 888)
Record he freed om to have · tel igence The Israelites who saddled their sins onto a goat that was driven in o t e wilderness at least were into atoneme t and contrition. Not so t e modern practitioners loo i g for scapegoats so that anyone except themse es can take he blame when things go wro g. e referendum debac e has been ba ished with indecent haste from he media headli es bu it has not prevented the last , ardy survivors loo ing for the goa s at ich o fire a few fi al salvos before he sun sets.
•
r ned film ived.
Barry Lowrie, a GM senior vice president for aid the marketing w y figures for Last Temptation hawed a ' /ere drop' iven that the total g had not gre tly increas d as the nded into
Notre Dame shelter
grant from the federal emerg n y homele helter a t. The university will maintain the building.
SOUTH BE D, Ind· ana: The University of Notre Dame has purchased a building from a profit coalition to prov· e a shelter for homeless families. Stephen 'm, rton. di tor of the
maker for niversal. Given the limited number of theatres showing Last Temptation, he estimated Univ ersal's hare of the gro receipts at .2 million so far and e: ted that the movie would play its lf out in a m nth. From th t point of vi v , it · a 'disa t r", h id.
project, said a 10 -b d fa ilit ' to op n by [ovember 1 will be located in a former men· clothing store. 'ewton said the small-scale centre can erve as a ind of 'laboratory' to find the be t way to h Ip horneles familie , .ho need not onlv immediate shelter for the niaht ·but a o long-term coun ellins and traininz. otre Dame a reed to a quire the buildin from th non-profit orsanition OP H oun il of Provid rs of to the Hom I Inc.
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Success comes
ase o ree Quote It was a battle of survival and I had to rely ' heavily on my parents to survive.
Nan Nguyen ... at _.k as social _.ker.
Nam Nguyen looks in his late twenties but says he is 38. He feels 38 although his birth certificate shows different. "\!)
parents
remember when I
meagre wage per month - just enough to buy one kilo of meat at the official price.
"It was a battle for survival and I had to relv heavily on my parent, to surviv e. Thev had a vegetabl and fruit patc:h and whatever the) could spare the vhared 11 with me and mv farnilv," 'am [pit thne was no future in his homeland. Hr recalls: .\ village elder in a dise.ussion onP dav remarked: "hen the p(ec·tric:al pole, want to nee the cnuntrv," That w,is how bad
can't \\'US
born. The) fled from the 'orth to South. That was m 1954. \s far as Xarn tan remember his life in Vi tnam was one big nightmare. His recollections were mainly blood and bullets. It seemed a never ending saga. But South Vietnam while till under demorratic rule afforded younR . am a chance lo get a good education. lie eventuallv took up a po.,1llon as teacher in a French hi�h vhool in Saigon in l!l73 and « nnrinuud lo tx• so until 1975 when the rnrnrnu-
things were in Vietnam under communist ru1e. :-;am had a wife and three childn•n wh n he
decided
to flee the country. i1P invested whatever mone he had on building a 11 m h) 2V..m boat with 11 cl, friend It \\BS the Ix .. t that was to tall' them to freedom, The ln1t could onlv vit 10 people and when he and hi. partner de< ided
ni,t overran the r ountrv,
Be<.ausc o[ his qualifica tion!-i ht> was retained a.c, a lt•ac her when the rnrnmumst invaded th country but received a
I
' a run for it his to make wife and youngest child could not make the trip due to lack of space. They "set sail" with a prayer on their Iii" thev had to avoid first or all being spotted bv the rnmrnurust palm! boats - and then beat the open seas. Luck was with them and into the "sea ol freedom· thev headed for The, moved into a biggN ix .. t at secret rendezvous.
After five dJ,, and six mght, thev ran out ol water \\'eli th ) had just 20 litrevof water left to he hared with 34 people on boanl. \lo,t ofth m were women and children. The} had enough of rice hut water became the big
night for the intervention of Providence," But
nothing
was
rn
sight. Against his wishes. the men on board decided to. head for another direclion. The large! was Thailand in this new change of plan. . 'am
was fearful because it only spelt that the whole boatload would ht• heading for encounters with Thai pirates.
As the boat '" ung around, the adults lifted their eves heavenwards and prayed for divine help. .. God answered our prayers. The very ne t
with
sacrifice
When Nam Nguyen came to Perth he had just one thing in mind: to survive and make the best of what Australia offered.
Stories on these two pages by a senior staff writer.
day we spotted a helicopter and the whole lot of us rejoiced. The helicopter hovered above the boat as though to direct us on the direc:tion to take. "\\'e followed the path of the helicopter and soon Wl' vighted a big ship. It happened to ht> a Cn'rman hip and all of us ,,·ere trdn�fern,><l on
board the vess,•J \\'p "ere well looked after b, the mcdir:al staff on bo.ird and had more than enough to I'll and drink. \\e staved three wc�·ks on this ship which was anc hon,d in the high sea, ,,aitin� to pitk up more boat JlC(lple.
"After picking more than 10 boatloads ol pl'Ople - each about 30 to 40 people - the ship set sail for Singapore. The boat people, ho\\• ever, were not allowed to land in Singapore and had to be content ju.st lool.ing at Singapore's bright lights from th ir ,hip moored about half a kilometre from the har· hour proper. Thev did thi.s for 28 da\\ .. "We were told that Singapore could not t.1ke in an} more refui;ct..'CS and had to wait for word [or other altemathc..,." The whole lot from the German !,hip ,,ere even�
tually s.•nt to Galang "Setting foot on W again wa., such a thJ that all of us forget to I that clay •·we just rould • bcliPve that \\e ,vere51, and m good hands.• But �am wa., lud her.a use h,o or hi.s <isl who fled \"l('tnam ea were I ready ,.\ u-, t ra lia.. Through Ins sist • sponsorship h,• was a to gain enll) to u.stral where he has been sim
rnao.
Wh,lo in .\ustraha I was abJ., to get his iii and voungcst child Jmn him.
worrv. His share of water
at that stage was the equivalent of a "P· HP did not drink his share of water but <hared 11 with hL, two children "I and the others on board Just k,·pt on praying rnorrung. noon and
were m�l of the timu on
the run. And that perh,ips. accounts for wh, the, r.an't n�mcmbcr t•xarth
"°"
\\'hen their ,un \guyen \\'a� horn. But . an1 h�,, Vl\;cl memonC\ of those tt>rrl·
ble da". lhs parents eventualh mado it to South Vietnam" here for a lime thing., looked more promising.
The woo/growers own selling organisation.
HEAD OFFICE AND MA� STORE 23 C«kbum Road South Freman1l1 6162 Tolephoqe 335 42« Pos11I Address P O Box 18 Soulh Fremonlle 6162 31 Campbell Road. Albaoy Telephoo, 41 4886 Posia! Add<ess P D Box 876. Albany
8
The Record, September 8, 1988
Left: Nguyen with the rest of the boat people climbing onto the rescue ship.
\n\'\\htrt 1:11hr \\ rid SCPmf"f"' lo he a bell plm r V1 tnan1 \\11� one h,,n • hell
Hi, father wa, u1ught In the thirk of the Cotbohr res lane p again t the communist in 'orth \'ietnam. His p.irenh
. 'am rec.ched a good education und r tho Saigon gowrnment they were running the
Nguyen's two children, Thanh True (5) and Mimh Nhat (2'1;) who joined him on their freedom dash.
count!) then - and event alh bcc.ame a t c her in a French hl)lh hool \ftt•r l\\O \llllrs 19731975 a teacher, th<' cnmmumst, invaded the South. ·am ln:ause of tht,
knO\\.·hO\\
\VHS
fon pd to mntinue te.ach· m� but for a paltry month!) \\,1ge. l'h.- mom·y hr got \\as 1ust enough to buv one kilo of meat on the official market. But with that ·am survived with his wife and three , h1lrlren. IJle under the mmmumst, bet ame rcall) unhearahleand like most South \'irlnan1(·..,c am deuded it was limp to make a dash to freedom - "am where in the world set•med to be a better pla, e Vietnam
wa, one 11' mg hell." And so he did and evcntualh endccl up in \ustralia. In a JS-minute talk am, a social ,1orJ..cr for the Free \'ietnamese Com mu nil), \\ ill tell a seminar to m,irk RPfugce \\'eek .111 about his experienr.c-.. He mav not be the mo,t arhc:ula·tt� !,pcaker b� Eumpcan standards hut he will makl' hi, m,.,,,,age heard. Ill' \\ill ,peak on his c periurn l'� ac, a refugee and re,cttlt•1nrnt in \uc;.
tralia. His talk \\ill be on S.•pt 20. ,\nd tor a \:oung man whose life . has been riddh•d with hParthn,aks
in \'ietnam, hi!, mother�
land, he will stm,s to all his listenrrs the impor-
lance of li\ing in peace and harmony. H w11 strc,s the evil of communi.'im and ht> ,vi.II ,a, •·thank \Ou" to A�stralia for gi,ing him his big break in a frePand democratic sociel\. He \\ill tell them that as a Roman Catholic. he wa., taught that "all o[ u, an• c:hildrcn of God." "Colour or race ha!t no
bt•aring in a society that =ks peace and prid,.,, itself in democracy;· He mil also tt•II his ILstners how hP like manv other rcfugpes swea.ted it out to make a go here He will tell them he \\ill pray for peace, and cwn pray for rarial el,•mcnts who are out inute hatred and suspirjon in the Australian society.
,-----The nightmare that keep, haunting wife of refugee----Eleven times she tried to e,;cape y..·1th
her
four-month-old haby m her arms and l l times she was caught and Jaded.
That \\as the nightmar1�h experience 'am . ·guyen 's \\ife 11.'gu en Thi Thuc
em ountered before she made it to Perth - legal!)' - on a freedom flight. The esr.ape attempt that haunts her Jlf'rmanenth " th,• final attempt when a communist patrol hoat fired on their little
sampan and m1ured three people_ Lurkily Thi Thuc and her babv were not hit. . 1t was a matter of life and death as a hail or bullets were spra) ed onto their sampan.
Thi Thur. then onll 30, turned her back in the direction of the bull Is and cradled her bah, m th,• hopt that 1f anv hullrt r.am• their wa> - she would take the brunl of it first ''But God \\a
on
their side and both my wife and baby �l away unscathed," said �am. Towed back to shore by the patrolmen who showed no concern for life or limb, those caught were made to scale a makeshift
Perth college. Just to save a few cents each day he walked the distance dailv to attend the course. After each session he chose to run home. This lasted for two months and upon complellcm of the course he took up a job at a fish factory. Despite stmtrng "so that I could give my two children with me the ht-st I still had to find another iob," So to supplement his mcome . 'am took up another part-time Job as cleaner. His shift was from 5.30 pm to 7.30 pm. I had to cook for mv-clf and children and hardlv had time [or a really good sleep. I suppose that would be normal when one has young children to care for." He added: "But it was definitely better than life in Vietnam,"
bullies
He's seen it all from a tender age - bullets, blood and communist bullies.
WAVCOPW�BR*e, John LOUGHLIN General Manager AH 337 3121
Above: The German rescue ship which helped 300-400 boat people.
and '
AUCTION THROUGH
For further details contact:
Bullets, blood Quote
tor Promot Sale a Too returns EST1959
His new .. home" was six kilometres 8\\'aY from the
lndonc�ia.
IOOLGROIERS
I
After living in the Graylands hostel for refugees for a month he moved out to 'paddle his own canoe." With the little money he had, he moved to :-;orth Perth and decided to take up a course in English at the Perth Technical College.
. scaffolding to a higher ground. \!any fell into the water. For !'hi Thuc it was life walking a tigh· trope with baby in her arms. But she made it. While in jail the 11 times. the baby had to suMve on \vater.
Breast-feeding was impossible because mother Thi Thuc: was undernourished and too weak to generate milk for the baby. The ordeal. mother and child far.rd eventuallv told on the child. Even after the
baby turned one, he was unable to walk. The baby just lacked the nourishment required. But all is well with the whole family now. They are li,-ing a happy and healthy life in Perth.
Life, however took a turn for the better when his wife and nung t rhild joined him in 19R� Things became more organised and .arn was able - thanks to an \u.stralian famllv with influence to do a l\\O-\OOr degree course at the l 'niversity of \\A.
vteanwhile, he was able to get a job too. to boost the Iarnilv mcomc They saved •e,el) penny • and made a Jot of SJ< rific and soon were able to bui their own home m lle<lfonJ. am " nm, a fulltime social worker for the Vietnamese Communuy. He is happy and proud to have made a go of life in \ustralia. He ic... alvo heavily involved in the Vietname.... o Catholic Community
KIMBERLEY LAY MISSIONARIES WHAT ARE THEY?
They start by being average practical Catholics pcepared to share whatever e,pert,se they have with the Abongmal ch,tdran and adults ol the North-West of Australia They serve the Church. placing themselves at the disposal ol the Bishop. "as v,car and legatee of Chnsf'. jVat II. P382). and assist him m a spmt of dedication They g,ve themselves totally for 2 years. living m groups. co-operating m fraternal low m the sp1nt of the Gospels. serving on ,solated missions and townships They fully accept their Chnst1an duty to evangelise according to their own 10d,v1duat ab1!1t1es
Under the patronage and guidance of the Bishop. they have !heir own formally constituted Assoc1a110n and elected Councd lay M1ss1onanes do not accept a salary. only their keep and pocket money Their laras are paid and a smal1 s, 'll or co, . let,on of their service
THE KIMBERLEYS
or the O,ocese of Bmol'1e is the far North·West part ol Australia. roughly 3 limes the size of Victona A subtrop cal n!g•on. with a wet season through the summer months. of vaned terrain with beautiful beaches but a large part taken up by the Great Sandy Desert SUICe 1959 many admirable Auslrahans have contnbuted Ml no small way to the personal growth and education ol the Aboriginal people as lay m1ss1onanes They have formed close and lastmg t,es Others are needed to continue and improve existing seMtes
OUR NEEDS INCLUDE
O.C Nurses, Teachers, Hostel Assistants, Handymen, Carpenters, Tradesmen, etc. and those with Management 1bllit11s and Clerical/Typing expenence
Orientation Course commences December 30, 1987 Please •pply:
Director, BOX 7, PO MITIAGONG, NSW 2575. TELEPHONE: (048) 71 1669
Advertising
Telephone
3281388
The Record, September 8, 1988
9
The Daughters of Charity
EED YOU
L
for their work for the development of the u nderpnvi leged
URGE TLY
EEDED
Clothing, clean, wearable - house-ho d goods - nick-nacks - ornaments, jewellery etc. Deliver to
534 William Street, Highgate For truck to call - Phone 328 4403
end cheque and adverfsement o:
day. ords.
X O
O Aecom
anted ccom vailabl O Wanted to rent O ou e o I t O Flat to let O Hou e for ale O Hou e an ed O Holiday accom.
O Death 0 0 ath Th n
em n O arna e O Silver eddmg O Golden eddmg D Diamond w ddmg
O Than O Wanted O Public once O Per anal O Information
O Jubilee O Annrver ary
HO
Tell r ader of TH
: 10 cents for each 4 words or less
O In memoriam
IS YOUR
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growin ), \ ater pump and mi ion pri t ha, built Catholic hools, clini ,and a Jogj karta. to
remain
Ge eo . s A ss es
a ge
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cGuiness-
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r 8, 1988 •
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��1f 1f � lsJ � to the Editor
Pope Paul's Encyclical
HU
Chaney c arifies
BUILDING TRADES P • ti g q ity work at the right price. John Freakley. Phone 36
El ctrical Con tr o J. V. D'Esterre, 5 Vivian St, Rivervale. 30 yrs expe-
rien e, expert, effici nt, reli bl . Ring 62 4646, after hours 85 9660. Unit E, 98 Pr id nt St, Kewdal .
PERSONAL
IN MEMORIAM
Yo g I • n girl, 20 yrs old, on holid y would like to meet C tholic boy 2228, for fri nd hip and outing . Apply to S. Math ws, cl- thi office.
Pie e pray for the repose of th oul of Kevin Patrick Byrne who died September 5, 1985. Lovingly rem mbered by hi devoted wife and family. "Cor ad cor loquitur". Pax.
NOTICE
FOR SALE
ANAE VITAE
is availab e from he Catholic Boo shop
from SENATOR FRED CHANEY, Canberra Sir, You gave very prominent coverage (The Record, August 25) to the views of Mr Gerald Searle from the Catholic Migrant Centre who was allegedly replying to Opposition views on immigration. It is clear that Mr Searle has not read our policy, issued August 22, and is relying on media reports and in particular statements of Labor Party policians about the import of Coalition policy. He was probably not aware of Mr Graeme Campbell, the Labor Member for Kalgoorlie, who was reported on the weekend (August 27-28) as saying the Labor Government had a "Fascist approach ... in calling anyone who raises the issue a racist." Mr Howard has made it quite clear, as does our formal policy, that Asian immigration is supported and that selection of individual migrants will continue to be on a non-discrimina ory basis. Importantly, the policy renews what has been our permanent commitment to equal treatment of all Australians, whatever race, colour, creed or country of origin. What then is the controversy about?
SOCIETY OF S VI CE T DE PAUL
19 Bronte St eet, East Perth
Open 10am-4pm o day-Friday. On site parking
Willis &
OPTO 175 Scarborough Beach Road Phone 444 3543
THA
THO
R.F. WILUS, WAOA, Optometrist
FOR HIRE ACCOMMODATION WANTED
put to me r fl ct
TEACHER AVAILABLE
Coi
et y
from ROGER RYAN, North Doobt. iew
THANKS
v1 w
Sir, Fa her Cal well (Th R cord, Septem er t) and the Australian Catholic Welfare Commission re compl tely [ustined m r ret mg th failur of the ov rnment to ive tax r h f to hundreds of thou ands of or mary Iarnili . If Father Caldw II' f1gur s are correct, r K atinq's bud t, which lays tax r lief to t s f mili still n xt July, can only incur th wrath of housands of av rage tax payers, which could pell the demise of the pr s nt Government at the n xt fed ral el ctions.
for them m th rr work Perhaps h re s no a comput r m Australia capable of uch an e erc1 el A politician who serv s six years in office, an rs d f ated in an el cnon, g s a p nsion for hfe. Bein fair on r ah es that they contribute ome of th tr own money towards their any of u t y rs would be very grateful to hav a p nsion for 1if , fter only six y rs of working. Taxpay rs, wa e up and fight for your rights to a good s andard of living, by telling your fed ral or state politicians of th shoddy tre tm nt you re gettin by ta ed.
y from Trevor BOARDMAN, Fremar tie Sir, A Fath r Francis P, rt, a follow r of arc I Lef bvre, m commenting on (Th R cord, August 18) w rn mgs of e communication of tho e explicitlv ad ermg to Arc I hop Lefebvre said 'We thm th e commurncations are null Rome rs e commurncatmg th real Cat hes •.
r n nrolment increasin 19 J require for 1 89
I am heartily f d up with ,ng the meat in the sand rch bet
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DAYS 6.30-Sp
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Record Kids Club
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TENNIS by TOM BRANCH
Archdiocesan Calendar
Sept mber 11 Confirmation,
Go nell .
Bi hop
Healy. Bl ·ng of school. B nttey. Bishop
13
m
Fin I: Pl v
QUE
QUEST
H Confirmation, Clar mont, Mon · • nor K ting. Confirmation, Lynwood. Bi hop
Healy.
16 &Confirmation. L..esmurdie. Bi op 17 H y. 17 Confirma ion, Midi nd. on ignor 18
20 21
Ke ting. Con irrn non. H y. Co firmatio , K ti g.
Mannin .
Bishop
id nd. Mo
"gnor
Pa myr .
Bi hop
Bat m n.
Bi hop
24 25
Confirm ti n, Spearwood. Bi
26
Openi g Mass Chapter Sisters of St Joseph of the S cred Heart, Bishop H ly.
H
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op
ST JOACHIM'S REUNIO
Back to St Joachim's reu ion will be h Id at t school on Saturday, October 29 comme ci g with a Mass at 2pm fo lowed by afternoon
tea.
Me orabilia or historical items are req sted to be oaned to the school for this afternoon. Enquiries
361 7440. SELF-CARE WEEKE D A