Heartbreaking History of Vietnamese Refugees With a Trip To Galang Island, Batam

History of Vietnam Refugee Camp on Galang Island, Batam If you learn history, definitely remember the events of hundreds of thousands of people of southern Vietnam flee leaving their homes to flee to other postwar countries in Vietnam around the 1980s. Although it has been a long time ago, you can look back on the incident, even without using a time machine. When the incident took place, these refugees left their country using boats in conditions of concern. In one boat can be occupied 40-100 people.

For months the refugees were swayed in the waters of the South China Sea, with no clear purpose. Some of them are dead in the middle of the sea and some can reach land, including Indonesia, such as Galang Island and Tanjung Pinang. This wave of refugees attracted the attention of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Government of Indonesia. Galang Island, precisely in the Village Sijantung, Riau Islands, finally agreed to be used as a temporary shelter for the refugees.UNHCR and the Government of Indonesia are building facilities, such as IDP camps, places of worship, hospitals, and schools, which are used to facilitate about 250,000 refugees. In this place, the Vietnamese refugees resumed their lives throughout the years 1979-1996, until finally they got asylum in developed countries who would accept them or repatriated to Vietnam. The refugees were concentrated in a settlement of 80 hectares and covered interactions with local residents. This is done to facilitate oversight, regulation, security, as well as to avoid the spread of venereal disease of Rose Vietnam brought by these refugees.

Currently, the former refugee camp is used as a tourist spot by the Batam Authority

Spying on Malay Tourism Heritage

For Karimun people, especially in District Kundur certainly no stranger to " Batu Limau " tourist attraction. Batu Limau ( Limau Stone) is famous with various types of rocks that supposedly contain magic. Uniquely, the rocks resemble various shapes.

Yes, in Batu Limau which is located in Batu Limau Village, Ungar Sub-district, Karimun Regency there are at least six famous rocks. The name kind of the stones, among others; Stones that resembling male and female genitalia, Bilik Stones (in Malay meaning room), Ship's Stone, Lime stone, Keris Stone, Bridal stone and many others.

To reach Batu Limau attractions, tourist from outside Kundur Island first transit in Tanjungbatu, then to the pancung boat which is devoted to the Port of Alai and Sungai Buluh. It takes about 10 minutes at a rate of Rupiahs 5 thousand per persons.

Its perfect alternative to spend your holiday and relax with family and friends. Beach panoramas filled with rocks with a view of the vast ocean directly adjacent to the Island Penyalai, Indra Giri Hilir District (Riau Mainland), visitors will be treated to fishing activities that go to sea around Limau Limt water.

Story behind Limau Stones 

Temple And Monument

As Batam was merely a fishing villages some 30 years ago, we cannot expect it to have great old monuments, artefacts or museums as places with hundreds or even thousnds of years of history. But we could find some newly built monuments with great charisma within the island.

Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya
The Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya Buddhist temple at Batam Centre is one of the example of those great modern day monuments. It’s massive and beautiful figure surely amazes people who are viewing it. The building was opened in 1999 and still undergone some development. It is regarded as one of the biggest temple ever built in South Asia.

The temple was built by the Chinese Community in Batam, which the concept was said to be revealed in a series of visions received by the leaders. Now, thousands of Buddhists from all over Indonesia and within the region come to Batam to visit the temple, pray and study in it. The temple itself is open to the public and visitors are warmly welcomed. Another temple worth visiting is the Toa Pek Kong Chinese Temple in Nagoya.

Dewi Kuong Im Monument
There is another Buddhist monument taking place in Batam, the Dewi Kuong Im monument, the Buddhist goddess of prosperity. However, the monument is said to be controversial, as it overlooks the ocean where across the ocean there is Singapore, giving an expression that the monument is built to give Singapore the prosperity by te goddes, but not to Batam. The statue itself also have some problems with the local authorities, because it stands 26 metres and that means it is higher than the Garuda Nusantara Monument in Hang Nadim International Airport. But nonetheless, it is a breathtaking monument worth visiting.

Another strikingly beautiful place of worship is the Mosque that takes pride of place by the waterfront at Batam Centre. However, all Mosques are not open to non-Muslim visitors.

www.batam.com

Mausoleum Temenggung

Mausoleum Temenggung Abdul Jamal located in Pulau Bulang Lintang Kecamatan Bulang, a Pulau is residing in side south Pulau Batam. Island broadly can only be gone through through transportation of sea that is Pancung (machine boat) with travelled distance + 20 minutes from port Sagulung Batu Aji.


Temenggung Abdul Jamal is one of Temenggung during empire Riau - Lingga - Johor. Beside this mausoleum there is also some other mausoleums estimated is its the family mausoleum. One of them is Makam Raja Maimunah, its the wife.

According to local public, he has position as Bendahara. One of reference is written about Pulau Bulang is Dutch Contract with Sultan Sulaiman Badrul Alam Syah (contract met den Sulthan van Lingga, Riouw end Orderhoorigheden dd 1 December 1857 (From Malay Sultanate Johor - Riau to Colossus Malay Sultanate–Riau, 1993 : hal:122 ) in enclosure section 24 this Perjanjian is completion from agreement of date of 10 Novembers 1784 and date of 29 Octobers 1830.

In this agreement marked soil;land;ground – soil;land;ground or daerah/pulau becoming Colossus Malay Sultanate area – Riau as included in enclosure section 2, and daerah/tanah-tanah becoming power area of the Government of Dutch Indies which included in enclosure section 24. in enclosure section 2 is mentioned Colossus Malay Sultanate area Riau covers :

1. Colossus Island and vinicity islands up to Selat Abang.
- Islands eastside door strait.
- Islands westside Island Temian.
- Islands westside strait Semboyo.
2. Islands along the length of going abroad Sumatra island, eastside and strait west Durai.
3. Islands westside strait Riau and eastside strait Durai, side south Singapore and northside strait Abang.
- Islands in strait Bulang
- Islands in strait Tinung
4. Island Bntan and Islands that is almost Island Bintan.
5. Islands Anambas below(under rich man Jemaje.
6. Island Anambas under by Prince As of pestle.
7. Islands Natuna Besar thereunder rich man Bunguran.
8. Islands Natuna northside under by rich man Pulau Laut.
9. Islands Natuna under rich man Subi.
10.Island – island Serasan under by Rich Man Serasan.
11.Islands Tambelan thereunder Petinggi Tambelan.
12.Soil;land;grounds in Pulau Sumatera part eastside (National Archive, 1970:117-126) In enclosure section 24 is called as residing in island under power of goverment direct of Dutch Indies like :
1. Islands westside strait Riau and eastside Durai from finite Singapore of Selat Abang.
2. Islands side Band.
3. Islands in Strait Tiung.
4. Bintan with its(the taklukan ( National Archive, 1970:138-140)

Religious Corner

CULTURAL & RELIGIOUS TOURISM
In Batam there are many places with the potential of cultural tourism destinations such as Kampung Jabi Tourism Object, Vietnam Refugees Camp, Setokok Village, Duta Maetreya Vihara, Cetya Tri Darma Pagoda as well as the Ancient Burial Yard such the Japanese Cemetery, Temenggung Abdul Jamal’s Tomb and so on. In Sekupang there are three tombs namely the tomb of Syech Abdul Karim, the tomb of Syech Mohammad Abu Bakar and the tomb of Siti Hajjah Hawa. They were Moslems, the followers of the Tarikhat Nafsabandyah School derived from the Syari’at, Tarikhat, Hakekat and Ma’rifat.

RELIGIOUS CENTER
Barelang is blessed with magnificent Malay culture with the majority of Islam religion but freedom of worship is guaranteed for other religions as we can find many places of worship for any religions in the islands

MASJID RAYA BATAM
Masjid Raya Batam or Batam Great Mosque is located in Batam Centre, 100 meters to west of Batam Municipality Office. It is the biggest mosque in Riau Archipelagos Province. Batam is one of the pilgrimage centre embarkations which providing pilgrim accommodation before departed to Mecca located in Batam Centre next to Batam Great Mosque. As the biggest mosque in Batam it is also the centre of the Moslem religious affairs for instance Batam Amil Zakat, Majelis Ulama Indonesia, Institution of Medicine, Food and Cosmetic Research, Batam Moslem Associations Forum, Centre of The Al-Quran Recitation and Library.

CHURCH
Church as a fellowship (Communion) which is a safety sacrament for all human beings in the world. You would find a lot of Churches in Batam, especially for the Protestant Christian. As to fulfill your religious activity also provided the English service worship where you can find at Penuin and Jodoh.

MAHA VIHARA DUTA MAITREYA
In 1986, The President of International Great Dao, His Holiness Great Master Gao Shan Yu Ren, arrived in Batam to deliver The Dharma of Conscience awakening. He stated that Batam was a Lotus island, a Treasure Island on November 2nd, 1991. The opening ceremony of the first phase of the project was held on January 23rd, 1999. It is located at Sungai Panas and takes 8 minutes by taxi from Batam Centre Ferry Terminal.