in great distress, 29 peoples of the trip including women and children of 3 years of age were facing the danger of death. But some were lucky and I was one of those lucky ones as I found a piece of broken boat and let the waves to drift about. Finally I reached the signal-lamp buoy ajacent to Loi Chau Port. Five other reached here by waves and we were rescued. After that we used gold to buy another boat to continue our trip to Hongkong. When entering the Thanh Chau camp, we noticed that among 39 persons going with us on the same boat, 14 already died, for example, miss Khanh on Hang Bong street (Hanoi), Mr and Mrs. Cam with 2 children and younger sister... no need to mention the hardship in Thanh Chau camp or Helingchau camp which we were considered as prisoners but on the run-aw-y way we had to pay for by terrible fear or even by lugubrious death.
To be forced to drink soap-water for sold vomiting:
Miss Nguyen thi Mai, born 1970, residing at 305 Phan Boi Chau street, Hong Rang district (Hai Phong) told us while crying :I hoped to be happy while I was leaving the country but it was impracticable and useless. I departed in the evening of 22-5-88. The night was quite terrible, I had to be far away from my father, mother, and from my familiar sewing machine. I, together with 20 other came into a small boat made from steel-net and ciment at An Lu- Thuy Nguyen -(Hei Phong), Drifting about near Tran island, the boat was half sunk due to big waves, everyone were crying, ano the owner of the boat instructed to stop over night. There was two of boat peoples" demanded to return to mainland. One of the leading man waving the revolver threatened that he will kill anyone who demanded to return. Few days later, the boat arrived an area near Quang Tay province (China), the old ciment-made boat was broken, all of escapees had to climb onto small rocky field to wait.
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The boat owner forced all escapees to give him gold to buy other boat. Doubting that peoples swallowed gold, he forced everyone to drink soap-water which could cause vomitting into
gold. There was an old south vietnalese man who could not suffer and lost his conciousness. It is quite ashame. After that we saw the other boat going to Hongkong from Quang Ninh province, the leading group of our boat (named Tien) attacked the boat and took it away and forced those peoples onto a small island. We arrived Hongkong and were put into Thanh Chau camp. Here we had to pass what
I called "Hygiene examination" and where human being have been considered as animal.
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