Hà Thúc Ký

He was born in Huế, Annam, French Indochina and was the youngest of eight children. After graduating from high school, he attended the University of Hanoi where he earned a BS in engineering. He relocated to Cà Mau where he worked as an engineer. In 1945, the Japanese coup d'état in French Indochina took place, Ký joined the Nationalist Party of Greater Vietnam. ==Political career==

He joined the Dai Viet in 1946. Prior to that he was a member of the 9th Street Front located in Laos. The Dai Viet fought both against the French and against the Viet Minh. on 8 February 1964, but Ký only held the position for 1 month and 21 days; resigning after having some disagreements with Khánh. After losing his bid for president, he won a house seat in the National Assembly. In May 1965, he published the 9-point Manifesto, advocating against the Communists, demanding the realization of national unity, demanding reforms in economy, politics, culture, education, society, etc. In 1969, Ký led a delegation of all South Vietnamese political groups abroad to meet Pope Paul VI as well as other world leaders to recognize and support South Vietnam in its fight against invading Communists. In 1974, he sued President Thiệu for signing a law regulating political parties. ==Life in exile==

On 30 April 1975 when South Vietnam fell to the advancing Communist North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces, Ký and his family fled the Communists by boat, resettling in the United States as political refugees. During his life in exile, he continued to fight for freedom, democracy and human rights for Vietnam and opposing the communist regime. He died on 16 October 2008 at 12:10 pm at Holy Cross Hospital, in Silver Spring, Maryland, US. ==References==