23-04-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Others must step in if US abandons humanitarian aid legacy
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As the date of
the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon draws closer, my family feels forever grateful to Murray MacLehose, the former governor of Hong Kong, and Queen Elizabeth. They allowed my family to stay in a Hong Kong refugee camp after we fled Saigon on April 30, 1975, the last day of the Vietnam war.
When I was four years old, my family was rescued by the Clara Maersk, a Danish cargo boat, which docked into Hong Kong harbour on May 4, 1975. In a moment of serendipity, Queen Elizabeth was
making her first visit to Hong Kong as we arrived.
On May 2, the Clara Maersk's captain Anton Olsen answered the mayday message of Captain Pham Ngoc Luy of the Truong Xuan cargo boat, which was sinking on the high seas. We were among
the 3,628 refugees who had been squashed onto the Truong Xuan after we escaped the communist army as it advanced into Saigon on April 30. These captains are my heroes.
Our journey from Saigon to Hong Kong took four days. According to Luy's memoir, the US 7th Fleet sailed by the Truong Xuan but was unable to help as the fleet was far away. My aunt, who was also on board the Truong Xuan, later told me that the US government helped pay the expenses for our journey, given that there were US allies – South Vietnamese army members – on board. I am grateful for the US' goodwill.
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However, I have an ambivalent relationship with the United States. I love American culture, but I feel immense grief because the US war machine was so destructive to civilian lives during the war. Yet today, I hope the US will not fully withdraw its foreign aid for vulnerable people who face numerous illnesses. If there are gaps in US foreign aid, then I hope that Europe and Australia can contribute to programmes.
