They were called boat people. However, the number of boat people fleeing Vietnam was relatively small until 1978. Waiting for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) to process our application for asylum in Australia took nearly two years. By the time Bidong was closedas a refugee camp on October 30, 1991, about 250,000 Vietnamese had passed through or resided in the camp. Can I reuse this image without permission? Vietnamese Heritage Museum Some unpublished material may require permission for reuse even if it is very old. Different circumstances, different time and place. They were called boat people. However, the number of boat people fleeing Vietnam was relatively small until 1978. was officially opened as a refugee camp on August 8th, 1978 with 121 Vietnamese refugees. The largest amounts of refugees came in 1979; more than 40,000 people. To ensure the better living condition, long houses were built with schools, workshops, post office, church, temple, tailors, hair salons, bakery, noodle shops, sundry shops, even disco and bar etc. Many of us ethnic Chinese who remained in Vietnam were persecuted by the locals. While the last Vietnamese refugee left Malaysia on Aug 30, 2005. There were regular music festivals performed by the refugees and Malaysian musicians as well as UN, MRCS, Police Task Force personnel. Local fishermen traded with several Vietnamese who were brave enough to swim out to the fishing boats, anchored some distance from the island. However, perhaps many would not remember that in the 1970s, Malaysia, along with other neighboring countries, were part of one of the biggest refugee crises in history. Img from Lang Nams blogspot. The photographer was Lachlan Kennedy, who was a member of the Australian Department of Immigration Indo-Chinese Refugee Taskforce, from January-September 1981 during the aftermath of the Vietnam War. Refugees. No But kinds of the organization came to give aids and solved the problems of the refugees until they can have the better life, good health facility, school, and even entertainments. One of the many cemeteries on Bidong. Pulau memang cantik. For some First Peoples communities, seeing images or hearing recordings of persons who have passed, may cause sadness or distress and, in some cases, offense. In addition, the governments of Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries discouraged refugees from landing on their shores. Ottawa: The Canadian Asian Studies Association. Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. Malaysia About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Bidong Island is located in Kuala Nerus district, Terengganu. This incident became known as one of the worlds biggest humanitarian crises, and the Vietnamese refugees were known as the Vietnamese Boat People, or Orang Vietnam Hanyut (OVH) in Malaysia. Bidong Island was officially handed back to the Terengganu state government, but remains restricted to the public until 1999. Sanitation was nearly non-existent and hepatitis was rampant. Largest island (about 260 ha in size), Bidong was one of the scenic and uninhibited islands in those days. After collecting all the cash and valuables my parents had, my family realized that there was only enough money for three people to go. In some cases copyright belongs to third parties and has been published here under a licence agreement: this does not authorise you to copy that material. by John Doan. With the closing of the camp, the remaining refugees were repatriated back to Vietnam. In the end, it was decided that my brother, eldest sister and myself was to go, giving the opportunity to the younger generation to make a better life in the outside world. Black market also thrived in the community. We also did not know how to tell my parents that our brother drowned on the way here. According to the video, part of the reason was that the refugees created a higher demand in food, driving prices up. Here's why that's a problem. Perhaps to make it just like home, the camp was subsequently turned into a bustling mini Saigon. 2023 Vietnamese Heritage Museum. Cilisos Media Sdn. Text content on this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence, Ration Queues, Refugee Camp, Pulau Bidong, Malaysia, Apr 1981, https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/items/2103284, Lachlan Kennedy, Dept of Immigration Indochinese Refugee Taskforce, Malaysia, 1981. Movie Theme Tours in Korea: Winter Sonata and Autumn in My Heart, Straits Born Chinese: The Peranakan story, A Warrior's Odyssey - Interview with Antonio Graceffo. The Bidong Island (Malay: Pulau Bidong, Terengganuan Pula Bidong) is an island in Kuala Nerus District, Terengganu, Malaysia in the South China Sea. Your email address will not be published. Since 1978 till 1991, Pulau Bidong refugee camp had accommodated more than 250,000 Vietnamese refugees together with a small number of Cambodian refugees. In this video we visited Pulau Bidong, a island on the east coast of Malaysia that was once a refugee camp for the Vietnamese running away from the post Viet. One part of the beach was even named Pantai Cina - China Beach - after its more famous counterpart in Vietnam. 1980 -1981 Pulau Bidong Refugee camp sketches - La Toan Vinh About Us The Vietnamese Heritage Museum (VHM) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the preservation and exhibition of our Vietnamese refugees' heritage. The first refugee's group consisting 47 people arrived on the island in 1975. At the time Pulau Bidong was a refugee camp for Vietnamese boatpeople; at times about 5 000 people were there; mostly Vietnamese, plus various Malaysian and international workers. The capacity of the camp was said to be 4,500. The island has a spectacular backdrop ranging from various species of plants, trees and animals to clear waters surrounding it with a great view of the corals. Picked up by local police at 1:30am and by the UNHCR at noon on the following day (by bus to the Marang Transit Camp). Since we did not have any adults to protect us, we were often bullied. Refugee Camps Bidong Camp stories Boat numbers Voices of refugees Photos Bibliography Refugee finder Story of 1730 I was just on the internet and came across your website. The sums overloaded the island and the refugee camp was only for about 4,500 people. It takes 30 minutes to reach the island by speed boat. Thousands of refugees died at sea; rape and abduction of refugee women was common. We called it Supplied Water. I was going through the list of boat numbers and noticed that my parent's boat number was not recorded on the list. Largest island (about 260 ha in size), Bidong was one of the scenic and uninhibited islands in those days. The condition was very terrible in the early days of the huge refugees on the island. These people were contained at a small camp on the south side of the island. John Thanh Hung Ho, his brothers Vinh and Duc, and room mates at the refugee camp on Pulau Bidong Island, Trengganu, Malaysia. In their free time, the adults occupied themselves with vocational training, volunteering, hanging out at coffee shops (which sometimes played Indian and Chinese movies), soccer, and sepak raga (which they learned from the police), and there were mentions of chambers dug underground for when the adults need some privacy. Sadly, my brother could not survive the traumatic journey. Boat left Vietnam at 9:45pm on Sunday night, June 12, 1983 from My Tho in the suburban area (along the Mekong River) about 3 miles from downtown My Tho. Doan was the last remaining Vietnamese refugee in Malaysia out of over 250,000 Vietnamese refugees who had landed on the eastern shores of Malaysia some 20 years ago. Although this tiny island only had the capacity to accommodate for 4,500 refugees, however during some very peak seasons, it once sheltered almost 40,000 people. [5], United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, http://www.terengganutourism.com/pulau_bidong.htm, http://makmalberpusat.umt.edu.my/?page_id=65. Finally the theme of refugee, internee and detainee craft recurs across time and place and provides a tangible connection between very different human experiences, the trauma, economy and the tedium of which has been consistently alleviated through artistic practice. While no other major development is planned for the island at the moment, its nice to know for now that the historical value of the island did not go unnoticed by the authorities. The station has living quarters and laboratories for students and researchers to study marine ecosystems. The sums overloaded the island and the refugee camp was only for about 4,500 people. My sister wisely hid the gold and precious stones that would determine our survival. A kindergarten run by UNHCR staff looks no different than any other school. Conditions on the island were crowded, with poor sanitation and housing, but the refugee population themselves were well organised, aid organisations were well-represented and representatives from re-settlement countries frequently visited. Immigration officials from many countries visited the island to intervew refugees for resettlement abroad. What remains are mute reminders of recent history: charred wooden buildings and rotting huts which once housed about a quarter of a million boat people since their first arrival in 1978. Another 600 refugees arrived in August and thereafter the arrival of boats from Vietnam was a near daily occurrence. Bidong Island The Bidong Archipelago comprises six islands. Digital colour photograph of Indo-Chinese refugees queuing for rations on 'ration day' outside the main administration building. The refugees strongly protested their forced repatriation. Pulau Bidong is like a gem in the South China Sea waiting for the right time for its potential to be realized. In 13 years it provided accomodatation to a number of nearly 250,000 Vietnamese boat people, with the topmost crowded period of time in 1980 it housed over 40,000 boat people at one time in a small area of one . Vietnamese American Experiences at Westminster High School, Les Bird Book Signing: Along the Southern Boundary, Author Hour: Les Bird at Santa Ana Library, K c thuyn nhn ti trin lm ca Vin Bo Tng Di Sn Ngi Vit Little Saigon TV, PHOTOS: VHM Annual Gala A Reflection of Our Past. Bidong Island in Malaysia is a unique destination to choose as it doesnt offer too beautiful scenery, wonderful BIdong Island sunrise and fun activities to do but it has the interesting history to learn. Museums Victoria does not own the copyright in all the material on this website. as to serve the basic needs. Pulau bidong saya pernah pergi, selepas off as refugee camp. By the second day, our remaining food was stolen by another refugee. Wewishto preserve this heritage for present and future generations to reflect upon. The passage from Vietnam was hazardous and the refugee boats were small, overloaded, and often attacked by pirates. Doctors were abundant, but medicine was in short supply. Certain records contain language or include depictions that are insensitive, disrespectful, offensive or racist. Bad sanitation, lack of foods and clean water for the overload people caused social problems and endemic diseases. In 1999, the island was opened to tourism. It takes 30 minutes to reach the island by speed boat. Happy traveling! The Vietnamese Heritage Museum(VHM)is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the preservation andexhibitionof our Vietnamese refugees heritage. By January 1979, there were 18,000 Vietnamese on the island and by June 1979 it was said to be the most heavily populated place on earth with about 40,000 refugees crowded into a flat area hardly larger than a football field. There was a fear among Malaysia and other countries where the refugees first landed (called a first asylum) that the refugees would be here for always, so such drastic measures were taken. Tepper, Elliot L., ed. Bidong, after being gazetted as a refugee camp was under the supervision and management of UNHCR. It also served as their source of fresh water (when supplies run out) and a stopover after collecting wood at the nearby hills. It was taken at a refugee camp on the Malaysian island of Pulau Bidong off the coast of Terengganu in the South China Sea in April, 1981. Within days after Saigon fell, the first boat arrived on Malaysian shores in May 1975, carrying 47 refugees. List of boats known to have arrived at Pulau Bidong Refugee Camp: 1978-1980, 1981-1985, 1986-1990, 1991 & after: From 1978 To 1980: Boat number Arrived Bidong Departed VN Number . Immigration officials from many countries visited the island to interview refugees for resettlement abroad. Traveling in the open sea in monsoon season in an overcrowded boat was a harrowing experience. Another 600 refugees arrived in August and thereafter the arrival of boats from Vietnam was a near daily occurrence. Luck was with our group. Migration & Cultural Diversity, Transport, Images & Image Making, Donation from Mr Lachlan Kennedy, 16 Mar 2015, Mr Lachlan Kennedy, Pulau Bidong, Terengganu, Malaysia, Apr 1981, Migration, Processing - immigration selection, Refugee camps, Vietnamese Immigration, Refugees, Water Transport, Water Vessel, Boats, Immigration, Immigrant Voyages, Immigration Selection, Vietnam War Refugees, Museums Victoria Collections https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/items/2103284Accessed 05 March 2023, We support the open release of data and information about our collections. The level of documentation for collection items can and does vary, dependent on when or how the item was collected. The island only houses the remnants of school, hospital, shops, and refugee accommodations. Despite having my sister to take care of me, I missed my family terribly. BY With the huge number of boat people landed on the island, in August 1978 the federal government 'borrowed' this island from the state . Fresh (drinking) water was always an issue, which had to be transported from mainland by boat. Before the island was used to land Vietnamese refugees in 1978, the island was uninhibited and has beautiful scenery. This is not a UNHCR publication. On October 30, 1991, the island was closed as the refugee camp and it started to rejuvenated. Our applications were approved and we sailed to Australia. 1994-2015 Global Directions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Weve even done a piece on Malaysians being refugees somewhere else, but the point is, if youre talking about a refugee crisis in Malaysia, youd probably imagine these more recent cases. With the huge number of boat people landed on the island, in August 1978 the federal government borrowed this island from the state government of Terengganu and gazetted Bidong as a refugee camp.Bidong is one square kilometer in area and is situated off the coast of Terengganu, Malaysia in the South China Sea. President Jimmy Carter raised the quota for permitting Indochinese into the United States from 7,000 to 14,000 per month and other countries followed suit, especially Canada, Australia, and France. It has regained its former pristine beauty and many former refugees have revisited their old home. A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization, EIN 82-2141214. Pulau Bidong Refugee Camp 1978 - 1991, Malaysia: Current News Home Thailand Koh Kra: Hell on Earth Songkhla Laem Sing; Malaysia Pulau Bidong Pulau Tengah; Indonesia . You can also find some old buildings and cemeteries, remnants of the refugees that once stayed there. Bidong Island was officially handed back to the Terengganu state government, but remains restricted to the public until 1999. Pulau Bidong Refugee Camp 1978 - 1991, Malaysia: Current News Home Thailand Koh Kra: Hell on Earth Songkhla Laem Sing; Malaysia Pulau Bidong Pulau Tengah; . For the accommodation, you only can get them on Perhentian and Rendang Island. A refugee child on Bidong. For details on the Bidong Island Guided Tour Package, call Ping Anchorage Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd at 09-6262020. No visitors were allowed on or around the islands. Doctors were abundant, but medicine was in short supply. Please tell us how you intend to reuse this image. In May 1975, the first boat with 47 refugees arrived in Malaysia from Vietnam. Pulau Bidong, today. Other refugee camps were also set up in other regions of Malaysia such as Pulau Tengah, Pulau Besar, Kota Bharu, Kuantan, Sarawak, Sabah, and Kuala Lumpur. Some of the countries we currently cover are Burma, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Vietnamese Heritage Museum Like a harmonious neighborhood, the "villagers" built their church adjacent to a Buddhist temple, both structures still standing today. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Most stayed on Bidong a few months or longer and were resettled abroad in third countries, especially the United States. Based on accounts from a former refugee, the Malaysian government as well as volunteers had over time organized the island somewhat, and it had longhouses, schools, places of worship, and even a post office and coffee shops. But pantai dia all got kaca. Latrines and wells were inadequate; tropical rainstorms sent rivers of filthy water through the camp; all food and clean water had to be imported from the mainland. List of boats known to have arrived at Pulau Bidong Refugee Camp: 1978-1980, 1981-1985, 1986-1990, 1991 & after: Boat number Arrived Bidong Departed VN Number people Boat Story . Again, lady luck smiled at us. Boredom and uncertainty are the biggest. Pulau Bidong Refugee Camp 1978 - 1991, Malaysia: Current News Home Thailand Koh Kra: Hell on Earth Songkhla Laem Sing; Malaysia Pulau Bidong Pulau Tengah; . Indeed, outside of the Philippines, Vietnam was Asia's most Catholic country due to the French colonial experience. VHM collects and sharesthetestimonies and artifacts that tell the stories of the Vietnamese refugees. In the afternoon of the first day, We were chased and stopped by a big steel fishing boat (Chin Thng 18). As weve said before, the Bidong camp was just a temporary thing until the world can figure out what to do with the refugees, but Malaysia did not plan to keep up with so many. The collection is also a symbol of a particular period in Australian migration history when support for refugee programs had both bipartisan and public support. Here at CILISOS, we believe that the only way to consume information is with a serious dose of flavour. Today, the recovery is evident as the trees which were once cut down for firewood and building material have regenerated, although some scars - a reminder to visitors of the boat people - are still evident. Similarly, some might choose to sweep this tragic story of Vietnamese refugees in Malaysia under the carpet and pretend nothing like that ever happened, but the boat people incident will always be part of Malaysia's modern history. Outside this mini Saigon was a Malaysian police station, a Red Cross hospital and UNHCR schools - kindergarten, primary and vocational. Located off the Terengganu coast Malaysia, in the South China Sea, the island can be visited from Merang beach town. The uniqueness of Bidong Island Malaysia may be so interesting for you. Img by diligam_te, found on Wikipedia. P.O. Though there's little of practical value in the ruins, signboards with Vietnamese characters and names are still on display - guiding our way around the little ghost town. There are colorful paintings, posters and alphabets decorating the walls in the classrooms and library. It had the trappings of a township - post office, church, temple, tailors, hair salons, sundry shops and even disco and bar. The flight of stairs leading to the temple from Pantai Tenggara is richly decorated with colorful plaques written with the refugees' names, social security numbers and dates they arrived. The wildlife population was decimated. This important collection represents two sides of the asylum experience - the refugees and the government officials. The largest amounts of refugees came in 1979; more than 40,000 people. Due to the huge number of refugees coming to Malaysia, at one point Pulau Bidong was said to be the most populated place in the world, holding about 40,000 refugees packed together in a flat area about the size of a football field. Parker, Anne. Only emptiness and a strange affectionate air lingers. The process of shooting / developing / printing / scanning / processing the images has not always been kind. Bhd. Note: Pahang is the name of a state. Santa Ana, CA 92799. Bidong Island was officially opened as a refugee camp on 8 August 1978 with 121 Vietnamese refugees. Some enterprising refugees had set up small businesses like bakeries and tailor shops, and in the late 80s there was a musical stage, with regular performances by both the refugees and the volunteers. Santa Ana, CA 92799. But as the conflicts progressed in Vietnam, more and more refugees reached Malaysia. Food In the early years, food was scarce but eventually food was much more adequate: plenty of instant noodles, condensed milk, green bean, sugar, chicken, fish, and vegetables. See:A beauty of Tioman Island Malaysia never forgets this place! The refugee camp closed in 1991 with some 250,000 refugees having passed through and either re-settled or, eventually, forcibly repatriated. A short walk into the deep at Pantai Cina will lead to a small waterfall, said to be the favorite picnic spot of the refugees. Up until last month, almost 5,000 people had visited the island, and some of them include former refugees or their children. Those whose applications were rejected were sent to the Sungai Besi Refugee Camp, where they were later forcibly repatriated back to Vietnam after the war. US forces leaving Saigon, shortly before the capital fell. Peace was kept by the Malaysian Police Task Force, but the refugees can also appoint their own officials to help run the island. A total of about 250,000 refugees were residents of the camp during the period of its operation. Sebagai first outsider group rekee for tourism place. To that end, officials from Europe, the US, Australia and Canada came to refugee camps in Southeast Asia to interview refugees and bring the lucky ones back to their countries, and little by little the number of refugees lessened. Landed in the Malaysian shore at about 11:30pm , about 1 hour bus ride from Marang Transit Camp, with about 100 liters of diesel left. You may be required to seek cultural clearances from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, families, individuals or organisations before you reproduce Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander material. There were "just barely enough" food and water for everyone. Pulau Bidong was eventually shut down as a refugee camp in October 1991, and the remaining refugees were moved to the Sungai Besi Refugee Center in Kuala Lumpur, where they were either eventually resettled or repatriated back to Vietnam. The refugees strongly protested their forced repatriation. By the time Bidong was closed as a refugee camp on October 30, 1991, about 250,000 Vietnamese had passed through or resided in the camp. Refugee finder. Photos. Copyright 2020. While the last Vietnamese refugee left Malaysia on Aug 30, 2005 . And the best part their corals is the mos beutifull far more beautiful from perhentian and redang. The journey continued for 6 days in the calm sea. Img from Medium. Refworld contains a vast collection of reports relating to situations in countries of origin, policy documents and positions, and documents relating to international and national legal frameworks. Bidong Island was officially opened as a refugee camp on 8 August 1978 with 121 Vietnamese refugees. Boat numbers. As people would stay longer for screening, this was the case for who arrived after March 14th, 1989, many wells were dug by the refugee to be used for bathe, cooking, and farming. (the MRCS matched the other half.). After over 8 hours on the Mekong River, the boat entered the Pacific Ocean via "Ca i". While it has been said that the living conditions in makeshift tents for those who become refugees due to wars are deplorable, for the thousands of Vietnamese boat people who found refuge at Pulau Bidong it was, to some extent, likened to living in a tropical paradise. Under the agreement, Malaysia accepted around 250,000 Indochinese boat people who resided at Pulau Bidong refugee camp in Terengganu. item HT 35675 Presentation Plaque - Handpainted Ship Wheel, Pulau Bidong Refugee Camp, Malaysia, 1981 Migration & Cultural Diversity Handpainted wooden ship wheel presented to Lachlan Kennedy, a member of the Australian Department of Immigration Indo-Chinese Refugee Taskforce, from January-September 1981. The capacity of the camp was said to be 4,500. Water was rationed at one gallon per day per person. My parents were forced to leave because of all the hatred towards the Chinese people. Bidong Island The Bidong Archipelago comprises six islands. With the closing of the camp, the remaining refugees in Malaysia were repatriated back to Vietnam. Something should be done to retain the heritage of the boat people, once so controversially intertwined with the country's destiny. Refugee boats were often pushed offshore or towed to Bidong and other designated camps. It has regained its former pristine beauty and many former refugees have revisited their old home. Stayed in Zone C until April 30, 1984 (yes, April 30th!). Entertainment In the late 80s, a musical stage was set up next to longhouse B15. In the early stages, the refugees, some with nothing except the clothes on their backs, ate anything they could find on the island including monkeys, frogs and squirrels. Not only did we survive the open sea without any sign of pirates, but we arrived at Pulau Bidong without any trouble. To ensure the safety of the refugees in the island, security personnel like Police and RELA ( Voluntary Security Unit) was stationed there. Nevertheless, few structures are safe from the destructive action, such as an artificial boat besides the temple to commemorate those arrival on the island, statute of a father who pulls his beloved daughter out from the sea, cement memories with heart aching words inscribed, gravestones marking the burial plots etc. First Peoples works may have additional legal and cultural issues. There were 99 peoples (wasn't known until arrival) on a 14 meters wooden boat, powered by very reliable a 4-cilynder diesel engine. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bidong_Island&oldid=1105891529, This page was last edited on 22 August 2022, at 07:36. My parents remained in Vietnam with my youngest brother, then still a toddler. There was nothing my sister and I could do, but to grieve silently. Orphan works, where the copyright owner is unknown, also require permission for reuse. This is the heritage that we leave behind for future Vietnamese generations. Copyright notice: This document is published with the permission of the copyright holder and producer Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB). [{"nid":829751,"title":"NST Leader: A putsch too long","created":1662652822,"changed":1662652822,"sponsored":0,"highlighted":0,"url":"https:\/\/www.nst.com.my . Bidong Island is accessible from the coastal town of Merang. Malaysia managed to give temporary protection to the refugees at that time because of the coordination with third countries, and countries of origin. Its size is 203 square hectares. A Vietnamese refugee camp was established later in Pulau Bidong in August 1978 with the assistance of the United Nations. The UNHCR and International Red Cross was on hand to protect the safety of the refugees, then gazetted as a protected area by the Malaysian government. * * * * * Well. Img from TunHans WordPress. Bidong Island Malaysia now is a deserted island without any settler or resort operated. In the fall of 1978 the number of refugee boats arriving from Vietnam in Malaysia, Indonesia and Hong Kong shot up. VHM collects and sharesthetestimonies and artifacts that tell the stories of the Vietnamese refugees. "Palau Bidong Malaysia, is Still Home to 5,000 Refugees." I have orchestrated and driven the boat when it lett the dock How do I remember the details so well? We encourage and welcome contact from First Peoples Communities, scholars and others to provide advice to correct and enhance information. Stayed in Marang Transit Camp for over 2 days awaiting for bad weather to subside before being transferred to Pulau Bidong by the "Blue Dart" boat. A total of 9,000 Vietnamese were repatriated between 1991 and August 28, 2005 when the last refugees departed Malaysia for Vietnam. It was three years after the Vietnam War ended with the fall of Saigon to the communist North Vietnamese Army. Img by John Isaac, obtained from LoyarBurok. Aid organisations such as the Malaysian Red Crescent Society, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and many non-governmental organisations assisted the refugees. There are still several solid wooden buildings left standing but these need a huge "face-lift" if they are to be put to use as a tourist attraction. They landed in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia, a few days later, but was told to go to Pulau Bidong where a refugee camp was set up. Peace and tranquility have returned to these idyllic spots in the South China Sea but Bidong will never be the same again. My sister and I took English lessons to prepare ourselves for repatriation to a third country. Outside the church, on a mass of cement shaped as a ship's bow, dozens of stone tablets commemorate all those who didn't make it over.