Petrus Ky Students in The War Era
In 1940, the Petrus Ký Student Club was founded. The club organised extra-curricular activities including performing arts, sports, camping, attracting students from within and outside Petrus Ký. It was during this time that the students Lưu Hữu Phước and vi:Mai Văn Bộ (later ambassador) wrote La Marche des Étudiants song, the predecessor of the patriotic Tiếng Gọi Thanh Niên (Call to the Young), Tiếng Gọi Công Dân (Call to the Citizens) and Quốc Ca của Việt Nam Cộng Hòa (The National Anthem of the Republic of Vietnam, National anthem of South Vietnam).
Within a year, the club and its activities were prohibited by the French-Indochina government. In 1942, Petrus Ký students, inspired by students in Hanoi, founded an organisation named S.E.T. (Section Exécution Tourisme). The organisation functioned as a scout programme aiming at developing character, citizenship, and personal fitness qualities. During this time, several Petrus Ký professors such as Phạm Thiều, Lê Văn Chí and Trần Văn Thanh, also subtly professed their patriotism in lectures.
As France re-occupied Vietnam, in 1948, Petrus Ký students were the leaders in the movement "Teach and Learn in Vietnamese". On 10 September 1949, the first day of the academic year, students of several schools together with scholars and parents went on strike. The government closed Petrus Ký and Gia Long schools and imprisoned a number of students.
On 9 January 1950, over 2000 students from Petrus Ký, Gia Long, Áo tím and Kỹ Thuật protested in front of the Ministry of Education and then the Governor Palace. The government tried to disperse the crowd; however, the number of protesters had risen to more than 50,000. The police started firing into the crowd and Tran Van On, a student from Petrus Ký, was killed. Three days later, the city went on strike to attend On's funeral. Students from Mỹ Tho, Cần Thơ, Huế, and Hanoi came to Saigon to participate in the ceremony, carrying protesting banners. More than 1,000,000 people were present at the funeral. This was the largest funeral in Saigon since that of Phan Chu Trinh in 1925.
On 14 July 1954, Petrus Ký student started the movement to demand independence and democracy at the school by drawing slogans on walls and blackboards, openly supporting the Geneva Accord. On 30 March 1955, conflicts between the national army and Binh Xuyên arms broke out. Binh Xuyên's volunteer force stationed itself at Petrus Ký. On 30 April 1955, the national army expelled Binh Xuyên. On 1 May 1995, Petrus Ký students formed a committee to help victims of the conflict. The committee was able to gather considerable amount of money and aids for the people.
In 1970, Petrus Ký students organised a strike and a take-over of the Cambodian Embassy to protest against Lon Nol's massacre of Vietnamese expats living in Cambodia. In 1972, Nguyen Thai Binh, a school alumnus studying in the United States, participated in anti-war demonstrations and wrote a letter to then U.S. President Nixon condemning crimes against the Vietnamese people. While being deported from the U.S. back to Vietnam, he attempted to hijack the Pan American 747 as it approached Saigon. He was shot dead by a vacationing American police officer.
On 30 April 1975, the South Vietnam Liberation Force, headed by General Trần Văn Trà, was stationed at the school. The school was temporarily closed until July 1975 and the class of 1974-1974 took their final examinations and graduated in September 1975.
Read more about this topic: Le Hong Phong High School
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