According to the regulations of the refugee status, all of the group 162 were put under quarantine for three days. During these times, each one had to undergo general medical exams, receive preventive shots for tuberculosis and other diseases.

On the fourth day, people could move out searching for available huts to buy from the families who had gone or were going to the third country, or building new huts for their families. I lived with my best friend’s family, Mr. Reùmy Hieån. As the first lady Imelda Marcos had said, "Palawan City was declared a temporary shelter (The Philippine Refugee Processing Center, universally known as the PRPC) for the boat people who waited for the policy on: what to do with these men and women from the sea." The UNHCR assigned them to the governments who had offered to welcome the Indochinese (Vietnam, Lao and Cambodia) refugees to their own countries. Each country approved or disapproved the refugee status by its own policy, through a common refugee documents process by different independent organizations under the supervision of UNCHR Representative. Boatpeople who met all criteria of a refugee would be interviewed first by the country he/she wished to be resettled in. Then, if the first country denied, he/she could wait for being interviewed by another country.

Each family or individuals above twenty-one years old began to apply for their refugee status at the UNHCR office (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) which required Refugee ID card, medical folder, and all necessary documents of his/her identity. The groups 62 and 162 were lucky for being rescued by American ship, therefore the processing for the refugee status started right away despite of the long waiting list of other boatpeople who had come before. It was really embarrassing to answer the question "Where do you want to be resettled?" To tell the truth I hadn’t thought about it, even since I just began my wandering life like a vagabond on the boat of my benefactor family Reùmy Hieån. That was because I totally concentrated my mind and heart in looking for the best ways to succeed fleeing overseas; the more I failed, the more my soul focused in that. Once successful after twelve attempts with so much sufferings and challenges and once rescued by the American ship, the very first thought came to my mind was "The United States of America."

It was not only because I had been rescued by the American ship so that such a rescue could provide me but with "saving time" being at a refugee camp. Indeed, for a long time before being arrested and put in jail, I had been accepted the claim that the American Armies had sort of abandoned their "Friends and/or Comrades" and so were considered as "betrayers or unreliable", was purely politics - and politics has been normally like that in any societies and at any times in the history of mankind. I had also been convinced that - whether you agree with it or not - the American people have been much luckier than many other people on earth, and in America people could get more opportunities for themselves and for their relatives in poorer countries in many respects. However, my best friend’s family (Reùmy Hieån-Nguyeät-Hieàn, my godson) who had their closest relative, mother-in-law, mother and grandmother Baùc Ba in Australia, wanted to join her and insisted that I go there with them. I was confused.

But, at the end, the images of my family, mother, brothers and sisters and of my confreres who had been in need that I myself had experienced, helped to decide my answer the question, "Where do you want to be resettled?" by writing down "The United States of America." Reùmy Hieån family’s reaction made me uncomfortable for a while.

About a week later, I received the telegram from Brother Superior General Joseù Pablo with these words: "CONGRATULATIONS! JOIN YOUR CONFRERES IN NEW CALEDONIA." [New Caledonia (French: officially: Nouvelle-Caleùdonie; colloquially: (la) Caleùdonie; popular nicknames: (la) Kanaky, (le) Caillou), is a "sui generis collectivity" of France made up of a main island (Grande Terre), the Loyalty Islands, and several smaller islands. It is located in the region of Melanesia in the southwest Pacific. At about half the size of Taiwan, it has a land area of 18,575.5 square kilometers (7,172 sq mi). The population was 244,600 inhabitants as of January 2008 official estimates. The capital and largest city of the territory is Noumeùa. The currency is the CFP franc.]

 New Caledonia? Where is it? I brought the telegram to Mr. Bob, a UNHCR Deputy at Palawan Refugee Camp. He read the telegram then looked at me more or less amazed saying, "What? You just escaped from the Vietnamese communist system and now you go to a socialist country?" I was embarrassed, wondering, "Communism and Socialism are the same?" Mr. Bob said, "Think about it and give me your decision by next week."

New Caledonia (Nouvelle Caleùdonie = territoire Francais d’Outre-Mers) had become a French territory by the end of 19th century. Francois Mitterrand served as President of France from 1981 to 1995, elected as representative of the Socialist Party. Boatpeople, who came to Palawan several months, even years before, and who didn’t meet any criteria for their refugee status to the USA, recalled that "even though we have to wait for a long time, we should wait until the USA accept us as refugees rather than to go to France: It’s a Socialist country, and you know, Vietnam had been Socialist before becoming Communist..." Furthermore, there was, a few months earlier, an airplane landed at Pincesa City Airport to pick up boatpeople who had been accepted to be resettled in France, but the boatpeople on the list changed their mind and hid themselves in an isolated area refusing to go to France. At this, I was getting more and more confused, even anxious.

***

Within the refugee camp, there were three buildings relatively spacious enough to meet all people’s religious needs: a church for Catholics, a pagoda for Buddhists, and a temple for Caodaiists. There also was around a corner a small room reserved for those who wished silence and quiet time to reflect on Confucius’ teachings. This made me more convinced that "social and spiritual characteristics reveal fundamental needs of all human beings."

On the first evening after the quarantine, I was invited to a meeting. The meeting, presided by a priest, Reverend Trinh, was to gather all seminarians, religious women and men actually present at the Palawan Refugee Camp, to the Catholic Assistance for Displaced Persons Office (CADP) run by a Vietnamese nun of Saint Vincent de Paul, Sister Pascale Trieu, Director of CADP in Palawan. The goal of the meeting was to call on seminarians and religious men "to work for CADP, under the orders of Sister Pascal," Rev. Trinh said.

Because two days before the meeting, while I was in the quarantine, the newly elected Administration Head, Mr. Leâ Ñöùc AÙi, came to see me and asked me to take responsibility for the education program of the refugee camp and I had accepted it, I refused joining the CADP staff. Other seminarians followed my path, arguing that "working for the community would be better and more reasonable than focusing on a small group." The priest seemed to be embarrassed by the reaction of the seminarians. He insisted that the order of Sister Pascale Trieu be met and "especially, if you want to benefit a lot from the services at CADP, e.g. food, room and board, etc." Despite these promises, all, except two seminarians Vinh and Phi, counted on their own self-sufficient for the service of the community.

From this meeting, I still remember an interesting event about the priest, Rev. Trinh: While still a seminarian (?) he had been imprisoned for more than 10 years in Hanoi. Released from prison after the North Vietnam communists took over Saigon, he was so-called an ordained priest - clandestinely, of course. He succeeded fleeing overseas and arrived to Palawan several months before. He confessed he was not adequately formed to become priest; what he did know had been just how to say mass, and eventually administer some sacraments. He was waiting for admission to Australia. By the end of August 1983, he fled to Australia. But the most amazing thing that happened afterwards was that the diocese of Sydney suspected the legitimacy of his priesthood. The research of his documents and investigations could not prove he had been ordained. He finally confessed that he did play the role as of "Jim Carmody" in The Left Hand of God!

When I came to the United States several years later, Brother Nicet Liem recalled to me the similar story about a "new Jim Carmody": Brother Nicet used to come to visit and help the Vietnamese refugees in Sikiew and Panatnikhom Thailand refugee camps. On a visit in 1987 at Sikiew, he saw someone who looked like a certain ex-brother wearing black robe clergyman. At first, he couldn’t figure out who it could be. He tried to contact that person and, to the great surprise of both, they recognized each other: That person had been Brother Chrysostome Lai of Group 80 in 1961, who had left the Institute on his first year of Novitiate. "How and when did that fellow become a priest?" Brother Nicet wondered. Brother Nicet reported this questionable event to the bishop of Bangkok. After research and investigations, Mr. Lai was declared "another Jim Carmody!"

The living arrangements of the refugees at Palawan camp were run by the Administration Head who had been elected by boatpeople for three months, under the control of the Pilipino Commander, General Fernandez, in Palawan Island, and with the supervisor of UNCHR Representative. It looked like a "small state within a country:" the Administration Head with its "cabinet" composed of "Head of Camp Security", "Head of Food and Health", "Head of Post Office", "Head of Education", "Head of Communication and Information," etc... It appeared that the Palawan Refugee Camp was the most independent refugee camp in South-East Asia - i.e. totally administered by Vietnamese people. I heard "thanks to Sister Pascale Trieu, a former classmate and friend of the first lady Imelda Marcos, that Palawan Refugee Camp benefitted from a such status."

As mentioned earlier, I accepted the responsibility for the education of the camp as Head of Education. There had been three schools and/or educational centers run by the Filipinos at the camp:

1. CADP, run by the nuns of Saint Vincent de Paul, specifically took care for displaced persons, particularly displaced minors.
2. PPCS, run by the Pilipino teachers, aimed to give boatpeople opportunity to get familiar with occidental cultures and to learn English as second language.
3. "Sr. Thomas Pre-school," run by the Franciscan nuns, took care for the toddlers.

These three schools/centers were mostly subsidized by UNHCR and by CARITAS Philippines which had been created by the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines in 1966. Every Vietnamese family was more than happy to send their little kids to Sr. Thomas daycare. The only concern the Education Office of the camp was to pay more attention in soliciting the adults and young adults to attend PPCS. But the results were not as expected for many reasons:

4. Another reason much more sensitive but not less realistic was that most of adult boatpeople had to work hard as farmers or fishermen before and after 1975, thus were more or less illiterate. Once successfully escaped from the communist system and even having much opportunity to go to school, they could not stand it for long in a classroom.

I confessed that the Education Office at Palawan Refugee Center was lacking experts or specialists to deal with these categories of people. I also know that it is a big, very big problem of any society, smaller or bigger. Therefore, I just contented with doing whatever I could.

Before I came to Palawan, the CEO (Central Education Office) had been created by Mrs. Eleanor, a volunteer from the USA and close friend of Mr. Bob, the UNHCR Representative. It had done well in gathering most of Vietnamese teachers in French or in English for a long time before 1975 to teach Vietnamese people at the camp. The main reason people attended CEO classes more than other classes of Pilipino schools was that they, both teachers and students, had the same accent and tone of voice which facilitated listening to and understanding each other.

However, the number of students attending CEO classes and the name "CEO" itself had raised controversy, even hate from the "Filipino" school staff against CEO. I understood such an antipathy from the Pilipino teachers and staff, because subsidies they received from UNHCR and CARITAS Philippines were set to be proportional with the numbers of students attending their schools. But who cared? The problem, wasn’t it, to provide boatpeople with as many facilities in improving their foreign languages as possible?

Anyway, I had to recognize that Pilipino people - by and through their government - had been so nice to Vietnamese people, especially to boatpeople. Therefore, I tried to remedy this situation by sending students of the second level to them. Moreover, the CEO was keeping close relationship and contact with PPCS and CADP.

***

On a morning of the beginning of March, 1984, the family of the Ambassador of France in Manila, Mr. Olivier, his wife and daughter, came to visit the Palawan Refugee Camp. Along with the Heads of the Offices at the Administration, I urged the CEO volunteer teachers be at the gate to welcome the Ambassador’s family. "Besides ‘Bonjour!’ and ‘Merci! Je vais bien. Et vous?’ etc. that are very usual salutations everyone can say," I told to them, "anything else Mr. Ambassador, his wife and daughter would say, just... forget it or reply by a smile!"

Mr. Ambassador family arrived, shook hands of everyone in line. When Mrs. Ambassador had shaken my hand, I repeated the same "formula" of salutations. She smiled then said, "Vous connaissez bien la lecon!" (You studied well your lessons!) I immediately replied, "Pardon, Madame! Nous parlions Francais meâme avant 1975, mais il y en a qui ne veulent plus parler cette langue..." (Pardon Madame. We have spoken French even before 1975. But there are many people who don’t want to speak it anymore). Mrs. Ambassador was surprised and looked at me for a few seconds, then invited me to accompany her, talking and talking...

***

Sister Pascale Leâ Thò Tríu of Saint Vincent de Paul, CADP director, visited Palawan Refugee Camp. All people in the camp joyfully and proudly welcomed her as the founder of the camp and as their benefactor as well. Indeed, she had been in the Philippines a long time before the events 75, a classmate with the first lady Imelda Marcos, and continued living in Manila to help half Pilipino half Vietnamese families there. It seemed that these Vietnamese had been denied Pilipino citizenship.

I had a meeting with Sister Pascale. I explained to her why and how the CEO could work fine for Vietnamese boatpeople at Palawan, despite of misunderstanding from PPCS, arguing that making them all students of the second level in English was an appropriate and comprehensive step. She agreed with my ideas running the CEO up to now. However she insisted that I work for CADP. On that point I categorically refused. She showed that she was angry and dissatisfied on her face, saying, "All Brothers are the same! Last two or three years, Brother Alexandre AÙnh came to Joseù Fabella Center and displayed the same behavior as you, right now!" I laughed then said, "Sister! We have been formed from the same place!" She also laughed. I then continued, "Sister! I have a proposition: the volunteers working at CADP and PPCS receive some thing for coffee and/or beer. Those working for the CEO have nothing! I don’t have any idea of asking too much, but what do you think about your allotting CEO staff and volunteers something, just for coffee and/or San Miguel beer, or for eventual parties like Christmas and New Year?" She smilingly looked at me for a few seconds then replied, "To tell the truth, there is no policy on giving compensation to volunteers. And you know that both CADP and PPCS, and Sr. Thomas daycare center received subsidies from UNHCR and CARITAS Philippines. In principle, one could not give compensation to volunteers..." Taking a deep breath, she continued, "Anyway, you’re right in requesting something for CEO volunteers for their coffee and/or beer. I agree, but remember NOT to tell anyone!"

I received 500 pesos/month from Sister Pascale as "Fund for running CEO". However, such a contribution from Sister Pascale did not last for long. Reason? I really didn’t know.

***

It was my first Christmas Season at the Palawan Refugee Camp. I suggested that CEO staff invite all foreign volunteers and UNHCR Representative, Mr. Bob, to a Christmas party on December 25, 1983. I also suggested that besides regular plates, e.g. egg-rolls, fried rice, etc. there be a "special plate" that Western people had never tasted; that way, they would be initiated in tasting... good things! With a kind of complicity, all of CEO staff joyfully agreed with that idea.

The Christmas party began with a few words "Wishing Great Christmas to everyone" by Mr. Bob. I then introduced to our Western friends "the Christmas meal aø la Vietnamienne". While our Western friends first little by little then more eagerly tasted the "special plate", we, Vietnamese boatpeople, enjoyably looked at each other, smiling and nodding heads in sharing their joy. Mr. Bob raised his head looking around the table, still smiling and nodding his head, then said, "This plate is really... good!" I heard several compliments from our Western friends "Oh yes! it’s great! It’s tasteful..." A voice was heard, "It’s a kind of meat I have ever tasted. What’s that?" The CEO staff looked at me. Through the shared flashes of their eyes, they would say, "Brother! Tell them what this meat is!..." I smiled, then said, "First of all, let’s congratulate Miss Kim. She is a marvelous chef isn’t she?" Everyone clapped loudly. "Now," I continued, "Miss Kim, tell us what kind of meat it is?" Kim Chi raised her hands, laughed joyfully, even proudly, then said, "Can you believe it? It’s dog meat!" Several "wow! what?..." raised loudly in the room. But at the stupefaction of all, there were no "awing..." nor petrified reactions. Amazed, yes! Even comprehensive satisfaction!

About one week before Lunar New Year 1984, Year of the Rat, some CEO staff made joke that "On the Year of the Rat, let’s invite our Western friends eat... rats!" But, the previous "surprise plate" for Christmas party was much easier to cook than for the one for this "Year of the Rat." We so contended with the previous "surprise plate." When I invited Western friends to the Lunar New Year’s Eve, I told them that "there will be Tet cakes and Tet traditional food AND a ‘special plate’, too..."

At the lunch party, all of the previous guests were present, except Mrs. Eleanor. It seemed that between Mrs. Eleanor and the commander of West Commando, general Fernandez, there had been a certain conflict about the autonomy of the CEO and authorities of PPCS over the Refugee Center. The conflict had been so deep that Mrs. Eleanor was forbidden to enter the Refugee Center two weeks before. However, Mrs. Eleanor stood outside the fences and requested that I bring food to her to "Celebrate the Lunar New Year’s Eve". Furthermore, she asked me to take a photo of her eating and celebrating the most important event of the year of the Vietnamese culture. "I’ll publish this photo," she added, "and tell to the whole free world that this is how the Philippines allow Vietnamese boatpeople who escaped from the communist system to celebrate their New Year!" I asked everyone NOT to take a photo of her on such a circumstance. I argued with her that "It’s not appropriate doing that."

By the mid-February, Mr. Bob’s mandate as UNHCR Representative was expired and he was replaced by Mr. Janvier, a Swiss-man who spoke French quite fluently. Three days before his mandate expired, Mr. Bob invited some of his friends at Palawan Refugee Camp to a "drinking party". It consisted of walking and stopping by a beer kiosk - the very first one at the gate of the refugee camp - where everyone had to drink a small San Miguel can, then continued and did the same as at the previous kiosk, and then continued until the very last kiosk at the threshold of Puerto Princesa City. It was really original and funny. But on the road back home at about midnight, one could see the bizarre footsteps of several drunk men!

***

It might be because Mr. Janvier was more diplomatic and peacable in relations with West Commando, the existence of the CEO was about to be re-examined. General Fernandez called for a meeting on this matter "without the presence of any Vietnamese people." Soeur Francoise had known that I had been the Head of Education at the refugee camp. She felt it was not fair, because "discussing about the CEO matters without any CEO representative seems inappropriate." She told me, "Come anyway to the meeting at 2:00PM. I’ll be there with several Western volunteers. Do not worry! We support the CEO and your work for your people. By the way, do you know Mr. Andrew from England? He’ll be there, too, and you may know that he strongly supports the CEO!"

I entered the meeting room, exactly at 2:00PM. General Fernandez and some Western volunteers had been there sitting around a table. I said, "Good afternoon everyone!" General Fernandez looked surprised by my presence, then said, "Who is that guy? No Vietnamese here! Get out!" I glanced at Soeur Francoise whose wide opened eyes reflected being horrified by the words "Get out!" I could feel some volunteers’ faces uneasy, even angry. I failed to say "Why?" but calming down, I bent my head and "got out" of the meeting room. Some friends of mine and Heads of different Services came to comfort me. "He’s the sort of people who have lost their country!" said someone.

After the meeting, Soeur Francoise came to the CEO to meet me at about 4:00PM. She looked sad and unhappy saying, "The volunteers and I were really shocked at the way General Fernandez ‘welcomed’ you at the meeting room. It’s not a manner a leader should display..." She informed me that the fate of the CEO was in danger although there was not any decision about it yet. The volunteers and Mr. Janvier as well suggested that General Fernandez call for a meeting on this matter and the Vietnamese in charge of education in the camp be present before any decisive option about the CEO. General Fernandez agreed to call for a meeting as soon as possible.

I had the intention of using the Communication Service of the refugee camp to raise sort of "referendum" and/or petition to safeguard the CEO. But Soeur Francoise and some volunteers advised "not doing anything that would be misunderstood against General Fernandez, for in any circumstance, the Philippines government, i.e. General Fernandez himself here and now, have given the Palawan Refugee Camp more freedom and autonomy than in any other refugee camps in South-East Asia."

I discussed with the Administration of the camp, especially with CEO volunteers, about the future education program for the camp if, in the worst case, the CEO should disappear. To tell the truth, the common dream and wish of any boatpeople - here in Palawan or in any other refugee camps - were to be accepted as refugee and to be resettled as soon as possible in the "land of dreams". Therefore, social services at the camp, i.e. Administration and different Services, had been considered as temporary. Thus, "who cares!" would be the most meaningful reaction and thought of many boatpeople. However, I was thinking of an opinion from one of my friends, "Petition to help boatpeople in the refugee camp to prepare themselves accordingly to their future new life in a way more realistic and practical."

A few days later, Mr. Janvier told me that at 2:00PM General Fernandez invited me to his office in West Commando for a discussion on the education program at the refugee camp. I failed to ask his opinion about the existing CEO, but I thought, "It’s not worth because he would be on the side of Philippino interests." However, I said: "Merci pour l’invitation!"

In contrast with what I prepared myself to confront, namely a climate of discrimination that I had experienced at the previous time, General Fernandez with smiling face welcomed me, "Good afternoon, Brother Valery!" Other Pilipino teachers and two Pilipino Sisters of Saint Vincent de Paul cordially welcomed me, too. The Western volunteers present at the office were delighted, of course.

The directors of CADP, PPCS and daycare center in turns reported whatever their respective schools had done for boatpeople at Palawan refugee camp. General Fernandez and Mr. Janvier and me, too, nodded heads in appreciation and congratulation for good things they had done. On my turn, I reported good relations and smooth coordination, and my sending the 2nd English level students to PPCS; I emphasized the necessity of the CEO in soliciting Vietnamese people to attend schools and to frequently contact in person, by speaking and listening to the Western volunteers as an appropriate way to prepare themselves to a new life in the third country.

Andrew, a volunteer from England, said that although he had been in the Palawan Refugee camp just for a few weeks, he could recognize what good the CEO had done for Vietnamese people in encouraging them to attend English and French classes at CEO and at PPCS as well. "Look," added Andrew, "for people who start learning any foreign languages, is it true that they are shy and even confused hearing English or French for the first time? They need someone with whom they can speak and understand, particularly for adults? Furthermore, is it normal that they get along with foreign volunteers from the countries they wish to go for resettlement, just in order to get familiar with the accent of tongue and with the relative culture and life-style? For example, I noticed that many people get along with Ms.Anne, a volunteer from Australia, just for talking and listening... I guess these people will be resettled in Australia."

General Fernandez asked, "Why does the CEO send only the 2nd English level students but not all levels, including the beginners to PPCS?" I replied, "General, as Andrew just mentioned about those adults who for the very first time are going to school: They are shy, even shamed and confused being like mute and deaf persons to foreign languages. In addition, they are afraid of ‘losing face’. What they need is to be understood and able to explain what they would like to say. Therefore, at the first level they can be at ease in contact with Vietnamese teachers. Additionally, some Western volunteers come to each language class to teach them the correct pronunciation with the correct accent twice a week. After 3 or 4 months, those students get more self-confident and familiar with some foreign words and vocabularies, and they can attend the higher level at PPCS." General Fernandez showed understanding and seemed to make a joke, asking, "If so, Pilipino English accent is not good?" I had guessed he made a joke, I replied, "No! Pilipino accent is not good and difficult to understand!" General Fernandez looked at me, laughed loudly saying, "That’s right!" All in the office laughed, relaxed.

I thought it was opportune moment to present the education project that I had been thinking "realistic and practical" for Vietnamese refugees. I said, "General and Mr. Janvier, may I present to your consideration a project in education I think good for Vietnamese refugee?" They nodded their heads. I continued, "I have been thinking about opening some vocational classes, e.g. electronics, auto repair, carpentry, etc. for people who in their youth didn’t have opportunity to go to school and need to be trained for a certain job in their future life."

Both General Fernandez and Janvier, and all Western volunteers smilingly nodded heads in agreement with my proposition. After a few minutes of open-minded and friendly discussion, general Fernandez said: "OK! Let’s outline what we have to do in concretely realizing this vocational project:

1. Mr. Janvier is to look for and raise funds;
2. The Education Service of Puerto Princesa City is to provide with classrooms, faculty and staff, and necessary mechanical tools, e.g. computers, etc.
3. PPCS is to assume the responsibility of testing and admitting students;
4. CEO is to encourage Vietnamese and Pilipino people as well and to widely promote the program of vocational training classes;
5. Such a program should start by May 1984."

***

After receiving the telegram of Brother Superior General Joseù Pablo and the comments of Mr. Bob about the political status of New Caledonia, I was really confused. On an occasion when a French tourist stopped by Palawan Refugee Camp, I inquired of him about the political status of France. He told me: "La Partie Socialiste en France est totallement differente... Il ne s’agit rien de commun avec la Partie Communiste du Vietnam!" (The Socialist Party in France is totally different... There is no common relationship or connection with the Communist Party of Vietnam...)

A few weeks later, I was called to the Refugee-document Services. An officer of JVA attentively examined my document folder, then asked, "You are a religious?"

- "Yes, I am a Brother of the Christian Schools."
- "Are you a priest?"
- "No, I’m not."

Some of my Vietnamese compatriots, who worked at the Refugee-Document Service and knew about the La Salle Education System in Vietnam, tried to explain to the officer about my religious identity as a Freøre (Brother). But it seemed that he couldn’t get it. He attentively searched in a big dictionary, then shouted, "Here it is! I see, you’re a friar aren’t you?" Even though I didn’t know what it meant to be "a friar", I replied, "Yes!" He looked at me again, smiling, and then said, "At 2:00PM this afternoon, you have an appointment with INS to be interviewed."

At the front door onto a small room, I saw behind a big rectangular table an American man in his 40’s and a young Vietnamese lady in her 30’s. The American man seemed attentively reading and annotating on the folder of papers. The young lady told me to raise the right hand and swear by repeating after her. I said, "I won’t go the United States, do I have to swear to that?" She was surprised just a second, then calmly said, "Do swear and be interviewed anyway, because if for any further reasons you can’t go to France, your documents to the United States are still here. If you refuse to swear and be interviewed, your documents will be closed and it would be difficult to be re-open if you change mind..." I replied, "OK!" in raising my right hand. I repeated short sentences after her.

While the American man continued reading and annotating on my documents, the young lady, an official translator I guessed, asked, "You are Freøre An aren’t you?" I nodded.

- "You declare you lived in Dalat from 66-70 at 6 Tran Hung Dao Road?"
- "Yes!"
- "So, do you know the Kim Cuc gas station?"
- "Oh yes! It’s at the corner of Tran Hung Dao Road, near by the house of the Freøres Scolasticate"
- "That’s right!"
- "I still remember that in 1968 or 1969 there was fire from the house annexed to the gas pumps. We, Freøres Scholastics, helped to extinguish fire... Oh! There was a terrible dark smoke at that time!"

She looked amazed and excited. She said, "I remember, I was there as a little girl..." Turning on the American man who still read and annotated page by page in my folder, she said joyfully, "He knew my native village, even my house in Dalat!" I was surprised hearing the reply in Vietnamese, "Toâi hieåu - I understand!" I said to myself, "Oh oh! That American man can speak and understand Vietnamese!" From then, intead of interviewing or asking questions about my identity which was declared in my refugee-documents, the young lady and I talked about Dalat with its Lake of Xuan Huong, Lake of Than Tho, and about almost every beautiful site of Dalat city, even about some famous restaurants before ‘75. The American man had finished reading and annotating the last page of my documents. He closed the folder, then looking at me, smilingly said, "Congratulations!" The young lady said, "You’re accepted into the United States. Congratulations!" I stood up, shook the American’s hand, then said, "Thank you! However, until now, I had to go to France!" I did the same with the young lady, adding, "Did you have opportunity to go back to Dalat yet?" She replied, "For what? I’m sure ‘they’ (the communists) had confiscated my house and surely my gas station!"

Just passing out the front door, Reverend Kenneth congratulated me, then said, "You are the first, maybe the last, Vietnamese refugee to ‘kick out’ (to refuse going to) the USA!" Indeed, the "promised land" of most of Vietnamese boatpeople had been the United States. Although many of them had been denied by American INS, they still waited and waited for years in hope that one day the American policy would change in their favor. [To tell the truth, there had been a unique case similar to mine but totally different in its process. That was in 1980, a refugee family who did not meet any criteria to be accepted as refugee. After the interview, this family was denied by INS. The principal applicant of the family got angry, stood up then shouted, "My country and my people have been suffering so much before and after 75. That’s because you, the American government, brought soldiers into my country in the name of anti-communism and for freedom and democracy. But you abandoned us, your closest allies... Don’t think that I must go to the USA. I don’t need you anymore!" The INS officer was surprised for a few seconds then laughed in a friendly way. He made sign to the principal applicant of the family to sit down again, signed the acceptance for his family to the USA.
The case mentioned above was really unique. Many other principal applicants who didn’t meet the criteria to be accepted by the American INS, thought they could "photocopy" the previous applicant’s reaction, but they were still denied by the American INS.]

***

While the "vocational program" in Puerto Princesa City had been progressing smoothly , there was a disturbing event from the Administration of the refugee center. That was during the first term of Mr. "president" Hoang Trong Hao, the Head of the administration, who invited some of his friends to form his "cabinet." These people were soon considered as irresponsible and malicious, particularly the "Head of Mails Services." In fact, since the very first week of "president Hao" term, many people complained that their letters had been "censored", and the worse thing was that their relatives wrote in letters "enclosed are 20 or 30 or 50 dollar bills for your needs," but those bills "had fled... overseas!" Mr. Reùmy Hieån, then Head of Communication and Information, announced every day about ten complaints of this kind through loud speakers.

The Head of Security Services of the refugee center with two agents tried to watch over the mail room during night time. At the third night, they witnessed "How the Head of Mail services with the complicity of his agent ‘picked out’ money from the envelopes." According the to investigation, Mr. "president" Hao’s mouth was "locked" because he had a sharing part of such a theft. The "cabinet" unanimously impeached Mr. "president" Hao and punished him by three days picking up trash around the refugee camp. As for the Head of Mail Services and his agent, they were put in the "monkey house" for one week.

On a morning of the end of April, 1984, Mr. Janvier told me, "Demain, vous partirez pour Manille. Vos dossiers ont eùteù transfeùreùs aø l’Embassade de France qui s’occupera de votre cas..." (Tomorrow you are moving to Manila. Your refugee documents have been submitted to the French Embassy who will take care of your case...) I hadn’t have any idea about this processing of my refugee status.

"Why is the French Embassy taking care of my case?" I wondered. But I didn’t really mind. The only thing I had been focusing on was the vocational program. I promptly asked Mr. Dat who had been working with me at the CEO to replace me and to continue pushing such a program to success.