IB History How Was Displacement Experienced by Different Groups? 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 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.

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 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.

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 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.