ABOUT 2,000 NORTH VIETNAMESE REFUGEES, WHO HAVE BEEN FORCED TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES FOUR TIMES IN THE PAST 14 YEARS BECAUSE OF NORTH VIETNAMESE AND VIET CONG MILITARY ACTIVITIES, RETURNED TO THEIR FORMER HOME OF NAM-HAI VILLAGE NEAR SAIGON LAST TUESDAY (31 DECEMBER). THE REFUGEES, ALL CATHOLICS, HAD BEEN LIVING AT A REFUGEE CENTRE IN SAIGON SINCE LAST MAY AFTER THE SECOND ATTACK ON THE CITY.

NAM-HAI VILLAGE IN CHOLON, TO WHICH THE REFUGEES RETURNED, HAD TO BE REBUILT AFTER THE MAY ATTACK. THE VILLAGE, NEAR THE Y BRIGADE, BECAME THE SCENE OF A PITCHED BATTLE.

THE REFUGEES, AND THEIR VILLAGE PRIEST, FATHER NHAN, LEFT THEIR HOMES IN THE NORTH VIETNAMESE CENTRES OF NAM DINH AND HAIPHONG AND FLED TO SOUTH VIETNAM WHERE THEY SETTLED NEAR SAIGON FOR A SHORT TIME.

THE FLED TO THE TAY NINH REGION AFTER VIET CONG ATTACKS, AND FROM THERE MOVED TO A PLANTATION. AFTER MORE VIET CONG ACTIVITY, THE REFUGEES MOVED TO THEIR VILLAGE IN CHOLON IN SAIGON IN 1966 AND STAYED THERE UNTIL THE MAY OFFENSIVE.

EACH TIME THEY SETTLED, THE REFUGEES NAMED THEIR VILLAGE NAM-HAI -- WHICH IS A COMBINATION OF THE NORTH VIETNAMESE TOWNS THAT WERE THEIR ORIGINAL HOMES.

FATHER NHAN HAD SAID HIS PEOPLE WERE REFUGEES BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT LIVE WITH COMMUNISM. HE ADDED THAT THEY WOULD CONTINUE TO RESIST COMMUNISTS SO THAT THEY COULD LEAVE FREELY.

AS THEY LEFT THE FORMER SCHOOL THAT BECAME THEIR REFUGEE CENTRE, REPRESENTATIVES OF FATHER NHAN HAD TO SIGN PAPERS PERMITTING THEM TO TRAVEL ON MILITARY TRUCKS TO NAM-HAI.

UNITED STATES AUTHORITIES HELPED TO REBUILD SOME OF NAM-HAI. MUCH OF THE VILLAGE WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED DURING THE FIGHTING AND SOME OF THE ROADS SCARRED BY ARTILLERY HAVE YET TO BE REPAIRED.