Galang Refugee Camp-Site I & Site II: Pictures of Galang Camp by Gaylord Barr (10)

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.

* * *
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.

* * *

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.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Pictures of Galang Camp by Gaylord Barr (10)

This was the day I left.
On the left is Mr. Day. On the right, Mr. Trinh. Mr. Day was 77 and had been the president of our Golden Age Club for a year. He spoke very little English, but he had an amazing spirit. Later, I visited Mr. Day and his family in Tacoma. The family was worried because he seldom left the apartment. He gave me a can of tea as a gift. I first met Mr. Trinh when Debbie and I were interviewing refugees who thought their English might be good enough to teach in our school. It was a hot, humid afternoon and the last candidate was a very tired-looking man wearing faded pyjamas. I asked him the first required question, and he answered in flawless English. I asked him what his job had been in VN, and he answered, "I was...what I think you call in English...a Supreme Court Justice.." It turned out that he had been released from prison (for health reasons) about a month before and had immediately escaped the country. He taught for us, later was elected Vienamese head of the camp, and was always a dear, generous friend. The last time I heard from him, he was working as an accountant in San Jose.

The day the young monk left...with Chieu and Debbie.

A year later, I was teaching at Seattle Central Community College. One evening, the department door opened and Chieu walked in. He had just arrived and was there to ask about ESL classes. That was one of the best and happiest surprises of my life.

Early mornings, the camp loudspeakers would call out the names of people scheduled to leave in one or two days. The entire camp would stop to listen. From Galang, boats would take people to Singapore, 5 hours away. They'd spend about 5 days in a Singapore camp and then fly out. This is Mr. Tong, his wife, and daughter leaving for Singapore and then Kentucky.