ベトナム難民がマレーシアに帰還 ― 私も同行した

ベトナム難民がマレーシアに帰還 ― 私も同行した

2 million Vietnamese people live around the war, but 2 million die on the sea. Playing in Vietnam was like, you rather, you know, die than live. And we didn’t have a lot of option. We have no idea at all where we have to go. And many of us actually have family that died in the ocean. In 1975, the Vietnam War ended. But for millions, it was only the beginning of a new struggle. The country had just come out of a 20-year-old war, highly unstable, unsafe, and struggling economically. For many, escape was the only choice. Nearly 2 million Vietnamese people fled by sea. And they were known as the boat people. They faced storms, starvation, pirates, and the constant fear of being turned back. And not all of them made it. Those who did found themselves refugees and remote islands across the South China Sea. One of those is Pulao Bidong, an island of the eastern coast of Malaysia. And today some of these refugees are returning and we are visiting with [Music] them. But first, I’m taking a ferry from Koala Teranganu all the way to an island next to it called Pulaang, which is where I’m going to be staying tonight. And um the ferry towards there is really scary. As you can see, the sea is really, really rough. There’s been a warning issued for these couple of days about extreme winds and very high waves and the waters are very tumultuous. So, I hope I get there safely. [Music] I can already see that this island is like very touristy. It’s quite known to Laang for snorkeling. But what a lot of people don’t know is that just nearby there’s this island that’s completely uninhabited that holds such a sensitive and deep history. [Music] So, this is the room that I’m going to be staying in for the night. And it’s really, really spacious. Like, it has two big beds and it has a beautiful balcony with an amazing view. Look at this. It’s just in the middle of the jungle. [Music] I stayed in Redang for the night and enjoyed its calm idyllic atmosphere before heading on early the next [Music] day. Good morning everyone. I had one of the best sleeps in such a long time. We’re here early at the port to uh finally board. There’s still 13 people that is that are expected to come. All of which are refugee or like past refugees that have lived on this island at some point or the [Music] other. Go. This is so scary. This is my perfect opportunity to just kill the boat and go to Japan or something. This tour is possible thanks to Syndica, the owner of Redanga Bow Time. She shares the same passion and involvement in making it possible for refugees to revisit the island and to make their story more known and heard. You can find the link and numbers in the description. Now we’re going to the other jetty where uh most people stay at and we’re going to pick them up from [Music] there. Here they start to uh board the first boat there. Good morning. Good morning. How are you? I’m good. I’m great, thank you. They got on a boat thinking that they’re going to go to Teranganu, but actually they got on the wrong boat. Wrong place. We’re heading to the island, which is about 30inut ride from Riddong. [Music] this boat ride. This whole time we’re just being tossed around in the middle of the ocean. I know, right? And I couldn’t be more scared. Is that the island? Yeah. We’re on the whale island cuz it looks like a whale. Some people can swim there. Not us. Really? Ouch. lot of they’re very little. So some some very strong man got them on the back and went there. Really? No, not there. I sw around not not at all. I was only 6 to 8 when I lived. Wow. 2 years and then we moved on to a different camp on land. This camp closed. We came uh in ‘ 89 and it closed in ‘ 91. It was much nicer here. Yeah. Whereas the other camp had like YF here. You can’t really exchange anywhere, but we had a little bit more freed up on the island. Midong was officially opened as a refugee camp in 1978 after an influx of Vietnamese refugees 3 years prior. It was closed in 1991 and anyone who hadn’t left Biden was forcibly repatriated to Vietnam. Outsiders usually refer to it as the island of hell, something that the refugees who went through there don’t believe at all. No, I have a really good memory of it. That’s what I think most people feel. There was no school. We were like just hanging around. It doesn’t look anything like how it used to. As we head towards the island, the re visitors hold mixed emotions of excitement and grief. [Music] Upon arriving to the island, there was a lot of excitement and impatience to check out their past refuge. How does it feel coming back to the island again? Bring back a lot of memory and um emotion. Had that year long to come back to the island. It’s a beautiful island. Naturally, you would enjoy living on it except that when we were here, um our future was uncertain of not knowing where you’ll end up. The refugees were hoping they would be resettled to a third country where they can lead on their normal lives afterwards. In multiple western countries granted that countries like Australia, Canada and the US were the countries that let in most of the boat people. Yet those who have been denied that destiny have been forcibly repatriated. I was forced back to Vietnam in uh 1996 and then I stayed there for 3 years and then uh United States delegate delegation interview me and then they accept me to United States. [Music] Is it uh any familiar when you look at it now? So these are new these are new. Most of the old relics would be up on that religious hill there. We know this area used to be reception area when people arrive. There used to be a wooden jetty, not like those that that is brand new. And then you’d come into here and there’ll be task force that you kind of like processing for people who who um recently arrived. After the camp closed in 1991, the Malaysian government demolished most of the original buildings. housing blocks, schools, clinics were all removed or left to fall apart. The official reason was to let the island return to its natural state and to avoid squatters. It was also the Malaysian government itself with support from the UNHCR and other NOS’s that built these houses after the island was declared a refugee camp. When we arrived, the housings have been established. We were told that earlier on um many people had to build their own uh tent and hut. Um and along this beach here would be um housing complexes for Malaysian officers and um UNHCR uh officers. So they also stayed in the island. Correct. At its peak, the population reached 40,000 refugees, nine times the intended capacity, making it the most densely populated place on Earth in 1979 since all the people were crowded in an area hardly larger than a football field. [Music] [Music] The first the foot I play football. You see the foot they die. Oh, they get 53 31 people on this boat. the Malaysia from that time. And they sinking. With the sudden influx of refugees and unrecognized boats, the Malaysian government was uncertain of how to go forward. At first, accepting small boats. But as the arrival surged, the government grew overwhelmed, threatening to shoot on site new arrivals and tow in boats away from the mainland, which resulted in the 1979 Geneva Conference, where Malaysia agreed on letting in refugees under international support and increase of resettlements. Yeah, we make the cross and the malas government they say most the neighborhood around here you know they don’t they Muslim they say no no no no cross they cut no cross get a sign right here then you find my side yours so when they build something like a temple or a church or a cross they sign their names on the building and he’s looking for a sign see right here this is my village See that one? This one is your side. Take a picture. Yes. Yes. I will tell my home, my sister. I get far. You know, sick sick people live. We we we come here together. Oh, wow. [Music] Yeah, it’s pretty. You would feel like through the gruesome stories that they have been through that they would be kind of griefing or saddened or maybe they are, but what they emit is complete pure positive energy. And as soon as someone sees me holding a camera, everyone wants to share their story. They’re just very excited to let the story known and honor this [Music] story. As so many people here say, this is the religious hill. Um I think this is mother Mary. There also there’s a sitting Buddha. All this hill of all the way down there has a churches, has statues of Buddhism, has a lot of different various [Music] religions. Well, coming from that side, I thought that this was Mother Mary, but uh that just shows how religiously ignorant I am. I think it also some symbology of Buddhism. Were these places also when the the refugees were here or were they built later? They were here when the refugee were here. Yes, they were kind of like semi-destroyed but I think with some um lobbying from the Viet the former Vietnamese refugee they were restored. [Music] Now we’re going to zone C, which is a zone known for uh a lot of people that used to live there. Of course, they used to do stalls there every couple of weeks. Stalls of old Viet culture from food, from jewelry, from accessories, and so many other things. Wow. Apparently here they made a campay. Welcome to Bong camp. Yeah, it’s because this place also has become a spot for University of Tangano of people who study marine wildlife. It’s honestly crazy to think that this spot I’m walking on was once the most densely populated spot on Earth. Nature has definitely claimed it back really quickly because all of these places used to be full and crowded and not not any type of space between house and the other house and the other tent. And now to see it like you can just walk freely and you have so much space and so much uh openness and vastness. It’s really weird [Music] feeling. This is Yen. She was 34 years old when she fled the fall of Saigon with her husband and two daughters. At the time she was a teacher and she used her skill set to teach in the temporary schools of Bidong. Today she lives in Brisbane but the memories of that journey and everything they left behind are still vivid in her mind. From Saigon we just came for for the new love just like that. And they just told us that okay at that night you just stay and someone come to pick you and they just took us from home to the small boat and the small boat took on to the big boat. It’s so scary because there’s bullies around. Mhm. Yeah. It’s like escapes. It’s not freedom go. When you take the boat, do you know that it’s going to be in Pula Bidong or is it just No, no idea at all. Yeah. We just scared of the government and we just go. Why were you scared of the government? Everything just changed so quickly and in my mind at that time we just not sure what the future is. A lot of thing a lot of not only that like people who very rich they they they just come to take the money and they just give the same money in every house. They took the house from someone rich and what did they do with it? Like my husband house which house in Greek? They decorate and they change to be something nicer like the museum. How was your journey coming here? Oh, it’s terrible. It was terrible. Our boat uh 11 m long 3 m wid contain 111 people in there. It take five day on the sea. It was terrible and with vomiting we just do everything on the board. However, my boat is still lucky because I heard the other boat they met the child. Some woman had been kidnapped and some have been raped and they kill us. It hurt when when really my that bad memory. Yeah. Yeah, it it’s horrible to to tell. Yeah. How was it when you first arrived here? I was so relieved when we see the main plan. Wow. We all happy because we hungry, we tired, stressed, scared. But the malite government will not allow us to get in. I said if our boats had been broken ourself had to break our boat and we just swam swarm to the mainland. No one can step properly. We just like a drunk people before just like this. Yeah. Sadly the travel journey was not the only challenge they had to face. The conditions on the island were very harsh. Basic shelters were made out of tin cans, plastic sheets and timbers from wrecked boats. Food and water were scarce as well as a lack of sanitation. All of which led to a hepatitis epidemic. Even we we understand we have to live in the very uncomfortable must never imagine that much uncomfortable with port. We live in a small house. But when we first come here there was a very long house. In that long house there were from 10 houses up to 12. And in each very little room over 10 person living it. We eat in it. We study in it. We do everything. That’s how. Yeah. Every day in the morning we wake up and we have to carry the bucket to get food and water. One only only 10 liter. That’s one you use for drink, for cooking, for war, bing, for showing they cook. They cook and we have stand in line very long like 15 m because a lot of people there is a big boat of water, fresh water from the mainland to try here. Sometimes the ocean have too much wavy, the water boat not coming and we have no water at all. When you arrived here and found that the conditions are uncomfortable. Yeah. Did you ever disappointed long disappointed or long for your life back in Saigon? Some long for the life back to Saigon. Yes. Some of them but not you. Not me. Just because I have five brother and four already. They may have been killed in the world. So if I still stay back, it’s very hard for me and my children. How do you think the Malaysian government was towards the people who are living here? Pretty good for me because we not related with Malay. So if they treat us like that, I very appreciate. Yeah, that’s why we are here to pray and to thank to Malaysia open. And how was your reaction when they told you that you’re going to go to Australia? Well, I I will unexpect it. Yeah, just speak English. Yeah, I know it’s safe to be here, but we just wonder what the future is, how the kids growing without learning anything. So we we we really want to go and when some of us had been upset by Australian delegation so happy she still remember a lot of thing in here because she were young that time. Her name is Win. Dui was only 15 years old when she arrived to Pulao Bidong where she spent 4 years without her parents but alongside her brother John who was excited to share all he knows about the island. Now 52, she lives in Queensland, Australia. The journey may be decades behind her but the memories are still close. I escaped about 12 time before I could get here and I visit most of the prisons in Vietnam. Most of the time I was caught back into prison. At that time if you try to escape from Vietnam you will be imprisoned. Where in Vietnam are you from? I’m from Ho Chim Saigon. Saigon. Yeah they called it Himman name but we still called it Saon. Son. And how is life back there? After 1975 a lot of um our family had a connection with the old government. So we’ve been treated really bad. You can call that discrimination. Uh my brother and I was expelled from school. So we felt that we um didn’t have any uh future left in Vietnam. Staying in Vietnam was like you rather you know die than live and we didn’t have a lot of option. So we choose to go to the ocean knowing that you know we could die. The chance of surviving is very slim but we still ch because uh the freedom is what we want. So that’s why we tried to escape many many times. What was the successful time? 27th of May, 1989. The time of her arrival was past the 14th of March, which the Malaysian government said as a cut off date to arrive to the island. For the refugees that had just arrived, it made it more complicated to access the island as they had to go through a screening interview to be accepted. Our boat was 63 people, one pregnant lady and uh she got here and had a baby. When we got here, there’s a mixed emotion because we consider oursel very lucky and we felt for the people that couldn’t get here and left their life. And many of us actually have family that died in the ocean. Really? That lady that you just interviewed, her husband had four family members. Her mom and dad, I believe, and brother’s sister or something that died in the ocean. When we was here, I tried to uh fill my times with a lot of activity. So I joined the choir, the church choir. I work uh volunteerally for the uh information center. Oh wow. Uh and a woman’s zone and a library for just for woman and I study a lot of classes. I study uh academics and uh I join a lot of uh English classes just to hopefully when we get to the third country we can you know we lessen the time of uh study. Why did you choose to revisit again? We only wanted to go back for some reason. I don’t know. It felt really good, you know, making peace with our past. Do you ever think that you’re going to come back again? We always wanted to come back ever since then. Yes. Yeah. Sorry. I I had um a reunion a week ago like about almost 300 people that from this place. So that’s why my boy is horseking now because I love it. So you’re very passionate about uh talking about bong and your story here. Yes. Because of the media, social media, we got connected back. And how is the sentiment when people go back and talk about this story together? Very emotional. Very emotional. I tra the time that we would say I never regret that we actually got here and stay here. Even though uh it was a hard time and a lot of worry but I think it uh we had a lot of uh memory lots of good time together. It taught us to be a lot tougher. So I I believe now not many thing can break me. So yeah, [Music] navigating the past with the boat people has come with a lot of emotion from their part as well as my part as their resilience and optimism is not only contagious but also really admirable knowing that they have survived one of the largest maritime exoduses of the 20th century. And now it’s time for some snorkeling. Yeah. Oh, this is so fun. I should have done this earlier. [Music] [Applause] [Music] After a long day of revisiting this uh beautiful and nostalgic island, we’re finally going to head back to the Redang Island. Bye bye. This is really scary. Oh my god, I’m going to my pants. On our way back, they say goodbye for the second time to the island. That as well as griffin loss granted them resilience opportunity to live a better life and stability and peace. [Music] Pulao Bidong may feel like a chapter from the past, but the story of displacement is far from over. Today, people are still fleeing war, persecution, and poverty. From Sudan to Syria to Myanmar, people are still risking everything just for a chance at safety. These are not distant headlines. They are the same story told again and again by new voices in new places. They are not stories of the past. They’re happening now.

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I visited Bidong Island, once home to thousands of Vietnamese refugees after the Vietnam War. In this video, I explore the island’s haunting history, abandoned buildings, and hear stories from refugees who returned. A powerful journey through time and resilience.

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Travel Date: March 2025

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0:00 – Fleeing from Vietnam;
1:16 – Ferry to Redang island;
2:56 – Going with the refugees in the boat;
6:45 – Arriving back;
7:10 – History of Bidong island;
9:00 – Most densely populated place on earth;
9:30 – Dark history;
10:25 – Old memories;
14:13 – Story of a refugee;
24:27 – Snorkling;
25:10 – Saying goodbye to the island again;

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Hi, I’m Jonathan Le Blanc. I’m a full-time traveler who wants to show the human side of traveling and give another perspective on how the mass media portrays certain locations to us.

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💟Edited by: @Ajjouche on IG

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