Experiences Of Indo-Chinese Migrants
EXPLAIN THE EXPERIENCES OF INDOCHINESE MIGRANTS IN AUSTRALIA.
The Indochinese migrants had to suffer immensely for a chance of a better life. From having to leave their homeland to living in a completely unknown territory, the Indochinese migrants had to rebuild their lives and start from scratch. Unwelcomed and mistreated, they had to suffer from discrimination and social judgment. What seemed to be a bright future became a life of depression and misery.
From the start of the years 1979 to 1989, there were more than 6500 Indochinese refugees that came to Australia. These refugees were products of the 1975 takeover of the communist victory in the Indochina region. Anyone who had been a member of the previous government’s military or the public service, or had worked for the American or Australian governments or military, was subject to disadvantages. At best, these people suffered loss of income or status in the society and, at worst, years of imprisonment. People such as school teachers were often sent to re-education camps where they were forcibly and often violently taught about the errors of their previous life. Religious or political beliefs were also keenly watched by the communist government stopping people from practising their beliefs. However, Cambodia was a special case. The Khmer Rouge seized power at the end of 1975, and introduced a new regime, and extreme back-to-basics rural communism. They changed the name of the country and literally started the clock from day one, calling 1976 “Year Zero”. On account of these circumstances, countless Indochinese people fled their countries with the hope of a better life. As a result, about two million people became refugees who sailed through the seas towards countries such as Australia, Thailand, Malaysia and Hong Kong. These countries were immediately and desperately overcrowded. Thousands of Indochinese requiring shelter and food placed a heavy burden on these countries of first asylum....
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