European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 12, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Cover Story or. Haing Ngor who starred in the kitting Fields visits Vanna and de Strinko in 84 in Columbus  from the cover claimed hundreds of thousands of cambodian lives including 70 of Vanna s relatives by 1978. It soon became apparent from her temporary Haven in Thailand that the Khmer Rouge would not be turned Back easily. It would be 14 years before Vanna returned Home. In that time she would establish herself globally As one of the leaders in the cambodian refugee movement. On behalf of her displaced countrymen she would set up a refugee network to free thou Sands of cambodian citizens from the chaos in the country. Additionally her efforts to keep the cambodian Issue in the Public a Eye would result in a . Supreme court decision reversed in her favor. But that was years away. See related Story. Today she is Vanna of Strinko 45, an american citizen who works As a relocation marketing specialist for the 410th base support in in bad Kreuz Nach Germany. Her Petite Frame quiet Demeanour and warm smile belie her accomplishments. But her voice reveals the fear she Felt upon getting to work on that april Day in 1975. Quot the Khmer Rouge had my name on a list a Vanna said. The americans gave her overnight to pack. They also gave her permission to bring her Mother and three Sisters. Quot my mom said no. She had All her family there. And would miss her country a Vanna said. After convincing her mom to leave the five each carrying one suitcase dodged Khmer Rouge shells and wound their Way to the phenom penh Airport the Fol lowing Day. Quot we did t have any Chance to say goodbye to  after a month in Thailand Vanna and her family were moved to Camp Pendelton Calif. With her in the Camp were the wife and children of cambodian journalist doth Pran. Pran stayed behind in Cambodia with Sydney Schanberg who was a reporter for the new York times the struggles of Schanberg and Pran to make the world aware of the atrocities in Cambodia is the Central theme of the the kitting Fields. A few weeks later Vanna and her family relocated to Washington , where one of Vannas former Aid Bosses agreed to sponsor her. Vanna was working at a local insurance insurance company in March 1976 when she meted Strinko at a party. Quot she had an immediate Impact a kind of Charisma a said de who at the time was working As an administrator for Congress he is now child development services coordinator for the 53rd area support group in bad Kreuz Nach. A she had a sparkle to her. Plus she was attractive a by 1977, Vannas relatives had settled in the United states. Vanna and de were married that Deceron Ber then moved to Micronesia where de assumed duties As peace corps director. In july 1978, de s duties moved him Back to Columbus Ohio where he became a manager with action a a Federal outfit that supervises Volunteer programs. Upon their return Vanna Learned from friends in Washington that the genocide in Cambodia was continuing. Quot i had to do something to help my country Quot she said. At the time so soon after the Vietnam War americans did no to want to hear about Southeast Asia one of Vanna s Early attempts to get Public attention in 1978 was a demonstration in front of the White House. The event Drew 200 cambodians but no Media. A similar event later in the year in front of the United nations in new York again Drew no a Media attention. Returning to Columbus Vanna began speaking at churches convincing local families to sponsor refugees Vanna picked up families at the Airport and interpreted for them. As her efforts gained momentum she turned to Catholic social service and International refugee organizations to sponsor refugees in the United states. She also quit her Job at another insurance company and became a full time caseworker. In 1979, Vanna led an Effort to form the cambodian Mutual assistance association. She was elected the groups Leader and began writing proposals for Aid from the United Way Federal government state and local governments and individuals. By the end of 1980, Vannas group had a $300,000 budget and a staff of 14. From 1979 to 1985, the organization arranged passage for 1,800 refugees. Sixty percent of those were cambodian Vanna said. The remainder were laotian vietnamese and haitians. Although she maintains no formal ties with the organization today it still exists. One of the Early refugees to arrive in Columbus in 1979 was an unknown cambodian physician named Haing Ngor. He soon moved to California to live with his Niece. Within five years of his arrival in America the doctor earned an Academy award for his portrayal of Dith Pran in the kitting Fields. Vanna was oblivious to the Good Fortune that found the doctor she helped bring to the states. She Learned of his acting career when she saw his picture on a billboard advertising the movie in Bangkok while she and de were visiting refugee Camps in Thailand shortly after the film was released. Quot i said a hey Honey this is the Guy who came through Columbus a a she said. When they returned Home Vanna called Ngor in California and invited him to speak at a fund Raiser with Pran in Columbus. Ngor who now lives in Cambodia developing business interests could not be reached for a comment on Vanna. But their relationship bonded by a desire to help their countrymen began anew after he arrived for that speaking engagement in 1984. By then he had formed his own organization the Khmer Freedom and Victory Alliance. Apparently impressed with Vannas organizing skills and Devotion to the movement he offered her a Job establishing a european office in Paris. It meant leaving de behind in Columbus but he Wasny to about to Stop her. Quot she was totally committed to this cause quoted said adding that although the separation was difficult his Job required him to travel so percent of the time. Quot my wonderful husband Quot Vanna said of de whose re sum includes an unsuccessful bid for Congress in Ohio in 1974. The couple commuted for two years. Vanna stayed Busy organizing press conferences around Europe and publicizing a Ngor produced documentary tilled people with no country about the then-300,000 cambodian refugees in Thailand. In july 1987, while working for Ngorn a Alliance Vanna was invited by the thai government to attend a human rights conference in Bangkok. It was during the conference that Vanna gained International Media attention for an incident in which she publicly and loudly confronted Khieu Samphan the head of the Khmer Rouge. According to the times of London dated july 27, 1987, Vanna Quot walked within a few feet of or. Khieu Samphan.,. Arid declared a he cannot speak for the Khmer people. He a a liar and a killer.�?T. Or. Khieu Samphan stopped Reading his speech but did not otherwise  Vanna was led away but was followed by a horde of reporters who wanted to hear More. Quot i  stand to listen a she said recalling the incident. She added that her Knees were shaky As she moved through the crowd to confront the Man she held responsible for murdering 70 of her relatives and hundreds of thousands of her countrymen. Later in the year weary of travel and separation from de Vanna told Ngor that she wanted to rejoin her husband. A few Days later As she prepared to leave de called and announced that he had a Job offer from the army Community service in Fulda Germany. He arrived in Germany in january 1988. About the same time Ngorn a organization hit financial Straits mostly because of a Hospital it was constructing for refugees in Thailand. Vanna lost her Job. Although unemployed when de arrived in Fulda she returned to Paris to organize a 4,000-person March for her countrymen in april. During her stay in Paris de got a taste of the risks his activist wife was taking someone called him in Fulda late one night and threatened to kill Vanna. A quoted called me at 1 in the morning a she said. Quot he said a people Are threatening you with death. Come  i said a no. 1 can to i Only have four Days until the  a Vanna stayed. So did the danger. Two nights later while she attended a party for cambodians in Paris someone stole her ragtag Bow a i could not believe someone would steal that car a she said. That same night in Fulda someone smashed the windows on eds car and left a note Quot kill Vanna  t Vanna did Lay Low. For a while after that devoting her Energy to a German organization in Frankfurt called the International society for human rights. From june to August 1989, she accepted a position from the cambodian documentation society to be a human rights Monitor. The Job required her to visit refugee Camps in Vietnam and Thailand. It also Page 4 sunday december 12, 1993