Fear of what lay ahead and a desire to give their children a better life prompted many Vietnamese people to leave the country. Between 1978 and 1981, over a million escaped by way of the sea - these were "the boat people". Most left in secret or by bribing officials, although a great number of Hoa (Chinese-Vietnamese) paid many taels of gold for permission to leave. The high cost of supplies and/or bribes to officials left the majority of boat people penniless.
Vietnamese refugees risk their lives attempting to escape in small boats (1984).
(United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees)
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Leaving by boat involved significant challenges. The typhoon season in Southeast Asia makes travel by sea very dangerous; Thai pirates were a constant threat; and gathering supplies such as food, water and fuel was difficult. Planning for such a trip could take several months or up to two years and people often had a number of false starts before they actually escaped.
Vietnamese refugees rescued on the South China Sea (1985).
(United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) |
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