Vietnamese community
Dr KIEU (South Eastern Metropolitan) (09:51): On 27 January this year the FIFA World Cup qualifiers match between Australia and Vietnam took place at AAMI Park. Many Vietnamese Australians turned up to support the Socceroos, only to be targeted by private security and even some police, who forced them to remove garments having on them the symbol of Co Vang, or the Yellow Flag, which is the heritage symbol of the Vietnamese community. This is both inappropriate and unacceptable to the Victorian Vietnamese community and indeed to former Vietnamese refugees all around the world. The symbol serves to tell the story of our journey and speaks to our identity as Vietnamese Australians. We also honour the symbol in memory of those who sacrificed their lives for the cause of our freedom, which includes the 521 Australian soldiers who lost their lives fighting beside this flag, and to pay tribute to the surviving veterans of the Vietnam War. In fact the heritage symbol is formally recognised not only by the cities of Maribyrnong, Brimbank, Yarra and Greater Dandenong but also throughout Australia.
On behalf of my constituents, the Vietnamese community and Vietnam veterans I want to express the shock and insult resulting from these violating acts. These must be investigated thoroughly, and corrective action should be taken accordingly. For this symbol to be stripped away from us is to strip away our pride, heritage and history.