VIETNAMESE NAVY VETERANS' ASSOCIATION

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (15:34): Last month, I was pleased to represent the Minister for Multicultural Affairs, the Hon. Michael Atkinson MP, at a ceremony hosted by the Vietnamese Navy Veterans' Association of South Australia to celebrate the life and exceptional achievements of Marshal Tran Hung Dao. The association, which was formed in 1983, today has about 60 members and has been holding the Marshal Tran Hung Dao ceremony in Adelaide for over 10 years.

I was pleased to join Mr Hieu Van Le, the Lieutenant-Governor of South Australia and Chairman of the Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission, as well as Mr Ninh Duy Dinh (President of the Vietnamese Navy Veterans' Association of South Australia), Mr Loc Doan (President of the South Australian Chapter of the Vietnamese Community in Australia), and Mr Du Huu Chi, (President of the Vietnamese Veterans' Association), along with representatives of the South Australian Vietnam War Veterans, to first of all pay our respects to the memory of Marshal Tran, our respect for all war veterans and then to share a meal together. In his address, Mr Hieu Van Le described Marshal Tran as a man of enormous resilience, resourcefulness and military skill. Mr Van Le said:

Although his deeds are now more than 720 years in the past, they continue to inspire us and make us proud to say we are Vietnamese.

In 1284, the people of Vietnam faced an overwhelmingly powerful enemy, and it seemed their defeat and subjugation to the Mongols was a fait accompli. How could they defend their homeland against a ferocious and huge force—one that had already cut a swathe through Europe and Asia? Under the cunning and astute leadership of Marshal Tran, however, the Navy and the people successfully resisted. They resisted not just once, in 1284, but twice more—becoming the only nation in the world to have held back the Mongol hordes three times.

...the Marshall and his determined and courageous men did two things that have resonated throughout the history of Vietnam. First, they protected a proud nation and rich culture—allowing generations of Vietnamese people to live free and peacefully for many, many more centuries.

Second, the Marshal and his sailors created a spirit that was passed down and became evident in the Vietnamese Navy of the 1950s, '60s and '70s. That force—in which so many of people here tonight served so valiantly—existed for only 20 years. But in that short period, it established a reputation not just for military strength and ingenuity, but also for compassion.

With the assistance of the Americans, the Vietnamese Navy quickly became one of the largest and best organised in the world. When Communist forces overran the Republic of Vietnam, members of the Navy played a crucial role in helping their countrymen and women flee the advancing tyranny and—ultimately—make a new life for themselves.

Marshal Tran's feats continue to inspire the Vietnamese community and are celebrated here every year, because the Vietnamese community believes that his life can serve as a source of inspiration for everyone, no matter who we are, where we come from and what we do in this world. Those present particularly appreciated the remarks of the Lieutenant-Governor. His presence and own success story served to remind us just how important the work and the presence of the Vietnamese-Australian community is in South Australia.

The Vietnamese Navy Veterans' Association of South Australia practically improves the lives of South Australians of Vietnamese origin and, in the case of the veterans' groups, maintains bonds of friendship and fraternity forged many years ago. I was pleased to remark on the night that the various Vietnamese groups contribute enormously to the much admired model of multiculturalism that exists in South Australia.

One of the people present on the evening that I was pleased to acknowledge was Councillor Tung Ngo, who I am pleased to say has been preselected for the Labor Party as a candidate for this place at the next election. He will make an excellent representative, and I know that he is proud to be the first candidate of Vietnamese heritage to be preselected in our state, and we all wish him success.