VISITING THE PHU QUOC PRISON

"To be able to get testimony from the revolutionary prisoners, the prison guards at Phu Quoc applied different methods of brutal torture to the prisoners. Some of the tortures include, electric chair injection, breaking one's tooth while other watch crucifixion thrown in a hot pan or hot tank."

Sadness, misery, agony, terrifying and anger are just but the few words that describes the emotions I felt yesterday when we visited the prison. I honestly don't understand but the moment I stepped in inside the prison ground, I felt this heavy burden, having ghost bumps and really pure sadness. I really thought I'm emotionally strong when it comes to things like this but this is completely a different story. Visiting the prison made me realize and understand why some people are so bitter, mean and disliking other people. Hearth breaking. 

inside the prisoners barracks

"The Phu Quoc prison also known as the Coconut Tree prison is located in An Thoi Village Phu Quoc and is one of the largest prisons in Southern Vietnam. The prison held more than 32,000 prisoners and sometimes the prison will hold 40,000 inmates, this was more than the number of people living in Phu Quoc at the time.

The prison was re-built by the U.S troops after it was first build by the French troops during the Indochina war. The new prison had rooms for men, women and elders, new blocks were constructed to imprison more Vietnamese soldiers in 1966 amid tight security and tight supervision all the time."

Yes, I've seen and visited the Killing Fields and the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh, Cambodia where they 'exhibiting the photographs of the site from Pol Pot's secret prison code named "S-21" during his genocidal rule in 1975-79. It was between 1-2 million Cambodians and many thousands of foreigners were starved, tortured, or killed during this reign of terror." I've also visited the Catacombs of Paris, France which holds the remains of over six million people in a small part of the ancient mines of Paris tunnel network.

I meant to mention the two museums that i've seen because I'm trying to understand the emotional differences I felt when i visited the prison camp. Here, they have recreated a part of the larger prison camp and re-built it to it's former condition using models of soldiers prisoners to depict many horrific scenes throughout the area. Many of the models are shown being tortured in a variety of ways but the most gruesome has to be the barbwire tigers cages. Small two feet high cages only large enough to fit a person in set outside in the heat of the day and cold of night where the information advises on little for and water and fires being set next to them to further burn the prisoners until their skin just came away. Must have been a terrible ordeal. Mind you most of the torture was pretty horrific and the models on display enabled you to get a good impression on how things must have been.

Prisoner in the hot pot.

Prisoner tied, hanged and beaten.

Different ways of torturing the Prisoners

Burying the prisoner alive (photo borrowed from google)

I am not over acting but I honestly, cant stop my tears from falling. It's just about around 2pm when we arrived there, sunny and pretty humid. With my big sunglasses on, I discreetly drying my tears when Ms. Tuyen, my tour guide that day says whilst she's gently comforting me.

Prisoners are locked (more than 8 hours)  inside the container where its very hot, dirty and smelly.

As I'm walking towards the wax exhibits, I suddenly felt this strong connection from the past. It was like two worlds experience. You're in the future and yet the feelings or emotions you have at that moment is on the past. I was telling myself, lucky i didn't experience this events and lucky i was not born or as there during the years of wars. There were about 21 prisoners who where lucky enough to escape from that prison, they dig a tunnel using spoons or any objects that can help on that part, unfortunately, some of them died in the forest because of starvation and some survived and their descendants carry their legacy.

Prisoners are escaping

"To escape from the "Hell on Earth", the prisoners organized over 40 jailbreaks between July 1972 and about 300 inmates escaped to resume their revolutionary cause."

Prisoner digging the tunnel using spoons or any hard materials to dig the soil.

"The entrance of tunnel was usually dug beneath their sleeping planks and was camouflaged carefully. A team was in charge of guarding while other were digging. Tools were rudimentarily made by the prisoners themselves from whatever possible such as spoons or pieces of waste canteens, barbwire and dustbins.

Barbwires to avoid prisoners from escaping

Notably, the first 120m-long tunnel was dug at Room 13 of Prison Camp B2 in late 1969. It took the prisoners half a year to complete the work to enable 21 prisoners to successfully escape. In addition, a 113 meter-long tunnel at Prison Camp A4 men to the freedom in the late of night in December 23rd 1971."

"Among possible ways to escape, such as secretly jumping over fences, attacking enemy troops while they escorted the prisoners to work in field, or digging secrete tunnels which was proven to be the most effective one."

Here's how the original Tiger cage looks like. Saw this outside the prison.

The original Tiger cage (where they detained the prisoner) left outside the prison camp. 

With this recent experience, my anger changed to pity. I felt pity for all of them. The prison emphasized so much on the torturing towards the prisoners and when you think about it, the soldiers are like robots, they are as well doing what it being told them to do so. I think, they all are the victims here. The prison is a must see once you are in Phu Quoc island. I must say that this was the highlight of my trip that day. The moment you go in, you will feel that hardship, the tortures (both emotional and physical) and a big relief once you are out of the prison like the 21 prisoners did.