IB History Indochina Refugee Crisis Key Definitions

Refugees who fled Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos by sea after the Communist takeovers of 1975. Boat people faced drowning, piracy, starvation, and rejection by first asylum countries. The term is most commonly associated with Vietnamese refugees crossing the South China Sea.

A predominantly Muslim ethnic minority in Cambodia descended from the historic Champa kingdom. The Cham maintained distinct religious practices, language, and customs that made them a target under Khmer Rouge rule.

An agricultural policy in which private farms are combined into large state-controlled or cooperative farms. In Vietnam, collectivization was imposed on the south after 1975, eliminating private land ownership and requiring farmers to work collectively under government direction.

An international agreement that introduced individual screening of Indochinese asylum seekers to distinguish refugees from economic migrants. Those not recognised as refugees were to be repatriated, ideally voluntarily.

The first safe country a refugee reaches after fleeing their home country. For Indochinese refugees, first asylum countries included Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and the Philippines.

An ethnic group from the mountainous regions of Laos, Vietnam, and southern China. In Laos, the Hmong were recruited by the CIA to fight a covert war against communist forces during the Vietnam War era, leading to severe persecution after 1975.

Ethnic Chinese people living in Vietnam, many of whom had been settled there for generations. They formed a distinct community concentrated in the Cholon district of Saigon and in northern border areas.

Ethnic Chinese residents of Vietnam. The Hoa community, concentrated in southern Vietnam (especially Cholon district of Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City), numbered roughly 1.5 million in 1975. They were disproportionately targeted by the Vietnamese government's economic policies after reunification.

A US-Vietnam bilateral resettlement program operating from 1989 that allowed former re-education camp detainees and their families to emigrate to the United States. The program processed approximately 160,000 people and was distinct from the earlier Orderly Departure Program.

US federal law that allocated funds for the resettlement of Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotian refugees. It authorized spending on housing, language training, and employment assistance for the first wave of evacuees.

The Communist Party of Kampuchea, led by Pol Pot. The Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979 and attempted to create an agrarian utopia through forced collectivisation, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 1.5 to 2 million people.

The communist movement that ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979 under Pol Pot. The Khmer Rouge sought to create an agrarian utopia by emptying cities, abolishing money and religion, and eliminating perceived enemies of the revolution.

Indigenous peoples of the Central Highlands of Vietnam, also known as Degar. The term Montagnard comes from French and means "mountain people." They include many distinct ethnic groups such as the Jarai, Rhade, and Bahnar.

The process by which a government takes ownership of privately owned businesses, industries, or property. In post-1975 Vietnam, the Communist government nationalized private enterprises as part of its transition to a socialist economy.

Rural resettlement areas where the Vietnamese government sent urban residents after 1975. The programme aimed to reduce urban overcrowding and develop agricultural land, but conditions were often harsh and many relocations were forced.

A legal emigration channel created after the 1979 Geneva Conference that allowed Vietnamese to apply to leave Vietnam directly, bypassing dangerous sea crossings. Between 1979 and 1997, the ODP processed over 623,000 emigrants, mostly to the United States.

A ceasefire agreement signed in January 1973 between the United States, South Vietnam, North Vietnam, and the Viet Cong. It ended direct US military involvement in the Vietnam War but did not stop fighting between North and South Vietnam.

The communist political movement and military force that took control of Laos in 1975. The Pathet Lao established the Lao People's Democratic Republic, ending the monarchy and imposing a one-party socialist state.

The Lao Communist movement that gradually took control of Laos in 1975. The Pathet Lao abolished the monarchy and proclaimed the Lao People's Democratic Republic in December 1975.

Detention facilities run by the Vietnamese Communist government after 1975. Former military personnel, civil servants, and professionals associated with the South Vietnamese regime were sent to these camps for political indoctrination and forced labour. Detentions lasted from months to over 15 years.

The transfer of refugees from a first asylum country to a third country that agrees to admit them permanently. For Indochinese refugees, major resettlement countries included the United States, Australia, Canada, and France.

The UN agency responsible for protecting refugees and finding durable solutions for them. In the Indochinese crisis, UNHCR coordinated camp management, screening processes, resettlement, and repatriation across Southeast Asia.

The United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (1992-1993). A peacekeeping mission established after the 1991 Paris Peace Accords to oversee elections, disarm factions, and manage the repatriation of approximately 360,000 Cambodian refugees from Thai border camps.