yes, I was one of these naked refugee kids when that helicopter landed on Letung, I can still remember you, visitors on that helicopter smelled very nice and very sterilely clean looking. Thanks for posting this documentary film on youtube, it brought me tears.
Just seeing this video now. Spent several months up in the Anambas when this was filmed. I was one of the first interviewers for the US who screened refugees for admission. And I remember being paddled into Air Raya in a coracle -before they built a dock. And sleeping in Letung - and taking a helicopter up to the island and traveling by refugee boat between the different refugee camps - including Kuku which was a little further along but the same size as Air Raya. Eventually all the refugees were moved to Galang.
We got to Air Raya in May 1979 and stayed for 9 months before we were transferred to Galang and stayed for 6 months there before we got to Calgary Alberta, Canada. My family and I were on MT054, all 22 members of our family. My grandparents thought it was a good idea to take all of their children, and grandchildren. All survive or all die. There were about 342 people cramped on the boat if I am not mistaken. I remember we were robbed 4 times by Thai Pirates. I believe there 6 girls abducted by the pirates. I was only 10 years old. The memory were so vivid like it happens yesterday. I was so scared as a kid standing in front a scrawny pirate with a gun pointing at us calling out "DOLLAR, DOLLAR!!". After all the pirate ordeal, I remember seeing a bullet hole at the bow of the boat close to where we stayed. We stumbled to a Malaysia because we our boat steering rutter was broken on the first night out of Vietnam. On top of that the pirates took our compass so we were navigating by the stars. The boat was not design for sea. It was design for river, especially the Mekong river. We anchored close to the Malaysian beach hoping to get help. We can see the people at the beach but were not allowed off. Some of the men tried to swim in but were chased back out with local throwing rocks at them. We stayed on the boat for a long while before the Malaysian Navy came and towed us out to sea. Some men including my Dad was among those that were tortured by the Malaysian Navy. They told us they don't like refugee entering their country. I remember 3 people died during the voyage. I remember looking over the side of the boat as they dumped one of the dead body and seeing huge shark swimming along side out boat. I never forget how we were so worried when we approach an island on next morning after the towed by the Malaysian Navy, we saw another boat ahead calling out to us in Vietnamese. I remember a lot of people on the boat were thinking OH NO we must be back in Vietnam!!. So glad it was just the refugees on the island who happens to pass by. This video bring back so many memories. Thank you!
@antay69, I too was on MT054. I was 18 then. I do not remember anyone being abducted from the boat though. I do remember the 3 people who died. I sat on the bow and watched the captain and the crew bury the bodies at sea. It was the Malaysian navy that took away our compass and map. They did not want us to find our way back to Malaysia. They towed us a long way out to the ocean, then let us go at night, pointing at a star, and told us to follow that star for 4 hours. Then we'd reach a refugee camp, they said. We went all night and didn't see any land. Daytime came. We lost our star to navigate with. We were afraid that we might drift back to Malaysia. The Malaysian navy commander who tortured the men from our boat told us that if we went back, they'd shoot us. I remember counting thirty-plus big ships going past us. At first, we were ecstatic, thinking that we'd be rescued. But no one stopped until that boat with a Vietnamese woman on board found us. To this day, I wonder who she was and what she was doing out there.
My boat # 0138 arrived at Letung in mar 1979 and was moved to Air Raya a couple days afterward. I arrived when Air Raya was having about a thousand people in the camp. I spent the first few days sleeping under a blanket on Air Raya sandy beach, later I collaborated with other refugees to built our hut. One dark night in Air Raya someone yelled "tiger, tiger !" and that woke up the whole camp. While living there I did not realize that Letung, Air Raya and Kuku were on the same island. It would be a nice hiking trip if I knew then what I know now.
I was here in 79 in March or earlier.. it Was less than few thousands people when we was there. We lived next to ca si Truong Hai when he makes that song about Air Raya.
Nutithi, thank you so much for sharing this clip of documentary video. I was one of many who arrived in Letung/AirRaya from May to Nov in 1979. This video brought back so many nostalgic memories. There was so much I didn't know and this video helped a lot. I am in the process of writing my memoir and AirRaya is part of my story. My boat was KG0108 if anyone else has information, I would love to hear from you. Thank you.
Đến letung được khoản 1tuần năm 78 qua air raya ở vài tháng rồi qua galang 2 đến cuối năm 78 định cư mỹ nhìn lại cảm sút ai cung giống nhau buồn thanks for video clip a lot of memories
Me and my brother came here 1979 lam van Chen and lam van ton thank you for your great documentary that it me back 40 years ago we are the fist boat people come build the hut our self to live lot death by lack of medical im got malaria nearly dead thank my brother Chen who bought medicines from Vn dr save my life
I'm still very sadness when my memories came in my mind ....we were came to this camp air raya 1979 with all of sisters and two brothers and my mom and grand father.....but we lost our grand father on this camp air raya no medication no cure (Tang ngoc chi) ...very sad he even didn't had a coffin to bury our grand father ....a rain material to wrap our grand father body to bury him.😭😭😭😭😭🙏🙏🙏so sad and feel very poor for our grand father ....the end his life like this are so tragic and poor
This brings me so much sorrow, yet gives me such hope seeing these refugees smiling in the face of uncertainty. I am an adult child of two refugees that stayed at Air Raya. Thank you Indonesia for your hospitality, thank you Canada TV for documenting this. And thank you USA, the land I love.
Có ai đi tàu của ông Đinh V Thảo từ Rạch Giá kg? kg nhớ số tàu vì quá nhỏ lúc đó..ba tôi là chủ tàu đó..vượt biên đầu tháng 5, 1979..tàu tới LeTung rồi chuyển qua Air Raya
We came to Air Raya Refugee Camp in May/1979 and this video clip bring a lot of memories....Happy finally escaped from Vietnam and sad thing was we lost our grand father(Tang Ngoc Chi)......
yes, I was one of these naked refugee kids when that helicopter landed on Letung, I can still remember you, visitors on that helicopter smelled very nice and very sterilely clean looking. Thanks for posting this documentary film on youtube, it brought me tears.
Thank you so much for sharing this information …………
Just seeing this video now. Spent several months up in the Anambas when this was filmed. I was one of the first interviewers for the US who screened refugees for admission. And I remember being paddled into Air Raya in a coracle -before they built a dock. And sleeping in Letung - and taking a helicopter up to the island and traveling by refugee boat between the different refugee camps - including Kuku which was a little further along but the same size as Air Raya. Eventually all the refugees were moved to Galang.
We got to Air Raya in May 1979 and stayed for 9 months before we were transferred to Galang and stayed for 6 months there before we got to Calgary Alberta, Canada. My family and I were on MT054, all 22 members of our family. My grandparents thought it was a good idea to take all of their children, and grandchildren. All survive or all die. There were about 342 people cramped on the boat if I am not mistaken. I remember we were robbed 4 times by Thai Pirates. I believe there 6 girls abducted by the pirates. I was only 10 years old. The memory were so vivid like it happens yesterday. I was so scared as a kid standing in front a scrawny pirate with a gun pointing at us calling out "DOLLAR, DOLLAR!!". After all the pirate ordeal, I remember seeing a bullet hole at the bow of the boat close to where we stayed. We stumbled to a Malaysia because we our boat steering rutter was broken on the first night out of Vietnam. On top of that the pirates took our compass so we were navigating by the stars. The boat was not design for sea. It was design for river, especially the Mekong river. We anchored close to the Malaysian beach hoping to get help. We can see the people at the beach but were not allowed off. Some of the men tried to swim in but were chased back out with local throwing rocks at them. We stayed on the boat for a long while before the Malaysian Navy came and towed us out to sea. Some men including my Dad was among those that were tortured by the Malaysian Navy. They told us they don't like refugee entering their country. I remember 3 people died during the voyage. I remember looking over the side of the boat as they dumped one of the dead body and seeing huge shark swimming along side out boat. I never forget how we were so worried when we approach an island on next morning after the towed by the Malaysian Navy, we saw another boat ahead calling out to us in Vietnamese. I remember a lot of people on the boat were thinking OH NO we must be back in Vietnam!!. So glad it was just the refugees on the island who happens to pass by. This video bring back so many memories. Thank you!
@antay69, I too was on MT054. I was 18 then. I do not remember anyone being abducted from the boat though. I do remember the 3 people who died. I sat on the bow and watched the captain and the crew bury the bodies at sea. It was the Malaysian navy that took away our compass and map. They did not want us to find our way back to Malaysia. They towed us a long way out to the ocean, then let us go at night, pointing at a star, and told us to follow that star for 4 hours. Then we'd reach a refugee camp, they said. We went all night and didn't see any land. Daytime came. We lost our star to navigate with. We were afraid that we might drift back to Malaysia. The Malaysian navy commander who tortured the men from our boat told us that if we went back, they'd shoot us. I remember counting thirty-plus big ships going past us. At first, we were ecstatic, thinking that we'd be rescued. But no one stopped until that boat with a Vietnamese woman on board found us. To this day, I wonder who she was and what she was doing out there.
GOD BLESS CANADA................................GOD BLESS CANADA......................................GOD BLESS CANADA...............................
My boat # 0138 arrived at Letung in mar 1979 and was moved to Air Raya a couple days afterward. I arrived when Air Raya was having about a thousand people in the camp. I spent the first few days sleeping under a blanket on Air Raya sandy beach, later I collaborated with other refugees to built our hut. One dark night in Air Raya someone yelled "tiger, tiger !" and that woke up the whole camp. While living there I did not realize that Letung, Air Raya and Kuku were on the same island. It would be a nice hiking trip if I knew then what I know now.
I think that boat was from Bac Lieu then Ca Mau before exit Viet nam,I was on that boat!
I was here in 79 in March or earlier.. it Was less than few thousands people when we was there. We lived next to ca si Truong Hai when he makes that song about Air Raya.
I came into Air Raya at April - 23rd - 1979 / boat CAT-1648
Thank you for this documentary video. I was there from 7-1979 to 11-1979.
i came to air raya island on april/1979...bring back alot memories.
Nutithi, thank you so much for sharing this clip of documentary video. I was one of many who arrived in Letung/AirRaya from May to Nov in 1979. This video brought back so many nostalgic memories. There was so much I didn't know and this video helped a lot. I am in the process of writing my memoir and AirRaya is part of my story. My boat was KG0108 if anyone else has information, I would love to hear from you. Thank you.
Lea Tran I was on the boat KG0108 1979
I came to Air Raya o June 01/1979 on LA1969 boat. Thank you very for sharing this video clip.
Đến letung được khoản 1tuần năm 78 qua air raya ở vài tháng rồi qua galang 2 đến cuối năm 78 định cư mỹ nhìn lại cảm sút ai cung giống nhau buồn thanks for video clip a lot of memories
We were to Air Raya from April-Nov 1979; there when this was filmed. Thank you for this!
Me and my brother came here 1979 lam van Chen and lam van ton thank you for your great documentary that it me back 40 years ago we are the fist boat people come build the hut our self to live lot death by lack of medical im got malaria nearly dead thank my brother Chen who bought medicines from Vn dr save my life
I'm still very sadness when my memories came in my mind ....we were came to this camp air raya 1979 with all of sisters and two brothers and my mom and grand father.....but we lost our grand father on this camp air raya no medication no cure (Tang ngoc chi) ...very sad he even didn't had a coffin to bury our grand father ....a rain material to wrap our grand father body to bury him.😭😭😭😭😭🙏🙏🙏so sad and feel very poor for our grand father ....the end his life like this are so tragic and poor
do you know someone called peter tang? check the rest of the comment section she has the same grandfather as you
Peter Tang is my second brother
This is my place i was born here
we come to AirRaya camp on May /1979 boat DN 0123
This brings me so much sorrow, yet gives me such hope seeing these refugees smiling in the face of uncertainty.
I am an adult child of two refugees that stayed at Air Raya.
Thank you Indonesia for your hospitality, thank you Canada TV for documenting this. And thank you USA, the land I love.
Mein war mit dem Schiffe Nummer BL 517
toi o air raya tu 5/ 1979 toi 10/1979. Nhin lai canh o dao that xuc dong vi bay gio khong con nha cua nua ma chi la mot vung dat trong.
May Trang oi toi cung o Air Raya 5/1979
Có ai đi tàu của ông Đinh V Thảo từ Rạch Giá kg? kg nhớ số tàu vì quá nhỏ lúc đó..ba tôi là chủ tàu đó..vượt biên đầu tháng 5, 1979..tàu tới LeTung rồi chuyển qua Air Raya
We came to Air Raya Refugee Camp in May/1979 and this video clip bring a lot of memories....Happy finally escaped from Vietnam and sad thing was we lost our grand father(Tang Ngoc Chi)......
do you know someone called sandra chin? check the rest of the comment section she has the same grandfather as you
Hello owenchau, sorry I did not answer earlier, thank you for your kindly note. Sandra is my sister.😊