Võ Đại Tôn

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Col. Vo Dai Ton, South Vietnamese SpecialForces during the Vietnam War, was imprisoned by the Communists at B14(Thang Liet) prison for ten years during the 1980s. After escaping byboat to Australia, he had returned to Vietnam to speak out in 1981.  Hewas imprisoned at B14 in solitary confinement for ten years.  In hisbook, Vo Dai Ton related that the inmates at Thanh Liet camp wereclassifiedinto categories. Their food rations varied according to their healthconditionsand whether or not they were honest in their confessions. An inmate whowas accorded 47 dong for food and 9 kilograms of rice per month wasgivena bowl of cooked rice and plain soup from boiled vegetable daily. Aninmatewho was accorded 60 dong for food and 12 kilograms of rice per monthwasgiven more than one bowl of rice, a few blades of vegetable, some soupof boiled vegetable daily, and a mince of meat monthly. An inmate whowasaccorded 120 dong for food and 15 kilograms of rice per month was given2 bowls of rice, a few blades of vegetable, some water of boiledvegetabledaily, and 2 minces of meat monthly. An inmate who was accorded 180dongand 15 kilograms of rice per month was given 2 bowls of rice and boiledvegetable daily, and 3 minces of meat monthly (Vo Dai Ton, 1993: 174).

Vo Dai Ton described how he was under separate confinement at ThanhLiet camp:

Each inmate was detained in a cell. His hands were notshackled, but his feet were kept in fetters. His mouth might be stuffedwith a piece of rubber fastened by a string that is pulled toward the backof his head and kept by a lock. In this way, the inmate could not cry out.The security police in Hanoi and in prison have techniques of torture withoutcausing death. Their beating cause internal injury that is serious enoughto gradually wear out the inmate's bodily strength so that within severaldays of recovery the inmate would be resistant enough for the next beating.They did not apply electric shock; they tied up the inmate, cornered himto the wall, forced his head down to the ground, kicked and trampled onhim. Fettering inmates' feet, cutting daily food ration, and starving ofinmates are common practices.

The bitterest and cruelest torture was loneliness. VoDai Ton said that for more than 10 years he had been under solitary detention,he had never allowed to any activity, even a simplest one. Day and night,he was cooped up alone in the cell. Time of emptiness appeared endless,exerting on one's nerves, and making one lose one's mind and become insane.As always, the food ration remained the same--rice and salt. Tediousnessand despair were always in pair, really! In addition, the inmates werealso toyed with psychological and sentimental tricks. They were never allowedto write to their families. No news from home! Every now and then, theyshow you pictures of your wife and children. Then, they put them away again,just to corrupt your mind! (Vo Dai Ton, 1993: 191).

 

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