Dear friends:

I write in hopes of raising your support for Bill S-219, An Act respecting a national day of commemoration of the exodus of Vietnamese refugees and their acceptance in Canada after the fall of Saigon and end of the Vietnam War.

 Journey to Freedom Day will designate April 30 in order to remember the countless Vietnamese refugees who risked their lives trying to escape Communist persecution and to recognize how Canada’s humanitarian role in welcoming Vietnamese refugees with open arms after the Vietnam War in 1975.

I invite you to officially voice your support for Bill S-219 by emailing the letter below all Members of Parliament at the addresses provided. Please add your organization’s letterhead with your signature and name to the letter. Remember that posting your letters to Parliamentarians is free!

Please accept my thanks and my best wishes for health and happiness to you and your family.

Yours sincerely,

Senator Thanh Hai Ngo

314, Victoria Building
140 Wellington St.
Senate of Canada
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A4     ngoth@sen.parl.gc.ca

Please copy and paste the following letter and contact list below into a new email:

 

Title: Support Bill S-219: Journey to Freedom Day Act

Dear Sir/Madam,

As a Vietnamese-Canadian, I am writing to ask you to support Bill S-219, the Journey to Freedom Day Act.

This Act respecting a national day of commemoration of the exodus of Vietnamese refugees and their acceptance in Canada after the fall of Saigon would recognize our community’s perilous journey to freedom and our eternal gratefulness to Canada for welcoming us with open arms.

April 30 of every year marks a dark and sad day of commemoration for the Vietnamese-Canadian community. A total of two million people fled Vietnam in search of freedom and to escape re-education camps, torture, forced labor, starvation and brutal policies from the Vietnamese Communist Party. While attempting to escape retribution from the Communist regime, at least 250,000 Vietnamese boat people lost their lives at sea due to drowning, illness, starvation and violence from kidnapping or piracy.

After the fall of Saigon in 1975, Canadians graciously opened their homes and hearts to thousands of us who needed a place to rebuild our lives. When the call came, Canadians from all walks of life responded without hesitation, becoming part of a vast international effort dedicated to finding a safe haven for these unfortunate people. In fact, the people of Canada were awarded the Nansen medal by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in 1986, in “recognition of their major and sustained contribution to the cause of refugees.”

I hope to count on your support to recognize April 30 as Journey to Freedom Day in order to honour Canada’s humanitarian tradition of accepting refugees during and after the Vietnam War and to celebrate our newfound freedom in this glorious nation.

Yours sincerely,

 

To:

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