Vietnam Refugee Camp At Galang Island

The Indochinese exodus followed decades of war and chaos in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. In April 1975, Saigon fell to the North Vietnam regime. North and South Vietnam were reunified the following year. While, Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, fell to the Khmer Regime also in April 1975. Then in December 1975, The Pathet Lao overthrew the royalist government of Laos. Many people of Indochina were imprisoned in reeducation camps since 1975. Most of them, collaborated with the other side during the war. They were subjected to intensive political indoctrination. Camp conditions were poor, with little food, no medicine, and a high death rate. North Vietnam regime also began to repress its ethnic Chinese minority. Thats why, there are many Indochina people fled their country in small, unsafe, and crowded boats.

The UNHCR set up refugee camps in neighbouring countries, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Hongkong. In Indonesia, the UNHCR set up refugee camp at Galang Island (approximately it covers 16 square kilometres). Galang is a member of the Riau Archipelago, near Singapore. Galang has many facilities and offices like camp administration office, PMI (Indonesian Red Cross) Hospital, school, church, cemetery, Buddish temple, and Youth Center (set up and ran by the refugees themselves). The Camp was divided into three sites: Site IA, Site IB, and Site II. This camp accommodated about 250,000 boat people from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam from 1975 to 1996. Most of them were Vietnamese. An additional 50 babies were being born in the camp each month.

At Galang camp, Murder and suicide attempts were as high as the number of rapes. Life was never easy, especially for the women. Some women had to sleep with guards and men from Vietnamese gangs. In the screening process, there are soliciting sexual favors from female asylum seekers. But, the most tragic was in 1985 when Tinh Nhan (a young girl) was raped by seven Vietnamese refugee. She committed suicide. To this tragedy, the UNHCR built a Humanity Monument at that place.

The Camp was closed in 1996. The last Indochinese refugees left Galang Island on 2 September. Although, their governments agreed to refrain from any discrimination, harassment, persecution or unfair treatment. There was a mass suicide (by burning themselves) when refugees were told they were going to be sent back to their country. They have been rejected by third countries, because they were only economic migrants.

Today, this ex-camp become new tourist destination at Riau Islands province. This camp is famous because it was rated the best refugee camp by the UNHCR. In that place there are exact replica of one of the boats used in 1975 by the Vietnamese people to cross the seas.