Con Dao Prison receives special national monument certificate

The Prime Minister's decision to recognize Con Dao Prison as a relic site shows deep gratitude to the heroic martyrs who have forever remained on the sacred land of Con Dao, affirming the traditional revolutionary values, fostering the revolutionary spirit and will for future generations of Vietnamese people.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan presents the Con Dao Prison Special National Monument Certificate to leaders of the People's Committee of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province - Photo: VGP/Tu Luong

On the evening of March 23, at the administrative center of Con Dao district - Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan presented the Certificate of special national relic of Con Dao Prison to the leaders of the People's Committee of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province.

Secretary of the Ba Ria - Vung Tau Provincial Party Committee Nguyen Tuan Minh, leaders of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province through the periods and a large number of people of Con Dao island district attended the ceremony.

Con Dao Prison is one of the most notorious and brutal prison camps of the old regime, where communist soldiers and patriots who opposed the government were imprisoned during the anti-French and anti-American periods. The most visited places in this special national relic are the "tiger cages" and "cow cages" which demonstrate the brutality and cruelty of the French colonial regime towards our country's revolutionary soldiers.

Throughout its 113-year history, Con Dao Prison has been a place that has marked the indomitable, resilient struggle and iron will of tens of thousands of Communist soldiers in the struggle against French colonialism and American imperialism.

Under the brutal prison regime, about 20,000 Vietnamese patriots sacrificed their lives. It was here that we witnessed the heroic sacrifice of the Hero of the Armed Forces Vo Thi Sau when she was executed on January 23, 1952 at the age of 19.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan and Provincial Party Secretary Nguyen Tuan Minh offer incense at the Martyrs' Memorial - Photo: VGP/Tu Luong

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan stated that the recognition of Con Dao prison as a special national relic not only has a purely conservation and museum significance, but also creates new momentum for socio-economic development and creates conditions for the maintenance, restoration and promotion of the great value of this special relic at a higher level.

On this occasion, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan hoped that in the coming time, Con Dao will strive to become a modern economic-tourism zone of regional and international stature; a historical relic conservation area with the value of honoring and educating historical traditions; a conservation area for the country's diverse forest and marine ecosystems and become an important national defense and security outpost.

Right after the ceremony of awarding the Certificate of Special National Monument to Con Dao Prison, a special art program with the theme: "Sparkling Pearl Island" took place with the participation of many famous singers and artists.

On May 10, 2012, the Prime Minister signed Decision No. 548/QD-TTg on ranking the Con Dao Prison historical site (Con Dao district, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province) as a special national relic. Along with Con Dao Prison, other famous relics across the country were also ranked as special national relics, including: Hoa Lu Ancient Capital (Ninh Binh), Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam (Hanoi), Con Son - Kiep Bac (Hai Duong), Ho Dynasty Citadel (Thanh Hoa), Yen The Uprising (Bac Giang), President Ho Chi Minh Memorial Site in Kim Lien, Nam Dan (Nghe An), President Ton Duc Thang Memorial Site in My Hoa Hung, Long Xuyen (An Giang), Pac Bo (Cao Bang), Tan Trao (Tuyen Quang), Southern Central Bureau Base (Tay Ninh) and Trang An - Tam Coc - Bich Dong scenic spot (Ninh Binh).

According to (Chinhphu.vn) - LT