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Pulau Bidong Refugee Camp 1978 - 1991, Malaysia

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Bidong Boat people:

If you stayed in this camp, we need your story. Any information is highly appreciated. If you see it here, we'd still like to hear from you. Corroboration is important. We will always need more information. Please email us at vt268tengah@gmail.com

Story of PB 956

My boat left Kim Hai, Ba Ria on July 8,1983 at around 2:00AM .

Arrived on the shores of Pulau Bidong on July 15, 1983. There were 184 people on the boat. Three had died. One die on the 3rd day, a young boy, he had relatives were with him.

On the 7th day, a father and son died. There were no relative with them, so to this day their family probably had no ideas what had happen to them I am sure. Really too bad as I was the only person spent time next to them, meaning that I sat next to them the last 6 days of their lives.

Our boat, about 15 meter long, it was designed to used on the transport goods on the river, so when it get to the open ocean, it could not cut the waves, but bobbled on the waves, which make thing really bad for the passengers. Our boat was lucky, however, besides the 3 had died, our journey was not bad. Sure, we hit storms, with limited food and water. We encounter many many ships, but none had stop to help. On the 6th day, we run to a oil well, which they gave us food and gave us a direction to Paula Bidong. We arrived to Paula Bidong the next day.

Here is the link on my blog regarding my journey in Vietnamese with more detail at http://nguyentynan.blogspot.com/2012/01/la-co-vang.html

Submited by Hoang Nguyen

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