On April 30th 1975, South Vietnam fell into the hands of the Communists from the North. Countless Southerners from various backgrounds were being herded into concentration camps. The author was one of them. “I MUST LIVE!” was the loudest scream I had ever made, which activated my survival instinct when I was tortured to the point of death. Thanks to these three words, I was able to survive in order to recount the painful and horrifying experiences to share with the readers. It was a type of experience that the readers could not possess and no one wished to have. In short, this is my experience: HUMAN COMPASSION HAS ITS LIMITS, BUT HUMAN EVIL IS BOUNDLESS, ESPECIALLY WHEN THAT EVIL IS INCITED AND INDOCTRINATED BY THE VIETNAMESE COMMUNIST REGIME. I hope the book I MUST LIVE! will give readers a deep insight into the darkest side of life, at the same time as to realize that they are the most fortunate people on earth compared to the life of the author.
Father Andrew Huu Le Nguyen was born on November 9, 1943 in Vinh Long Province, South Vietnam to a farmer family. He is the youngest of the six siblings. He studied at Saigon ST. JOSEPH’S Seminary and was ordained into priesthood in 1970. From 1970 to 1975, he served at several parishes in Mekong Delta, South Vietnam. In 1976, he was arrested by the police under the Communist regime due to his anti-government ideology, and was imprisoned for 13 years in both South and North Vietnam concentration camps. After his release from prison in 1988, he fled to Thailand as a refugee. In 1990, he was invited by Bishop Dennis Browne, Bishop of Auckland, to New Zealand to look after The Vietnamese Catholic Community. After 30 years in his role as the Vietnamese Chaplain, he is now retired and based in Auckland, New Zealand.