Concert to Aid Vietnamese Refugee Camps

IRVINE — The biggest names in Vietnamese entertainment will headline a concert to raise funds for the upkeep of refugee camps in the Philippines.

Friday’s “Vietnamese Concerts for Refugees” at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre will include about 200 singers, composers and dancers. They will perform folk dances, and traditional and modern songs.

The concert is in response to the decision by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to discontinue funding of detention centers throughout Southeast Asia. Hong Kong, Thailand and Indonesia are in the process of repatriating their refugees. The Philippines has turned over the maintenance of its camps, which house 2,000 people, to the Catholic Church.

Bishop Ramon C. Arguelles of the Philippines Catholic Cardinal Assn. will be on hand after the concert to accept the proceeds.

Truc Ho, musical director of Asia Entertainment Inc., which is funding the event, estimates that about $200,000 will be raised.

“The meaning is more important than the amount of money that we make,” said Kieu Chinh, spokeswoman for the event. “We would like the unfortunate people to know that we are willing to share their pain and that they are not forgotten.”

Information: Asia Entertainment, Inc. (714) 636-6594 or (714) 775-7582. To order tickets by mail contact VN Communications at (714) 892-2074. Prices range from $15 to $100.