In 1981, I was working in Galang Refugee Camp in Indonesia. Mely Bonifacio, the UNHCR Representative invited some of us to sail with her to the Kuku Refugee Camp. We made the 20 hour trip from Tanjung Pinang on the Seasweep which was operated by World Vision.

The Kuku Camp was located in the Indonesian Anambas Islands east of Malaysia. If I remember correctly, there were 2000 Vietnamese refugees in the camp at the time. We took them supplies, and carried 200 people with us back to Galang.

Kuku was both beautiful and brutal. There was ongoing abuse by the Indonesian military, and just a month before our visit a refugee boat had sunk within sight of the camp drowning everyone on board.

We were only on Kuku for several hours, and I took these photos then.

That night on the Seasweep, everyone was invited down into the steamy hold for a "Special Program". There was some guitar music and singing. Then a World Vision representative using a Vietnamese interpreter, spoke to the assembled refugees. He told them that they would never see Vietnam again and described to them how difficult, lonely, isolated, and hopeless their lives in their new countries would be. He explained that their only hope was to accept Jesus as their personal savior. He was greeted by stunned silence. Many people cried, and some of us walked out.
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


THE PICTURE POSTED HERE IS PUBLIC, HOWEVER IF YOU USE IT PLEASE GIVE IT CREDIT AS COURTESY TO GAYLORD BARR

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Video clip: Kuku Refugee Camp - Indonesia 1981

In 1981, I was working in Galang Refugee Camp in Indonesia. Mely Bonifacio, the UNHCR Representative
invited some of us to sail with her to the Kuku Refugee Camp. We made the 20 hour trip from Tanjung Pinang on the Seasweep which was operated by World Vision.

The Kuku Camp was located in the Indonesian Anambas Islands east of Malaysia. If I remember correctly, there were 2000 Vietnamese refugees in the camp at the time. We took them supplies, and carried 200 people with us back to Galang.

Kuku was both beautiful and brutal. There was ongoing abuse by the Indonesian military, and just a month before our visit a refugee boat had sunk within sight of the camp drowning everyone on board.

We were only on Kuku for several hours, and I took these photos then.




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9 comments:

  1. chobancoMarch 22, 2017 at 12:58 PM

    I was there in 1985. Fifteen years old boy who was by himself in a very lonely, isolated island away from his family and friends. I made it to Galang soon after and came to the US on Christmas '85. After all these years I'm still feeling lost myself :). But life has been very good to me. I have a successful career and I'm fortunate to have a wonderful wife and 3 kids.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hung UongOctober 6, 2017 at 11:36 PM

    Was there.

    ReplyDelete
  3. ManNinhMarch 11, 2018 at 2:22 PM

    Missed you and admire what you have done for Vietnamese Refugees... Thank you Gaylord ❤️

    ReplyDelete
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  6. UnknownDecember 24, 2018 at 9:15 AM

    Your video is so accurately captured so much of what the Vietnamese ppl went thru to reach for freedom! It brings back so much memories and emotions in me. I was only 11y/o when I arrived in Pulau Kuku. I have been thinking about what happened to Pulau Kuku over the years....now that I’m in my 50s. So grateful for for Pulau Kuku....!

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  8. UnknownApril 22, 2020 at 3:29 AM

    I am a Kiwi (New Zealander) and worked for World Vision and was a member of the MV Seasweep crew in 1981.

    I have many fond memories of sailing up to Kuku on Seasweep and transporting refugees back to Galang and meeting wonderful people who had endured so much, especially the children and mothers.

    I was only 27 years old then. I am now 66 years old and truly blessed by God to have had that experience.

    Steve Shamy
    New Zealand

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