Viet Nam: Current information on dependents of combatants in various wars in Viet Nam since World War II
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 June 1994 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | VNM17617.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Viet Nam: Current information on dependents of combatants in various wars in Viet Nam since World War II, 1 June 1994, VNM17617.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ad9020.html [accessed 28 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
KIMSPublisher:Ottawa
Comprehensive data on the above subject could not be found among the sources currently available to the DIRB in Ottawa.
For current information on family members of military officers of the former South Vietnamese Army, please refer to Country Reports 1992 and 1993.
According to Country Reports 1992, family members of military officers of the former South Vietnamese Army "have been systematically discriminated against" (1993, 683). Priority in social services and education was still given to "families of party members and families of soldiers who fought for the [current] governement" (ibid.). Considered to be of suspect background, children of military officers of the former South Vietnamese Army who were sent to reeducation camps "appear to face discrimination within the university system" (ibid.). However, the same source notes that competence in academic pursuits has become a more important criterion for the government than family background or political views (ibid.).
Country Reports 1993 indicates that, in 1993, priority in social services and education was still given to families with "good" background (1994, 763). In terms of employment, families of people who were sent to reeducation camps "were not allowed employment with the government" (ibid.). As a result, these persons had limited access to housing and other benefits given to state employees (ibid.).
According to the director of the South East Asia Resource Centre in Washington DC, discrimination towards members of the former South Vietnamese Army and their families is no longer systematic (8 June 1994). Access to education is not restricted for children of soldiers or officers of the former South Vietnamese Army, and relocation to the New Economic Zone (NEZ) is no longer forced on their families (ibid.). The director added that under the 29 July 1989 agreement between Viet Nam and the United States which establishes the Humanitarian Operation (HO) category within the Orderly Departure Program (ODP), government officials, soldiers of the former South Vietnamese Army who spent three years or more in reeducation camps and their families can apply to migrate to the United States (ibid.). The ODP will end in 1995 (AFP 4 June 1994).
For additional information on the Orderly Departure Program (ODP), please refer to the attached documents.
This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
Please find attached the list of sources consulted in researching this information request.
References
Agence France Presse (AFP). 4 June 1994. "US to End Immigration Program for South Vietnamese Collaborators." (NEXIS)
Country Reports on Human rights Practices for 1993. 1994. United States Department of State. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office.
Country Reports on Human rights Practices for 1992. 1993. United States Department of State. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office.
South East Asia Ressource Action Centre (SEARAC), Washington, DC. 8 June 1994. Telephone interview with director.
Attachments
Agence France Presse (AFP). 4 June 1994. "US to End Immigration Program for South Vietnamese Collaborators." (NEXIS)
The Boston Globe. 22 April 1993. "The Light at the End of a 20-Year Paper Chase." (NEXIS)
The New York Times. 17 February 1994. Late Edition. Henry Kamm. "VietNam's Exodus Is Declared Over." (NEXIS)
Reuters. 20 April 1994. BC Cycle. John Rogers. "Decades of Wandering Draw to End for Vietnamese." (NEXIS)
. 1 April 1993. BC Cycle. "End of Exodus of Vietnamese Boat People." (NEXIS)
Additional Sources Consulted
Amnesty International Report. Yearly.
Asian Survey [Berkeley, Ca]. Monthly.
Asiaweek [Hong Kong]. Weekly. Critique: Review of the Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Yearly.
Far Eastern Economic Review [Hong Kong]. Weekly.
Human Rights Watch World Report. Yearly.
News From Asia Watch [New York]. Monthly.
Pacific Affairs [Vancouver]. Quarterly.
Oral sources.
