Open Letter to the Vietnamese Community in Victoria -Nguyen Quang Duy
Open Letter to the Vietnamese Community in Victoria
Dear fellow community leaders and members,
With deep respect and gratitude for all those who have stood with us in building our community over the years, I write this letter to you today.
Following recent changes to the Executive Committee’s membership, many of you have raised entirely legitimate questions. This reflects the spirit of responsibility that we, as free Vietnamese people, have upheld for fifty years. I will address each concern directly and openly.
1. What has the Executive Committee achieved during the 2022–2025 term?
When we took on this responsibility in 2022, we inherited a community in serious crisis: a “private” company held indefinitely by former presidents; community grants and funds diverted to the Vietnamese Museum Australia Ltd established by those same former presidents; and a City Council debt of $200,000, all of which had been accumulated without the community’s knowledge. The Executive Committee acted decisively to restore order and rebuild trust.
In terms of governance, we transformed the community from an organisation run in a closed manner by a handful of individuals into one that is genuinely owned and directed by its members. The Constitutional Amendment General Meeting held on 24 December 2024, attended by nearly 200 members with over 75% voting in favour, stands as the most significant democratic milestone in our community’s history. The new Constitution will serve as a guiding framework for Executive Committees for decades to come.
The Lunar New Year Festival has been restored to its original spirit: a celebration for the entire community, held at Footscray Park, completely free of charge, featuring vibrant cultural and artistic programs that reflect our Vietnamese heritage.
The Community Centre has been revitalised as a shared home full of life and energy. Every traditional celebration, from Hung Kings Commemoration Day to the April 30th Memorial, is held with open doors. The Community Canteen gathers hundreds of people every First Saturdays of the month.
We successfully organised Australian National Day, two days Federal VCA-Vic Conference attended by thousands, and solemn Flag Raising Ceremonies across multiple City Councils. Throughout 2025, a series of events marking 50 Years of Settlement and 50 Years of Freedom was held with great dignity, culminating in a nine-day celebration of the 70th Anniversary of the Republic of Vietnam, with the Commemoration of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Vietnam as its centrepiece.
In fundraising, we successfully raised over $600,000 for the new Footscray Hospital and over $200,000 for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. We also successfully advocated with the City of Yarra Council for the construction of a Boat People Monument in Little Saigon, Richmond, marking fifty years of Vietnamese refugee settlement in Australia.
These achievements did not come easily. It took us over a year to have the new Constitution recognised by Consumer Affairs Victoria, all while contending with opposing petitions, misinformation, and letters sent to political figures intended to undermine the Executive Committee’s credibility. Despite repeated calls for reconciliation on our part, those overtures were unfortunately not reciprocated. The protest led by figures associated with the Vietnamese Museum Australia Ltd, and the disruptive conduct of some from that group at the Special Meeting on 23 November 2025, made clear that our efforts at healing were not met in kind. I mention this so that you may fully understand the difficulties our community has had to work through together.
2. Are we preparing personnel for the 2026–2030 term?
Finding people who are capable, willing to take on responsibility voluntarily, respectful of one another, and genuinely committed to upholding the Constitution is no simple task. The personnel changes and additions during this period serve two clear purposes: to allow new members to learning by doing and accumulate practical experience, and to give our fellow community members the opportunity to observe new faces ahead of the upcoming election.
3. If given your trust, what will we do in the next four years?
We will continue to build and develop our community, guided by the principles of connection, respect, transparency and a forward-looking vision. A detailed program for our team is currently being discussed and finalised, drawing on the practical lessons of the past three and a half years. We will continue to advocate for the construction of a Ben Thanh archway in St Albans, raise funds for the renovation of the Community Centre, and develop additional facilities for our community.
Dear community members,
Everything we have achieved is the result of the collective effort of all of you, and of the associations that have placed their trust in us and walked alongside us. On behalf of the entire Executive Committee, I express our deepest gratitude. We are firmly confident that, built on a foundation of openness, transparency and integrity, the Vietnamese Community in Victoria will continue to grow and to honour the cultural heritage of the Republic of Vietnam and the ideal of freedom that our Yellow Flag with Three Red Stripes has always represented.
Yours sincerely,
Nguyen Quang Duy
President, Vietnamese Community in Victoria
