Letters | Others must step in if US abandons humanitarian aid legacy

Readers discuss how foreign aid has made a difference in the aftermath of the Vietnam war, pay tribute to Pope Francis, and call for a push for Hong Kong’s contactless immigration clearance

Reading Time:4 minutes

The Danish cargo liner Clara Maersk arrives in Hong Kong’s Kwai Chung port on May 4, 1975, carrying thousands of refugees from Vietnam. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Published: 11:30am, 23 Apr 2025

Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification

As the date of the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon draws closer, my family feels forever grateful to Murray MacLehose, the former governor of Hong Kong, and Queen Elizabeth. They allowed my family to stay in a Hong Kong refugee camp after we fled Saigon on April 30, 1975, the last day of the Vietnam war.

When I was four years old, my family was rescued by the Clara Maersk, a Danish cargo boat, which docked into Hong Kong harbour on May 4, 1975. In a moment of serendipity, Queen Elizabeth was making her first visit to Hong Kong as we arrived.

On May 2, the Clara Maersk’s captain Anton Olsen answered the mayday message of Captain Pham Ngoc Luy of the Truong Xuan cargo boat, which was sinking on the high seas. We were among the 3,628 refugees who had been squashed onto the Truong Xuan after we escaped the communist army as it advanced into Saigon on April 30. These captains are my heroes.

Our journey from Saigon to Hong Kong took four days. According to Luy’s memoir, the US 7th Fleet sailed by the Truong Xuan but was unable to help as the fleet was far away. My aunt, who was also on board the Truong Xuan, later told me that the US government helped pay the expenses for our journey, given that there were US allies – South Vietnamese army members – on board. I am grateful for the US’ goodwill.

However, I have an ambivalent relationship with the United States. I love American culture, but I feel immense grief because the US war machine was so destructive to civilian lives during the war. Yet today, I hope the US will not fully withdraw its foreign aid for vulnerable people who face numerous illnesses. If there are gaps in US foreign aid, then I hope that Europe and Australia can contribute to programmes.