Become a Member for $9.99/month

The Latest: On the evening of April 30, two starkly different events unfolded in Melbourne, Australia, as Vietnamese groups held conflicting gatherings to mark the 51st anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.

The Details: Outside the State Library Victoria, hundreds of Vietnamese international students gathered to celebrate what they called “national reunification” and the “51st anniversary of the Liberation of the South and national reunification.”

These students waved the red flag with a yellow star and the flag of the National Liberation Front of South Việt Nam, playing upbeat music such as “My Home Flies a Flag.”

Meanwhile, outside Flinders Street Station—the busiest railway hub in the city—a crowd composed mostly of middle-aged and elderly Vietnamese individuals commemorated “Black April” (1975).

This group held the yellow flag of the former Republic of Vietnam and displayed signs reading "We remember, we mourn, and we will never forget"; “Mother VN, WE are still here"; and "Stand against oppression, stand for a free and just Vietnam.”

Heated debates subsequently erupted on Facebook the following days.

Posts on the fan pages of Tifosi and Việt Tân claimed that tensions broke out between the two groups at Flinders Street Station. However, The Vietnamese Magazine has not been able to independently verify these claims.

A post in the Facebook group “ Vietnamese Community in Melbourne ” from April 29 suggested the locations for both the celebration and commemoration had been arranged in advance.

Commentary: Dr. Phan Hữu Trọng Hiền, a former Vietnamese international student in Australia who now resides there, described the celebratory display as “uncivilized” and reflective of a “historical dissonance.” He argued that the students overlooked the trauma and lingering pain of South Vietnamese communities in Australia.

Recalling a 2015 commemoration, he praised an approach that did not distinguish between North and South—one that emphasized remembrance over resentment within the Vietnamese refugee community in Australia. His post has since garnered more than 5,000 interactions.

In the comments, some agreed with his analysis, while others criticized it, arguing that as a minority, “one should accept that their perspective may not be heard by the majority.”

The Background: Following April 30, 1975, millions of South Vietnamese fled the country. Hundreds of thousands undertook perilous sea journeys as “ boat people ,” drifting for months to seek asylum in third countries such as Australia.

Many endured hunger, thirst, and violence at sea, and they lost numerous lives before reaching safety. As of the end of 2024, Vietnamese Australians constitute one of the six largest migrant communities in the country.

The Timeline:

April 30, 1975: The end of the war prompts millions of South Vietnamese to flee the country.

April 26, 1976: Exactly 50 years ago, one of the first groups of Vietnamese boat people arrived at Darwin Harbour.

1975 to 1995: Over this 20-year period, more than 110,000 Vietnamese refugees resettled in Australia, according to the Vietnamese Museum Australia.

Sept. 2, 2025: A group of Vietnamese international students gathered outside Flinders Street Station to celebrate Việt Nam’s National Day without any reported disruption.

April 30, 2026: The contrasting celebration and commemoration events take place in Melbourne.

Hoàng Nam wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on May 4, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine has the copyrights of the English translation.

‘April 30’ in Melbourne, Australia: Vietnamese International Students and Diaspora Hold Conflicting Events

RELATED POSTS

April 30 Revisited: The Unresolved Question of Reconciliation

Việt Nam 2025: 50 Years of Reunification, Celebration, and Unhealed Wounds

Memory in Print: The Death and Resurrection of South Vietnamese Literature

Hoàng Nam

Related Posts

VinFast Removes Controversial “Bowing Elephant, Soaring Dragon” Image Following Việt Nam Soccer Victory

25 Million Đồng Fine and Permanent Deletion for Posting Surveillance Footage Under Cybersecurity Decree 330

Fact Check: Fake Criminal Proceeding Document Against Nguyễn Sỹ Cương Circulates in Hà Nội

Vietnamese Threads Users Call Out ‘Đi Bão’ Double Standards vs Memorial Flowers

20 Million Đồng Fine for Teaching How to Circumvent Việt Nam’s Internet Firewalls

Gia Bình International Airport Project: Bắc Ninh Police Make First Arrest Under Article 331 Over Online Posts

The EU's Dangerous Compromise: Human Rights, the CSP, and Việt Nam's JETP

Việt Nam’s Resolution 29/2026 Grants Exemption from Criminal Liability if Fully Remedied

OPINIONS

Transnational Repression and Diplomatic Partnerships Under Tô Lâm

Vietnamese Schools Are Teaching Everything Except Freedom

Police Cleared the Flowers, but They Could Never Suppress Justice

POPULAR STORIES

Religion Bulletin – April 2026 – Việt Nam Passes Amended Religion Law As Authorities Prosecute Four Independent Protestants

Hà Nội ‘Justice Tree’: Social Media Users Demand Investigation into Former Lawmaker Nguyễn Sỹ Cương

Việt Nam Culture Ministry Blocks Threads Posts Accusing Nguyễn Sỹ Cương

Post-1975 Tragedy: The Grim Reality of Life in Vietnam’s Re-education Camps

The Strait of Hormuz Crisis: How Việt Nam is Handling the 2026 Global Oil Shock