In Indonesia, the UNHCR set up a refugee camp at Galang Island (approximately it covers 16 square kilometres). Pulau 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.

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.

Source: military-discussion