Vinh Prison: Unveiling the secrets of 'hell on earth'
(Baonghean.vn) - If there were a chronicle of prisons throughout Vietnam, then in addition to Con Dao, Phu Quoc, Hoa Lo..., Vinh prison would certainly be a must-see. By 1945, this "hell on earth" had existed for more than 140 years, right at the location that is now the Soviet Nghe Tinh Museum (Dao Tan Street, Vinh City). Under the Nguyen Dynasty, then through the French colonial period, thousands of patriots and revolutionaries were imprisoned here, but the shackles of feudalism and colonialism seemed to only further hone their will, steadfastness, and shining spirit of devotion to the people and the country.
THE OLDEST PRISON IN VIETNAM?
We vaguely guessed like that about Vinh prison, when comparing the time of its establishment with many other "famous" prisons in the country. Here, Con Dao prison was established by the decision of Governor of Cochinchina Bonard in 1862; Hoa Lo prison was built in 1896; Thua Phu prison was built in 1899... And the "generations" of prisons "born later" such as Lao Bao prison built in 1908; Buon Ma Thuot prison built in the years 1930 - 1931; Chi Hoa prison built in 1943, Phu Quoc prison built in 1967...
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| Panoramic view of Nghe An citadel built in 1804. Vinh prison is a building located in this complex. Photo courtesy |
If we look at this data, then Vinh prison, built in 1804, can be considered (one of) the oldest prisons in Vietnam? Of course, that “title”, whether true or not, when “given” to Vinh prison, is not an honor. On the contrary, it further deepens the crimes of the feudal-colonial regime when applying savage tortures to patriotic people and revolutionary soldiers.
In order to have a relative picture of Vinh prison 140 years ago, we have sought out many researchers and historical sources. Among them, we were fortunate to have access to the original account of a former political prisoner at Vinh prison - Mr. Dang Quang Minh. The account was written by him in 1995, and this is also one of many valuable reference sources for the Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda Department to compile the book "Vinh Prison" in 2005.
The general shape of Vinh prison is recorded as follows: The prison is located in the ancient citadel of Nghe An, bordering the Right Gate to the West, the barracks to the East, the lake and the citadel bank to the North, and the road across the citadel to the South, connecting from the Left Gate to the Right Gate and opposite the Palace. The entire prison area is 150m long, 130m wide, or 19,500 m2 in area, accounting for over 4.6% of the entire citadel's surface. The prison is tightly surrounded by four walls 3m high and 0.4m thick. Each corner of the wall has a guard post, on the wall are many pieces of glass.
During the French colonial period, they used more modern means to strengthen and consolidate Vinh prison. In the prison area, there were many houses arranged in rows, the main part for prisoners was 6 detention houses, each house was 20m long, 5.2m wide, with 2 large heavy iron doors. The 6 detention houses had 12 rooms, each room was designed with a place to put prisoners' leg shackles, each room had a very thick iron door.
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| The remaining guard booth of Vinh prison on Dao Tan street. Photo: Phuoc Anh |
The system of detention cells is named in order from right to left and divided into “functions”: Nhat Dong, Nhat Tay imprisoned women; Tam Dong, Tam Tay, Tu Dong, Tu Tay imprisoned people with economic sentences; other cells imprisoned people convicted of opposing the court and the protectorate state… Rooms Nhi Dong, Nhi Tay and the detention cells were separate areas with two 3m high walls used to imprison political prisoners… The living and eating conditions of prisoners were extremely bad: moldy rice, wormy fish sauce, rotten fish…
Vinh prison is like "hell on earth" because of a series of brutal and savage tortures and forced confessions against political prisoners.
In particular, for political prisoners, Vinh prison was like a “hell on earth” due to a series of brutal and savage tortures and forced confessions by the prison guards. They used rubber whips, ropes, beef tendon whips, batons, and crocodile bone whips to beat the prisoners; they also applied electric shock, burned 10 fingers with alcohol lamps, heated a copper tray red hot and forced the prisoners to sit on it, forced them to kneel in the sun on a fire ant nest, and let snakes crawl into their bodies…
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| Images of loyal revolutionary soldiers imprisoned in Vinh prison. Photo: Phuoc Anh |
Beaten and disfigured in front of his father - "Be strong, son!"
Memoirs of former political prisoners and French secret police files also clearly recorded stories of "trial by fire" applied to movement leaders. A typical example was comrade Le Viet Thuat - Secretary of the Central Region Party Committee (1931), when all the brutal tortures could not shake his spirit, the secret police cowardly took his father, teacher Le Viet Hien, to Vinh prison to identify his son.
They tortured both father and son in front of each other, but it was not as they wished. Standing in front of his son who was beaten to the point of disfigurement, teacher Le Viet Hien suppressed his pain, opened his eyes wide and stared into his son's eyes: "Be strong, son! Don't be soft-hearted and fall into the enemy's trap"...
The story was spread throughout the prison cells, becoming an example for all political prisoners and revolutionary masses imprisoned in Vinh prison for many years.
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| A motivational poem composed by a political prisoner in Vinh prison. Photo: Phuoc Anh |
Turning Prisons Into Revolution Schools
Despite the beatings in prison, patriotic scholars, communist soldiers and revolutionary masses all showed their steadfast will to fight for their ideals and chosen path. Vinh prison was the place that held many generations of political prisoners from the Van Than and Can Vuong movements to the August Revolution in 1945 such as Mr. Nghe Nguyen Xuan On, Mr. Nguyen Sinh Khiem, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thanh, Mrs. Lua Tran Thi Tram, Ton Quang Phiet, Nguyen Phong Sac, Le Hong Phong, Le Viet Thuat, Sieu Hai, Ho Tung Mau, Nguyen Duy Trinh...
In countless brutal tortures, life and death were only a very fragile boundary, but they "would rather die with honor than live in shame", never betraying the people, the Party and the achievements of the revolution.
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| The statue area simulates a political prisoner cell at Vinh prison. Photo: Phuoc Anh |
The military propaganda work was so effective that many prison guards became helpers, arranging escapes for comrades to return to the movement.
What few people know is that right in that harsh prison life, from June 1930, the Communist Party cell at Vinh prison was established with comrade Hoang Trong Tri as cell secretary. The activities of the cell had the effect of strengthening the confidence of political prisoners, leading the struggles against the barbaric regime of French colonialism and the feudalism of the Southern Dynasty.
In particular, the core party members in the party cell were also the core to influence and enlighten ordinary prisoners, propagandize and attract soldiers to the revolutionary side. In prison, party members also taught prisoners to read and write, wrote poems to encourage their morale, etc. The military propaganda work was so effective that many prison guards became helpers, arranging escapes for comrades to return to the movement.
Existing for 140 years (1804 - 1945), Vinh prison is a testament to feudal and colonial crimes; at the same time, it is a symbol of the spirit and steadfast revolutionary spirit. Over time and historical changes, Vinh prison now only has a part of the guardhouse left; in the grounds of the Soviet Nghe Tinh Museum - the location of Vinh prison in the past, a memorial monument area has been erected. The museum also preserves many documents, artifacts, and touching stories about political prisoners at Vinh prison, each story is a true and vivid lesson for the young generation today and tomorrow.
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| Vinh Prison Memorial in the grounds of the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum. Two photos below: On the memorial is an inscription expressing the steadfast spirit of the communists; The relief illustrates the indomitable struggle of revolutionary soldiers and patriotic people in Vinh Prison. Photo: Phuoc Anh |