By Dang D Thanh
Brief History
Little is known about Galang before the refugee camp was established. There were just a few local fishermen living in this quiet paradise until the year of 1979, when the Indonesian Government started building a refugee camp on the island to house Vietnamese who fled their country by boat. Financed by United High Commissioner for Refugee, the government first built a jetty, then a road to the heart of the island. Next were bridges, dams on the river to retain water, a pumping station, a water treatment plant, a hospital which became the pride of the Indonesian Red Cross, and finally barracks to house refugees. UNHCR also chartered ships to transfer thousand of Vietnamese refugees who arrived by boat to the Anambas and Natuna archipelagos. Within four years Galang had received more than 100,000 Vietnamese boats peoples and 3,000 Cambodians refugees from Thailand.
1979-1989
Galang began to change rapidly. A small town was gradually sprung up completed with the offices of the Non Governmental Organizations such as International Committee Migration, Joint Volunteers Agencies, Ecoles Sans Frontieres, Save the Children, World Vision, and the religious buildings, as well as gymnasium … These facilities were all built and paid for by the UNHCR .
The Camp was divided into three sites: Site IA, Site IB, and Site II.
Site IA was built in 1979 for Vietnamese refugees directly arrived by boat to Indonesia. Site II was open in 1980 as a transit camp for Vietnamese refugees already accepted by the USA for resettlement. It was consider a three star refugee camp with two levels dwelling units where each family had bedroom and a kitchen. Electricity was provided to Site IA and Site II .
In 1982, Site IB was re-open for Cambodians refugees transferred from Thailand in 1982.
1989-1993
In June 1989, the international community held a conference in Geneva and adopted a program calls Comprehensive Plan of Action, which designed to halt the influx of boat people by changing UN policy toward Indochinese refugees. Those who arrived at the camps after the so-called cut-off dates would have to be screened to qualify for refugee status. Those who were screened out would face repatriation..
That policy changed Galang camp completely. Within months after the Geneva meeting, another wave of boat people arrived to Galang, some directly, some were pushed off from Malaysian shore since Malaysian closed their camp and did not receive refugee as it used to.
Galang became so crowded that UNHCR had to reopen the old barracks, and built other temporary shelters with forest wood frame, palm leaves roof and plastic sheet over old toilet concrete slabs as accommodations. In 1992, the camp population reached 20,000. As food rations reduced, and living condition deteriorated, people in the camp had to deal with the uncertainty of their future.
Galangers were classified into two categories. Those who were lucky to be in the camp before the cut off date or who had been screened in were called refugee. Those arrived after that date and who were waiting for screening or been screened out were called asylum seekers.
It took me over 2 years- and lot of sleepless nights- to get this card, a guarantee ticket for resettlement in another country.
The screening process created a potentially unstable and insecure situation in this small community. People was so desperate to get refugee status that they would try everything to achieve that goal. We have witnessed many unreal dramatic stories unfold in the camp.
I myself had been screened out, and only a bit of luck that my negative decision got reversed through a successful appeal. But not after my own minor half brothers, whom I took along on the trip, had to go back to VN with their parents.
By 1993, when I left Galang for the US, Galang still calm, even there had been few cases in which asylum seekers committed suicide to protest the screening policy.
1994-1996
After completed the screening process, Galang was divided into two camps. Refugees were in one site waiting for resettlement, while asylum seekers were put in a detentions camp with barber wire fence surrounding the camp, and limited activities allowed. They were encourage to participate in UNHCR voluntary repatriation program in which UNHCR promised to provide funds and safety return for participants.
There were riots in the Camp in 1994 when boat people either destroyed their properties or attacked local police to protest the harsh treatments they received. Some were put in isolation or jailed in Tanjung Pinang or Bintan.
The Camp was closed in 1996 when UNHCR halted its program to assist Vietnamese boat people and handed over the Camp to Indonesian authority.
Galang today
Not much are known about Galang today. A search for Galang on the Net provides some vague pictures of a tourist destination in which former refugee camp is promoted as an attractions. Check out the links where you can find these sites.
