The story of a party member admitted to the party in Phu Quoc prison.

(Baonghean.vn) - Phu Quoc Prison, with its harsh regulations and brutal torture methods, could not imprison the will of the revolutionary fighters. The story of Mr. Pham Duc Hoa (born in 1947) is a vivid testament to the struggle in prison.

After the Tet Offensive, the enemy transferred over 200 prisoners from Non Nuoc prison camp (Da Nang) to Phu Quoc Island (Kien Giang). I was placed in Sub-sector B1, which had 18 cells, one room for prisoners to cook, and a large courtyard where daily roll call took place.

Mr. Pham Duc Hoa recounted his years of imprisonment by the US and the South Vietnamese regime at Phu Quoc prison.

Phu Quoc Prison was a complex place where the enemy concentrated prisoners of war from camps on the mainland, including those from both North and South Vietnam. The enemy wanted to intimidate and intimidate the prisoners, so they imposed harsh regulations and extremely brutal forms of torture and terror. The prison camp was surrounded by thick layers of barbed wire fences, patrolled by vehicles during the day, and guarded by soldiers and police dogs at night. It was brightly lit, and four towering fortresses stood guard day and night by military police.

Life was incredibly miserable and stressful. They gave us rice twice a day to cook ourselves. It was just moldy rice with a few rotten fish, bones, salt, and vegetables that had been left out for too long and were now spoiled. They called roll three times a day: morning, noon, and evening. At night, they came to each cell to call roll, forbidding gatherings of 3-4 people, for fear that prisoners would discuss resistance or plan an escape.

Not to mention the enemy's agents infiltrating the prisoners to eavesdrop, monitor, and inform, leading to many of our comrades being captured, beaten, imprisoned in solitary confinement, or even killed. Faced with this situation, the Party Committee of the B1 Sub-division prison decided to warn the enemy's underground organization and intimidate those who acted as spies for the enemy.

Mr. Pham Duc Hoa during his time in the military (photo provided by the subject).

One evening, before the scheduled time to enter the cell, Comrade Nguyen Van Hoa (the name on the records given to the enemy) walked beside me and said: "I am a member of the prison's Party organization; outside, my name is Truong Xuan Kieu, a security officer operating in Thua Thien who was captured by the enemy in 1966. The organization has decided to kill an enemy spy planted in the camp. This mission will be assigned to a team of three, including you. This is an important mission, entrusted to you by the organization. Think about it and give me your answer tomorrow evening."

That night, I reflected on my years as a soldier fighting the enemy on the front lines, enduring fierce battles, some where death was imminent, so I wasn't afraid of sacrifice. In prison, I understood that these were just extra days of my life, so I was ready to do anything, as long as it benefited the organization. The following evening, when I met Comrade Hoa, I immediately said, "I accept the mission the organization has assigned me."

Three days later, the three-person team on assignment met to brief each other on the plan. The team consisted of: Team Leader Lai Xuan Thanh (from Duy Tien district, Ha Nam province), Hoang Ngoc Phuong (from Vinh Phuc province), and myself, Pham Duc Hoa (whose name in enemy records was Pham Dinh Chinh). The target to be eliminated was named Xuan, from Quang Ngai province. He was a deserter from the South Vietnamese security forces, captured by American troops during a sweep operation, labeled a Viet Cong, and imprisoned in the same prison camp as our comrades. He had repeatedly written notes and sent them to the enemy, informing them of our organization's activities and pointing out tunnel locations.

Mr. Pham Duc Hoa redrew the diagram of Phu Quoc Prison. Photo by Cong Kien.

Comrade Thanh took the two of us to identify Xuan in room number 12 and wait for the right moment to act. Once, the camp lacked water for cooking and had to wait for a water tanker to deliver it, resulting in a late meal. By the time the kitchen distributed the food, it was already dusk, and everyone was moving around getting food and water. Taking advantage of this, Comrade Thanh lured Xuan away to get water, then enticed him to a secluded, dark spot so that Comrade Phuong and I could carry out our plan.

After finishing the job, the three of us returned to our room as if nothing had happened. A short while later, someone discovered Xuan's body and reported it to the guards. The enemy raised the alarm, and military police surrounded the camp, using loudspeakers to order prisoners to abandon their meals and return to their rooms for roll call. Finding no one missing, they asked, "Who is the culprit? Come forward and confess!" but no one spoke up. They became furious, threatening everyone and forcing the entire camp to sit in the sun the next day, withholding rice for cooking.

Mr. Pham Duc Hoa (far left) and his comrades and fellow soldiers pose for a commemorative photo during a visit to Phu Quoc Prison (photo provided by the subject).

In the following days, they arrested several more people for interrogation and beatings, but no one confessed anything. After a few days, things returned to normal. This incident, which took place in October 1968, served as a warning to cowardly traitors. On December 15, 1968, the Party Committee of Sub-division B1 of Phu Quoc Prisoner of War Camp held a ceremony to admit me and Comrade Hoang Ngoc Phuong into the Vietnam Labor Party. The ceremony took place secretly in a corner of the courtyard at dusk. Comrade Vuong Duc Thuan, from Nghi Thai commune (Nghi Loc district) - the Party branch secretary - presided, while Comrade Lai Xuan Thanh - a member of the Party branch committee - directly conducted the ceremony and assigned tasks to the two new party members.

Nearly 50 years have passed with all the ups and downs of life, but I have never forgotten the years I was imprisoned in Phu Quoc Prison. There, I maintained the spirit and integrity of a communist; it was a place where I was tested and had the honor of joining the Party.

Cong Kien

(Recorded based on the account of Mr. Pham Duc Hoa, house number 02, Cao Lo Street, Vinh City).