I was on the KG009. It sank and we were rescued and taken to Malaysia (Teluktalam soccer field).
We lived at there for about a month and was told we will be moving to a more pernanment camp.
Instead we were rounded up and ended up at the harbor alone with many empty refugee boats tied to the docks. We were forced on to the VT268 boat along with others. The maylasian navy dragged us out to the sea and left us to fend for ourselves. I remembered the engine wasn't running and make shift sails were made to catch the oceans wind.
Your memories of the events at the soccer field was more correct. I was 8 years old then so my memories are scattered at best. We were originally rescued because we had to sank our boat(KG009). When they took us to the soccer field, I remembered they were others from different boats there. It was the four of us, my older brother, 14, older sisters, 17 & 13 at the time. My parents wasn't able to come up with the gold to pay for them too.
Now that I'm a parent, I could'nt possibly imagine what must went to their my minds & hearts. Letting your kids go for that very dim glimmer of hope out in the open sea. Just absolutely heart broken for them, unable to know what happen to your own kids. We were at the mercy of the open seas. I remembered we were robbed by Thai pirates 4 times. The last pirate boat were chasing us and shooting at us. Had it not been a US oil ship rescuing us, we all would have vanished .
I'm in the process of interviewing my siblings in more details about our KG009 boats.
Phat recounted his experience
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