“Freed Vietnamese have her to thank:” Khuc Minh Tho, the FVPPA, and the use of grassroots diplomacy in the release, immigration, and resettlement of Vietnamese re-education camp prisoners, 1977-2011
This thesis examines the creation and operations of, the Families of Vietnamese Political Prisoners Association (FVPPA) at the conclusion of the Second Indochina War. In addition to highlighting the activities of the FVPPA, this research also provides insight into how a small association used Grassroots Diplomacy to assist in the release, immigration and resettlement of re-education camp prisoners. The author used oral histories from the founder of the association, association documents, printed documents, and government and academic sources to create the narrative of the FVPPA and to detail the association's activities. Outlining the activities the FVPPA, this thesis shows how it was able to achieve their goals through creating networks of support and utilizing sources at the national, international, and local levels. This work also provides insight to the post-war traumas that many former South Vietnamese underwent in the years following the Second Indochina War, and how they worked to resolve these post war legacies.
Khuc Minh Tho, FVPPA, Reeducation, Immigration, Resettlement, Grassroots Diplomacy
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations