To Father Vincent, by Saren

To Father Vincent’s Memories, Parents, Family and closed friends,

Father Vincent’s Missions have been reading at the cathedral religious ceremony Mass in Belgium, you might imagine that Father Vincent had been crossing many countries to give help to poor people in India, in Vietnam, in Thailand, in Cambodia …but you will probably never imagine his journey’s linking between people where he stayed, so here by I would like to tell you my meeting with Fr. Vincent in Cambodian camps particularly where I lived.

In 1982, the first High School was created at Ampil Camp, called Ampil High School, with only three classes. The Ampil Camp was a military based and resistance’s administration situated along Khmer-Thai border under Mr SON Sann, the chief of the resistance.

We were about 50 pupils came from Rithysen and Norgchann camps, the two biggest camps with about at least 200 000 displaced persons after the fall of Khmer Rouge’s regime early 1979. we were attended to this Ampil High School. We lived inside the school, almost of us were orphans. We had one educator, two dormitories and one cook and the principal of the school but we have had any relationships in this Ampil camp.

I didn’t know the number of the population in Ampil camp but About 40 pupils had been joining to study in this high school. So we were all together formed the beginning three classes about 30 pupils each class.

In 1984-85, there had been a big offensive fighting of Vietnamese troops with the resistance’s force along the border to all the camps so we have had to move to others places called Site1 then Site2 but still in Cambodian territory.

I met with Fr Vincent just after the fighting period when we were installed in a new camp called Phnom Dangrek camp, there, we were continuing to study and stay inside the school altogether. Fr. Vincent was working with COERR, an ONG in Thailand supported by the Jesuit programmes. He came along and sponsored the educated materials and supports to our school, now became Phnom Dang Rek High School, and he used to call our group, the boarding school boys. We were getting aid and foods rations by the UNBRO program. This program was cut off because of the lack of UN budget, I supposed. Father Vincent started to finance totally our foods and took care of us for others subjects of needs.

He gave the English extra classes between 12h – 14h; he was also our post man as well while foreign correspondent would want to reach us by post mail or some time he was in charge to make the polycopies for some interesting articles which we want to keep along. He sponsored our football team. He was our ambassador others foreigners who came to visit the camps. He was one of the pillar assistance to the whole teachers’ team of our school and He was also teaching the biology course in Ampil camp.

Around 1988, when we passed our baccalaureate, there was a visit of Mr. Diderot, a president of “Les Enfants du Mékong”, the French Association in Paris, to Ampil camp. Father Vincent brought him to visit our school. I was thinking that Fr. Vincent was asking to be a mediator to choose some students in our school to study in France.
At the mean time, a French Foreign Minister, governed by Mr. Kouchner has been delivered 10 visas to the Association Les Enfants du Mékong so that we can continue studying in France. I was one of the ten who came to France in 1989 and 1990 and we were sent to French families by the Enfants du Mékong.

In 1993, all the camps at the borders were closed and all the people must move in to Cambodia. There was the election organization under the UN’s authorities.
In 1994, I went to Cambodia to meet Fr. Vincent in Phnom Penh, Capital of Cambodia, and met some friends from the camp. Here he continued the Jesuits programmes. He was so appreciated by all the Cambodians people who know him.

Some years after, he was getting so sick and couldn’t get up from bed and after that hard period he was called by his hierarchy to go back in Belgium. I came to visit him at Jesuit’ house in 2005 and 2007 with Phala, Sakun, and Vily and Sakal.
In spite of his weakness of health he was continuing to think to the Cambodian people and friends. I felt so sad by a short promenade with him that I guessed strongly in his mind would want to return to Cambodia but in fact, he knew himself that it won’t be possible.
We talked a lot about the camps but also about our friend’s lives, he tried to remind some of us but so often the conversation went back to the period which we were staying in the camp. His appearance looked like as every old person but his view and the way he expressed was so lucid. It was a great moment that we had spent with him.
Finally, he said he had done his job and I said that you have done a great mission and you have put me where I’m. I’m so proud of him of what he had accomplished for our people and particularly for our boarding school group.

I present my gratitude and my recognition to his kindness, his courage, his loved will and that he had done to me and to all of us. Let’s pray for him and his soul now on for sleeping in high Place and in Peace….

Your student Saren,
called Ren.