[Demographic Vietnamization: PRK] The Vietnamese Platform

Canadian Luc worked as a nurse for 3 years (1985-87) at the Site 2 camp hosting about 250,000 refugees along the Cambodian-Thai border, of whom 10,000 were Vietnamese who trekked across Cambodia—not difficult as Cambodia was under Vietnamese military occupation and its policy of demographic Vietnamization—rather than part of the “boat people” across the perilous sea. These Vietnamese refugees who were resettled to a third country (unlike the Cambodian refugees at the same Site 2) were known as the “Vietnamese Platform” because of the higher flat elevation they were grouped on. Some Cambodians who could speak Vietnamese sneaked into the Vietnamese Platform for the assured opportunity of resettlement. Luc who is from Montreal said he met many of these Vietnamese refugees settled there years later in Montreal.

Sunday lunch with Lauk Pou Soubert, Canadian Luc and Nekieng Sophorn, Peaceful Children’s Home at Sre Ampil.