Mr Vo Dai Ton, is a former army Colonel in the Republic of Vietnam (commonly known as South Vietnam), and a noted soldier awarded with 43 different medals including the Order of National Security – Fourth Grade, the highest honour that can be bestowed upon an officer. A poet, author and human rights activist Mr Vo is renowned for his writings as (nom de plume) Hoang Phong Linh. Among Vietnamese communities all over the world, he is a symbol of hope for the restoration of peace and freedom in Vietnam.
In April 1975, Mr Vo and his wife Mai escaped to Malaysia via boat and were accepted as refugees in Australia the following year.
In the early 1980s Mr Vo returned to Vietnam to form a coalition of anti-communist resistance force. He was captured and imprisoned for more than 10 years. For most of that time, he was shackled, tortured, starved and kept in the total darkness of solitary confinement.
Mr Vo has been presented with numerous prestigious awards and medals by various international organisations and governments, including the Distinguished Service Cross by the present US President (2003). |
Vo Dai Ton
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