HOF107: Duong Kiem Minh

As a young South Vietnamese rice miller, Minh Kiem Duong devised a plan to escape his country. He travelled by bus from Vietnam to Cambodia. His journey was fraught with challenges, from concealing his Vietnamese identity at checkpoints and evading authorities by hiding on the roof of the bus to avoid detection.

After crossing Cambodia, he met with and assisted some Thai men who were carrying the torso of a statue of a Buddha. He eventually spent several months in Thailand, staying in the Khao I Dang refugee camp. During his stay in the camp, he requested asylum in Canada. His request for asylum was approved and he settled in Canada after spending a year in Thailand.