Vietnam: Dad asks netizens to help find missing daughter  · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Nguyen Minh Chau from Vietnam last saw his five-year old daughter Nguyen Truong An fifteen years ago. He had gone to various places like Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong province, and even neighboring Laos to look for his daughter. He appeared on national TV and radio to ask for help. But he failed to find his daughter. Today the desperate father is asking the help of netizens in his long search for his daughter.
According to Chau, who is a resident of the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang, his daughter went missing on December 10, 1995. Chau’s daughter and his nephew Diem My were last seen playing in a neighbor’s house. The two children were both five years old during that time.
Last month, Chau was assisted by a relative in creating a website to gather clues and reports about the missing daughter. Below is Chau’s introductory message
Con tôi sinh năm 1990, bị bắt cóc từ cuối năm 1995 ngay tại quê nhà ở Tiền Giang. Bé và một bé gái khác cũng gần bằng tuổi tên Diễm My mất tích vào một buổi chiều cuối năm đó. Gia đình tôi tìm kiếm con tôi bao năm nay cùng với sự giúp đỡ của cơ quan báo, đài, công an nhưng vẫn bặt vô âm tín. Giờ tôi đành gửi gắm chút hy vọng mong manh qua trang web này.
Chau is thankful for any lead he will receive from netizens
Chúng tôi xin chân thành cảm ơn mọi thông tin về con gái chúng tôi!
The website and Chau’s determination to find his daughter attracted a warm response in Vietnam. Before the end of January, nearly 100,000 people have already visited the website. Chau has received thousands of calls expressing support for his cause.
Chau is hoping the online community will be able to help him. He stated this desire during an interview with Vietnam Bridge
I and my wife have never stopped missing my daughter. We love our missing daughter very much. We don’t know whether she lives happily or not. Through this website, I hope that the online community will help me to find my daughter
This author contacted Chau through the email address listed on his website. Below is Chau’s answer to the questions sent to him:
What motivated you to establish this website?
-> I think that information about the fact that I'm finding my daughter on the website nguyenminhchau.com can be known quickly on over the world with such speed of internet. I know that she was lost 15 years ago, and I just hope that my daughter will know this information and get back to our home.
Do you believe the internet can provide some clues in the search for your missing daughter?
-> Yes, I believe that.
Have you received any lead or feedback from internet users about your daughter?
->I have received a large number of feedback, recommendation. Some of them are very useful for me to find my baby girl
So far, are you satisfied with the results or reactions you are getting ever since you established this website?
-> I'm please with help of many people, newspaper. Their help is empowering us more and more to keep finding my daughter.
Chau said he was contacted by a U.S. citizen who offered to upgrade the nguyenminhchau.com website and add information in three more languages: Cambodian, Thai and Chinese. A company that exports goods to Cambodia is willing to print the picture of Chau’s daughter on the cover of their products.
Chau and his relatives can be reached through this email: truonghoangthai158@yahoo.com