Queensland citizens draw to the attention of the House that the yellow-background with three horizontal red-stripes flag used to be the national flag of the former Republic of Vietnam. After the fall of Saigon in 1975, Vietnamese boat people brought this flag with them to Australia. This “Yellow Flag” has become their heritage flag because it tells the story of how their community here first came into existence. For more than 40 years, this flag has flown at all their cultural events. Formal recognition of this flag as their heritage flag makes its existence official and would help:

• give people, especially young people, in this community a pathway to connect their history and heritage to their new homeland.
• bring a sense of belonging and assist them in becoming mature and well-integrated members of the society they are living in.
• promote further and better cohesion between this ethnic group and the mainstream community.

The “Yellow Flag” is also part of Australia’s history. Many Australian returned servicemen fought under the same flag in the Vietnam War. Formal recognition will be an act of acknowledging what happened and showing our gratitude for their sacrifice during that bloody conflict.

Since June 2015, this flag has been formally recognised by councils in Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales.

Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to do all within its power to formally recognise the “Yellow Flag” as the heritage flag of the Vietnamese community in Queensland.