Galang Refugee Camp-Site I & Site II: August 2011

Galang Refugee Camp

Gaylord Barr was a teacher trainer in Galang Refugee Camp, Site I, from 1980 to January, 1982. He took these photos during that period.

All the refugees in these photos went on to re-settle around the world. Now the forest has retaken the camp site. Galang Refugee Camp lives on only in old photos and in the memories of the people who lived there.

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Galang Refugee Camp was located on Pulau Galang (Galang Island) in Indonesia's Riau Province. From 1979 to 1996 it housed Indochinese refugees. Originally, there was a single camp, Site I. Later, a second camp, Site II, was opened. Almost all of the images in this video were taken in Site I in 1981.

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Trại tị nạn Galang trên đảo Riau, Indonesia, được xây dựng cho người tị nạn đường biển, đa số là dân Việt Nam, từ năm 1979 cho tới năm 1996. Trại được phân thành 2 khu. Khu Một dành cho người tị nạn mới đến, khu Hai dành cho những người đã được phỏng vấn và được nhận đi định cư ở nước thứ 3 (nước thứ nhất là gốc, Việt Nam, Camdodia, nước thứ nhì chính là Indonesia nơi người tị nạn tạm cư tại trại tị nạn, nước thứ 3 là nước nhận họ đi định cư, như Mỹ, Pháp, Anh, úc…).

Khu Hai cũng là nơi nhận những người tị nạn từ Thái Lan đã được Mỹ nhận cho định cư. Họ đến Galang để học tiếng Anh, lối sống văn hóa Mỹ cùng với người tị nạn ở khu Hai này.
Những hình ảnh trong blog này do ông Gaylord Barr chụp. Ông Gaylord là người thầy khả kính của rất nhiều dân tị nạn. Ông đã rời Mỹ quốc để đến giúp người tị nạn tại Galang từ 1980 đến 1982.
Chú thích tiếng Anh do ông Gaylord viết, được tạm dịch qua tiếng Việt

Chú Thích: Theo ý nguyện của những người tị nạn từng sống ở Galang, Blog này cũng đăng tải nhiều hình ảnh do cựu thuyền nhân Galang gởi tới. Xin coi label để biết tác giả. (This blog site also posts pictures from other former camp residents who send us pictures. Please see the labeling for author or origin)

We are happy to share all of the photos preseented here. However, if you do re-post any of them, please give us credit.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Pictures of Galang Camp by Gaylord Barr (7)

Debbie. The Vietnamese called her "Babee", and so did I sometimes.

Me with Mark. Mark was my dormmate in Vermont. He had been working in the camp from the beginning and had grown thin. He and the others left a month after I arrived. Later, I met a Vietnamese family that remembered Mark as their "savior" because he had dived into the ocean to save their drowning son after the boy had fallen from a large ship.

When people first arrived on Galang, the Indonesian military would search bags and take any gold, jewelry, electronics...whatever they wanted. Even the Camp Commander's wife would be there for her share.

searching bags at departure

Four of the great kids in Mr. Hai's Unaccompanied Minors Barrack 68.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Pictures of Galang Camp by Gaylord Barr (6)

Entertainment in the Site I Youth Center

Buổi văn nghệ tại trung tâm Giới trẻ

People seeing me off at the Galang harbor...January 12, 1982.
Ngày tôi (Gaylord) rời trại

Buddhist Temple built by the refugees
Ngôi Chùa tại Galang

Thuy and family went to San Francisco
Gia đình Thúy định cư ở San Francisco

Son was a little haunted at times. On their first escape attempt they had been stopped by a Russian ship and taken back to VN (and prison). On their second attempt, they had been brutally attacked by Thai pirates (Thai fishermen who found the refugee boats to be too vulnerable to let pass). Some of his boatmates had been murdered.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Pictures of Galang Camp by Gaylord Barr (5)

Students in our Golden Age Club.

A Housewive's Class graduation. Miss Dung was the teacher.

On most weekends, the Indonesian authorities allowed the refugees to go to the beach which was about a mile from the camp.

Vietnamese boats would usually land on Indonesian islands farther to the north. But three boats landed directly on Galang during the time I was there. These people were on one

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Pictures of Galang Camp by Gaylord Barr (4)

Mr Day

Dr. Tru with the Catholic Church in the background

Christmas, 1980 with Ba Chin and her family.

Alcohol was legal in camp at Christmas and again on Tet.

This was the graduation of a Teachers' Training Class.

Years later, I was best man for Tri (4th from right front row) when he was married in Tacoma

Friday, August 5, 2011

Pictures of Galang Camp by Gaylord Barr (3)

Ho Ngoc Tieng. I visited him once later in California.

Hanh had just then killed the snake which the Vietnmaese said was deadly.

I'd said so many goodbyes, I couldn't take it for a moment. For the Vietnamese it was worse...much worse. Sometimes families were split up, part of a family going to Australia, part to this country. Those goodbyes were terrible to witness...and should not have been witnessed.

Tong went to Vancouver, B.C.