Veterans Association of Nghe An Provincial Party Committee journey to the source

The delegation respectfully offered flowers and incense to commemorate and express their infinite gratitude for the great contributions of President Ho Chi Minh, comrade Le Hong Phong and the heroes and martyrs who heroically sacrificed their lives in the revolutionary movement to liberate the nation and unify the country. Photo: Bach Hien

Towards the 48th anniversary of the complete Liberation of the South and national reunification (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2023), from April 14 to 15, 2023, a delegation of the Provincial Party Committee's Veterans Association led by comrade Ho Dang Tai - Deputy Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Committee, Chairman of the Association went to Con Dao to hold a ceremony to pay tribute to the heroic martyrs who sacrificed their lives at Hang Duong Cemetery.

The delegation visited Hang Duong Cemetery. Photo: Bach Hien

In a solemn atmosphere, delegates respectfully placed flower baskets and incense at the Hang Duong Cemetery Memorial and observed a minute of silence to express their respect and deep gratitude for the great contributions of our ancestors and heroic martyrs who sacrificed their lives and devoted their youth to the revolution and the cause of national liberation for the Vietnamese Fatherland to live forever.

The delegation offered incense at the grave of Vo Thi Sau - a daughter of Dat Do, a brave and courageous female soldier who died before the age of 20, the first death row inmate and also the youngest female prisoner in Con Dao. She is a shining example of patriotism and bravery that future generations will forever learn and follow.

Visiting the tomb of General Secretary Le Hong Phong. Photo: Bach Hien

The delegation visited and paid tribute to the tomb of comrade Le Hong Phong, an outstanding son of Nghe An, General Secretary of our Party during the period of 1935 - 1936. He was one of the outstanding students of President Ho Chi Minh, a staunch communist, a talented leader, an enthusiastic soldier of the international communist and workers' movement, who devoted his whole life to the cause of independence, freedom of the Fatherland and happiness of the people.

On this occasion, the delegation also visited Phu Tuong and Phu Hai prisons in Con Dao - places likened to "hell on earth".

The delegation visited Phu Tuong prison. Photo: Bach Hien

Phu Tuong Prison was built in 1940, part of the Phu Hai Correctional Center system, located on Ton Duc Thang Street, Con Dao District (Ba Ria - Vung Tau). This place is known as the "French tiger cage", one of the French colonial prison systems secretly built to detain and torture political prisoners. This famous solitary confinement area built by the French colonialists in Con Dao was intended to subdue the fighting spirit of communist soldiers. The system has two layers of walls surrounding the secret tiger cages in the middle. All prisoners were blindfolded before being brought here so that they could not determine their direction.

Phu Hai Prison, located on Le Van Viet Street, is the oldest and largest prison in Con Dao. This prison belongs to the system of forced labor camps. The project was built by the French colonialists to imprison revolutionary soldiers and Vietnamese patriots from 1862 and was completely upgraded from 1889 to 1896. This prison is part of the Con Dao prison system under the Phu Hai Correctional Center. To deceive public opinion, the French colonialists built a chapel, lecture hall, club, dining room, barber shop... and converted the "rice mill" into a treatment room. The prison yard was also planted with flowers and ornamental plants like a park. This project was both a formality to deal with public opinion and also used to bribe and entice political prisoners to defect and denounce communism...

The war has ended, peace has returned, the country is renewing and developing day by day, but those tragic and painful memories cannot be forgotten. The delegation expressed their gratitude and pledged to uphold the tradition of Uncle Ho's soldiers, actively participate in building and protecting the Party, the State, the socialist regime, and protecting the people. Actively participate in educating patriotism and revolutionary heroism for the younger generation; fight against bureaucracy, corruption, waste and social evils; build and consolidate the Solidarity Association, increasingly strong, making an important contribution to the cause of building and protecting the socialist Fatherland of Vietnam in the new situation./.