Soviet spirit shines in prison

Harsh prison regimes

If anyone has ever passed Dao Tan Street in Vinh City, they will surely stop at some point out of curiosity before the vestiges of the Vinh Prison guardhouse. Although the guardhouse is no longer intact compared to its original architecture, it is a testament to a glorious period in the nation's history, especially during the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement.

Learning about this guard booth at the Nghe An Provincial Relic Management Board, it is known that this is the only remaining architectural part of Vinh Prison. This structure was built in 1804, where the feudal and colonial governments once detained many generations of patriotic and revolutionary soldiers. This is where fierce struggles against the harsh prison regime took place. Generations of prisoners here, especially political prisoners, although having to live in a "hell on earth", they showed their indomitable will, indomitable spirit, and extraordinary determination in the revolutionary struggle.

Along with Hoa Lo (Hanoi), Kham Lon (Saigon) and Thua Phu (Hue), Vinh Prison became one of the most important prisons in the colonial prison system. From 1928-1929, Vinh Prison became an effective tool of the colonialists and feudalists to cope with the new political situation when the suffering masses were ready to rise up to fight against oppression and exploitation.

When the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement broke out and developed strongly in many districts in Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces, the colonial-feudal government frantically carried out white terror, trying to suppress the revolutionary movement. By 1932, Nghe An province had 6,681 people imprisoned and 1,500 people killed.

In the book “Vinh Prison” published in 2005 by the Propaganda Department of Nghe An Provincial Party Committee, it was written about this period as follows: “Never before has Vinh Prison been as cramped, dirty, and stuffy as it is now. “Not counting the solitary confinement cells, the other political prisoners’ cells had no less than one hundred and fifty people, and were given six wooden trays, thirty-six earthenware bowls, and four clay pots of drinking water. The prisoners did not have enough space to stand, nor could they raise their arms to put a piece of rice in their mouths…”

Political prisoners in Vinh Prison had to do hard labor everywhere under extremely cruel beatings. In prison, the colonial-feudal government used many brutal forms of torture such as: using electric shock to the body; forcing prisoners to strip naked, then pouring soap on their stomachs and then using spiked shoes to stomp on their stomachs until blood flowed from their mouths and noses. Not only beating with whips, they also used nails hammered into sticks to beat the prisoners, each time they lifted the stick up and down, the prisoner's flesh would come out with the whip, blood from the beaten area flowed out and soaked the floor.

That situation did not only occur at Vinh Prison, because Soviet soldiers from Nghe Tinh were arrested, sentenced and exiled to prisons across the country, including Kon Tum Prison (also known as Kon Tum exile).

According to documents from the Nghe Tinh Soviet Museum, from December 1930 to April 1931, the French colonialists exiled groups of political prisoners from prisons in the Central provinces, mostly from Vinh Prison and Ha Tinh Prison, to Kon Tum.

By April 1931, the total number of prisoners here had reached 295. Prisoners here had to undergo extremely harsh and brutal labor regimes, ready to use force to brutally kill political prisoners on construction sites as well as in prison.

Under the enemy's brutal repression and torture, the communists, the children of Nghe Tinh, fought steadfastly and indomitably. They turned prisons into revolutionary schools to forge their steel and forge their strong will to keep the Soviet flame alive in the darkest places.

Overcoming difficulties to establish Party cells in prison

Overcoming thousands of difficulties and dangers in prison, in June 1930, the Party Cell at Vinh Prison was established, with comrade Hoang Trong Tri as Secretary. The activities of the Vinh Prison Party Cell strengthened the confidence of political prisoners and played an important role in leading the struggles against the barbaric regime of French colonialism and the feudalism of the Southern Dynasty; it was a great source of encouragement and motivation for the revolutionary movement outside.

Under the leadership of the Vinh Prison Party Cell, the struggle movement in the prison developed strongly with many forms such as: hunger strikes, struggles to raise demands to improve the lives of prisoners... Along with that, propaganda work was focused on, during the days of imprisonment in Vinh Prison, revolutionary soldiers composed hundreds of touching poems. Those poems had the effect of both motivating and exposing the cunning plots of French colonialism and the feudalism of the Southern Dynasty.

In particular, the birth of the oral newspaper, “a newspaper that does not need to be printed or written but reaches readers very quickly and sensitively” seemed to add strength, and was warmly welcomed by many political prisoners in prison. From the oral newspaper, comrades Ho Tung Mau and Nguyen Duy Trinh composed the novel Giọt Mẫu Hồng (Red Blood Drop), which was later turned into a script and performed by comrades in Vinh Prison very successfully, making a deep impression and having a great effect in educating patriotic traditions and revolutionary sentiments…

At Kon Tum Prison, after many difficult and arduous times, on September 25, 1930, the Kon Tum Prison Party cell was established with comrade Ngo Duc De, from Can Loc district, Ha Tinh as Secretary. This was the first Party cell established in Kon Tum and this day has become the traditional day of the Kon Tum Provincial Party Committee.

Since the Party cell was established, the struggle movement in Kon Tum Prison was tightly organized to both achieve its goals and reduce losses and sacrifices, build solidarity and unity among political prisoners, and enlighten ordinary prisoners and even prison guards with patriotism.

Deepening the indomitable spirit of the Soviet soldier

"Hands locked, legs shackled, body aching

The shirt and pants were painfully sticky.

Looking at the prison food, I shiver forever.

With hungry mosquitoes awake all night long…”

These are verses of poetry quoted in the book "Ben Thuy Ward - History of Revolutionary Struggle", Nghe An Publishing House 1994, when talking about the hardships that comrade Nguyen Thi Ninh (Vi Ninh) - an excellent female liaison soldier of the Central Region Party Committee and other political prisoners had to endure at Vinh prison.

During her imprisonment in Vinh prison, the colonialists and feudalists used extremely brutal torture methods, causing her whole body to swell, her legs to become purple and bruised, her skin to become ulcerated, and she was infested with maggots. Even though he tortured her with the most brutal methods, he could not extract any information. The enemy shuddered and gritted his teeth and exclaimed:“Wow, this communist bandit is really brave! I have never seen a woman as brave as this, even when she died she still refused to say a word.”These lines are recorded in the book "Communist Mirrors", Nghe An Publishing House, Volume 2. Although Her body was full of injuries but she still tried to stay alive to continue fighting.

Regarding comrade Le Viet Thuat - Secretary of the Central Region Party Committee in 1931. After being tortured and unable to extract any information, the colonialists and feudalists arrested his father, teacher Le Van Hien, and put him in prison. In the book""Vinh Prison" of the Propaganda Department of Nghe An Provincial Party Committee wrote: "They tortured both father and son in front of each other, trying to shake Le Viet Thuat's will. However, when standing before his beaten and tortured son, he suppressed his pain and loudly said: "This man is not my son! You are wrong, my son Le Viet Thuat drowned in the Lam River last year. I don't know who this man is."

Upon hearing this, the secret police beat him right in front of comrade Le Viet Thuat. He was imprisoned and tortured in Vinh Prison until he was disabled. The fighting spirit and endurance of comrade Le Viet Thuat and his son made the enemy terrified. This news spread throughout Vinh Prison, making political prisoners admire him very much, and became a shining example for them to follow.

And there are many other examples of political prisoners in Vinh Prison such as: Le Canh Nhuong, Le Canh Cai, Nguyen Duy Trinh, Sieu Hai, Nguyen Thi Phuc, Ton Thi Que, Nguyen Thi Thiu... Despite being imprisoned, chained, tortured, covered in injuries, fed poorly, hungry and cold, and constantly tormented by illness, the Communist soldiers in Vinh Prison were always optimistic, trusting, united, loving, and helping each other to fight together, defeat the enemy and defeat themselves.

At Kon Tum Prison, according to the Kon Tum Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda Department's website, there were resounding struggles among political prisoners. In June 1931, the rainy season came, and the French colonialists brought the surviving prisoners to imprison in Kon Tum Prison, including comrades Ngo Duc De, Dang Thai Thuyen, Nguyen Huy Lung, Truong Quang Trong, Le Viet Luong, Bui San... who were key cadres of the Party. Here, these prisoners had to continue to endure the harsh, brutal regime of the French colonialists and their henchmen, and their living conditions were no less miserable than those in Dak Pao and Dak Pet.

Despite being brutally treated and brutally killed, the indomitable fighting spirit of the political prisoners rose even stronger, especially the Nghe Tinh Soviet soldiers. They actively propagandized, mobilized, and enlightened the people and soldiers, making them understand more clearly and correctly about political prisoners. Therefore, the feelings of the people towards political prisoners became closer. The attitude and actions of the soldiers towards the prisoners were also better than before. Some soldiers began to oppose the commanders, they stood on the side of the prisoners when they forced them to work on Sundays or against the oppression of the prisoners. In early July 1931, the Prison Management Board was established, organizing forces, building plans to fight against the cruel ruling policies of the colonial regime, regaining the right to live and freedom for political prisoners; opposing the enemy's plot to destroy the Communists, composing propaganda articles in the common languages, French, Ba Na, and Gia Rai.

December 12, 1931. The prisoners unanimously closed the doors, shouted slogans against the colonial regime... resolutely refused to go to Dak Pet construction site for the second time, the struggle was very fierce. The prisoners tightened their ranks and continued to shout slogans, while using sticks to resist, not allowing the enemy to enter to arrest them one by one and take them away. In that struggle, comrade Truong Quang Trong bravely stood up to face the enemy and heroically sacrificed himself. The enemy also opened fire madly, killing 8 people and injuring 8 others.

Next was the hunger strike to protest against road construction and the brutal killings of the enemy. Realizing that they could not shake the fighting spirit of the political prisoners, on the morning of December 16, 1931, the French colonialists opened fire again, killing 7 comrades and injuring 8 comrades, and immediately dispersed the remaining prisoners, in an attempt to quell the struggle.

Fearing the fighting spirit of political prisoners, the French authorities were forced to release 50 political prisoners, change the labor regime, abolish the beating of prisoners, sick prisoners were given rest and medicine. In December 1932, the enemy completely stopped sending political prisoners to build Highway 14, in April 1934, Kon Tum prison was abolished and all remaining political prisoners were sent to Buon Ma Thuot prison.