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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-09-28 Daily Xml
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VIETNAMESE NAVY VETERANS' ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA INC.

The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:37): I rise today to speak about the Vietnamese Navy Veterans' Association of South Australia Inc. On Saturday, 24 September I was honoured to represent the Liberal Party, at the invitation of Mr Dinh Duy Ninh, the President of the Vietnamese Navy Veterans' Association of South Australia, as a guest speaker at their annual General Tran Hung Dao ceremony.

I was humbled to be the only representative from parliament to be at the 711th ceremony of General Tran Hung Dao, the greatest hero in Vietnamese military history. The evening was filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for those who fought for peace and justice to preserve the dignity and freedom of its fellow countrymen and women.

As the evening progressed, I learnt more about the significance of the commemoration ceremony and why Tran Hung Dao is considered the greatest military hero of Vietnam. Tran was born as a prince. He became the supreme commander of Dai Viet during the Tran dynasty. The 20th of the eighth lunar month marks the remembrance day of General Tran. The Vietnamese people refer to him as His Royal Highness and many also consider him as the honoured patron saint of the navy.

He is revered by the Vietnamese people as a national hero. Several shrines are dedicated to him. All major cities in Vietnam, regardless of the political orientation of the government, have streets named after him. General Tran's military brilliance and prowess are reflected in many treaties on warfare that he authored, and he is regarded as one of the most accomplished military tacticians in history.

The Mongols had already conquered China, Central Asia, most of Russia and even the countries of Iraq and Poland in the 13th century. Certainly, they did not expect Vietnam to be such trouble. General Tran led an army of poorly-equipped volunteers and peasant conscripts against the overstretched forces of the Mongol Empire, and he commanded the Dai Viet armies that repelled two major Mongol invasions in the 13th century. His multiple victories over the mighty Mongol Yuan Dynasty under Kublai Khan are considered among the greatest military feats in world history.

General Tran remains to this day an inspiration for all Vietnamese patriots and loyal nationalists. Even the international assembly meeting in the United Kingdom has declared General Tran to be the most talented general of the Middle Ages in the world, truly a figure of great pride for all Vietnamese. In his speech, the president said:

We the representatives of the Vietnamese naval family would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere thanks and deep gratitude to the Australian people and their government, both state and federal. It is through multiculturalism policies the government has helped to make it possible for us to have quick integration into Australian society.

It is a privilege to have the opportunity to speak today about the Vietnamese Navy Veterans Association of South Australia in the Legislative Council. I acknowledge the great contribution the Vietnamese community make in every corner of our state in a wide range of professions.

I convey my special thanks to the president, committee, families and volunteers of the association for their generous hospitality in organising an important remembrance day for a great military hero and for preserving the valuable Vietnamese culture and history in South Australia.

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