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The Hon. Dr PETER WONG [10.31 p.m.]: On Tuesday 28 October 2003 I had the honour of speaking to a crowd of more than 5,000 Vietnamese Australians who were protesting against a Vietnamese Government television program that had been produced by VTV 4 and broadcast on Special Broadcasting Service [SBS] television in Australia. I wish to share with my honourable colleagues the sentiments expressed on some of the posters at the protest rally:
SBS TV Has betrayed the Vietnamese Australians
Stop force feeding us with poisons
No communist propaganda on SBS
Stop communists hacking SBS
No VC News
Refugees vs VC
The Federal Government should know that this issue goes to the core of democracy, freedom and human rights. It is an issue that touches the soul of every Vietnamese person in Australia. SBS has been ignorant, insensitive and arrogant to think that it is in any way suitable to broadcast what protesters call "poisonous propaganda". One wonders what the SBS board could have been thinking. It implies no memory or knowledge of the history of Vietnamese Australians or, indeed, any heartfelt consideration of their plight to become Vietnamese Australians. Could honourable members imagine the reaction if our Jewish community were force-fed Nazi propaganda in Australia without consultation? The outcry would be justifiably deafening but, fortunately, that would never happen. I am at a loss to know why it has happened to the Vietnamese Australians.
I was a refugee from communism. In 1950 my parents fled with their children from China to Indonesia. To this day, I still can recall the pain and suffering of my parents at having to leave our homeland and all we knew. I understand the difficulty of leaving behind loved ones and abandoning all possessions to move to a totally new country and environment. In the 1970s hundred of thousands of Vietnamese fled their homeland to make dangerous journeys in tiny leaky boats They suffered thirst and hunger, risked their lives in high seas, encountered pirates and were turned away by unsympathetic neighbouring countries. Many perished. The lucky ones arrived in Australia to begin new lives. Many now call Australia home because of the generosity of the Australian Government and the Australian people at that time.
This was the proudest moment of our refugee settlement history. For many, the memory of invasion from the communists and all its fears of persecution, torture, loss of freedom, danger of imprisonment and even death are still vivid in their minds. The last thing these new Australians want or need is to relive the nightmare in their own lounge rooms. At the protest I was deeply touched by these wonderful hardworking Australians who chose not only to sing a Vietnamese anthem, but also sang the Australian national anthem with heartfelt conviction, despite being so appallingly let down by the Australian Government. The protest organisers informed me that this communist propaganda has been broadcast without consultation or consent since 6 October, despite earlier written advice from SBS that the Vietnamese community would be consulted before any such action would be taken. It is naive to expect Vietnamese Australians to be happy with the flimsy excuse put forward by the SBS board, who claim that the programs are innocuous in content.
This program has been rejected by several countries, including the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Malaysia and others. Indeed, any student of political philosophy would know that programming in countries with State-run media, such as Vietnam, must be approved and is imbued with the values and philosophical underpinnings that drive the Vietnamese communist regime. The excuse is insulting to their intelligence to say the least. Experts from the Department of Foreign Affairs often argue the need for a constructive engagement policy towards Vietnam. I accept the needs for mutual friendship in the promotion of trade, tourism and education to improve the relationship of our two countries. I also acknowledge a positive friendly dialogue is essential to encourage reform, especially in the area of freedom and democracy.
I am sure no-one in this Parliament would endorse a total sell-out of our principles, just because such a program can be obtained for next to nothing. No excuse can justify the failure of SBS to provide appropriate programming for its audience. SBS is known for its broad range of culturally diverse programs. It enjoys the support and positive feedback from viewers. However, on this issue, the Vietnamese Australians have been let down and betrayed. Dr Tien Nguyen from the Vietnamese Community of Australia had this to say to SBS:
The Vietnamese Australian Community has always been a strong supporter of SBS—both Radio and TV. And we hope that SBS TV will pay due attention to the views of its Vietnamese Australian audience. We also respect the editorial independence of SBS as a national broadcaster. However, in this case, we believe that SBS TV has abandoned its editorial responsibility by blindly broadcasting a program made by the Communist Party of Vietnam, which falls short of the media standard required by the Australian public.
I have no doubt that this House will give full endorsement to this statement from the Vietnamese community of Australia.