President Vo Van Thuong meets with former political prisoners in Con Dao

On the afternoon of July 19, at the People's Committee of Con Dao district, President Vo Van Thuong, former President Nguyen Minh Triet, Party and State leaders; leaders of several ministries, branches and localities met with representatives of the Standing Committee of the Liaison Committee of Vietnamese revolutionary soldiers captured and imprisoned by the enemy and 76 former political prisoners of Con Dao representing more than 5,000 revolutionary cadres and soldiers captured and imprisoned by the enemy, to visit, encourage and acknowledge the great contributions and sacrifices of generations of revolutionary soldiers, heroic martyrs and patriotic compatriots for the cause of national liberation.

President Vo Van Thuong speaks at the meeting.

At the meeting, the delegates recalled the difficult yet heroic time of the loyal revolutionary soldiers, who, despite being brutally tortured and having to pay with their blood, bones and lives, always maintained their revolutionary spirit. Right at Con Dao prison, the revolutionary soldiers united, turning the prison into a front to fight the enemy. The sacrifice of the patriotic children added color to the national flag, glorifying the 4,000-year tradition of building and defending the country of our people.

President Vo Van Thuong meets with former political prisoners in Con Dao.

After many years of returning to Con Dao, many former political prisoners expressed their joy at witnessing the transformation of the place once considered a “hell on earth”, where every stone, tree branch, and blade of grass was once stained with the blood and bones of loyal revolutionary soldiers.

The delegates highly appreciated the Party, the State, Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, organizations and individuals for their interest in expanding the scale of conservation and restoration of the Con Dao National Special Historical Relic. Prison camp relics were protected and preserved, martyrs' temples were built spaciously, and museums displayed full artifacts. In particular, the graves of martyrs in cemeteries were all restored and preserved, warming the hearts of martyrs' souls as well as those of soldiers still alive today.

President Vo Van Thuong took a photo with delegates attending the meeting.

Expressing gratitude to the Party and State for always paying attention to the main households, people with meritorious services, war invalids, families of martyrs, and former political prisoners in Con Dao, he affirmed that he will always promote the qualities of revolutionary soldiers, live exemplary and simple lives,educate children and the younger generation about the tradition of loyalty and resilience of their ancestors to contribute to building their homeland and country.

Speaking at the meeting, on behalf of the Party and State leaders, President Vo Van Thuong sent his warmest regards, deep affection and deepest gratitude to the former political prisoners of Con Dao; expressed his emotion, admiration and respect for the contributions and sacrifices of revolutionary soldiers and patriotic compatriots.

President Vo Van Thuong visited and presented gifts to Mr. Nguyen Xuan Vien, born in 1944, a former political prisoner in Con Dao.

President Vo Van Thuong said: "In the brutal prisons of the empire, you were armed only with patriotism and bravery, but you overcame all the attacks, turning the place of hard labor into a "revolutionary school", a place to educate each other about patriotism and revolutionary spirit; a place to foster and nurture each other's determination to fight, contributing to the liberation and unification of the country. The stories of you today bring very special emotions, demonstrating the spirit of political prisoners, that is, living in prison with steadfastness and indomitability, living in real life with loyalty and love. I hope you will always be healthy, be an example for the younger generation to learn from and follow, and continue to realize the ideals that you have devoted your whole lives to striving for and realizing."

Informing the delegates at the meeting about the proud achievements of our country in recent times, the President was pleased to see that the former political prisoners of Con Dao, despite their injuries and illnesses, are always optimistic, love life, and continue to contribute to building their homeland and country.

Stating that over the years, the Party and State have always paid attention to and cared for more than 9 million meritorious people, depending on the country's economic conditions, the President emphasized that the level of care for meritorious people has always been gradually improved along with the country's development.

President Vo Van Thuong visited and presented gifts to Ms. Le Thi Diem, born in 1940, whose family contributed to the revolution.

The President shared the concerns of former political prisoners in Con Dao, where more than 20,000 revolutionary soldiers and patriots died, but so far only 1/10 of the dead have been gathered. Many graves have yet to identify their identities or hometowns. “The names of these brothers and sisters have become the name of the country, a sacred part of our country,” the President said.

The President requested ministries and sectors to study and advise the Party and State on policies to ensure a better life for those with meritorious services; continue to promote gratitude activities, especially the collection of martyrs' remains, the restoration of cemeteries, the beautification of graves, and the demonstration of the morality of drinking water and remembering its source.

The President highly appreciated Ba Ria-Vung Tau province and Con Dao district for their efforts in socio-economic development, turning the place that used to be a “hell on earth” into a very meaningful historical and spiritual tourist destination, welcoming more than half a million visitors each year. The province needs to continue to pay attention and have good planning to develop Con Dao more strongly, while preserving nature, promoting the value of the special national historical relic site, educating the young generation today and tomorrow about patriotism, leading the country towards the goal of prosperity and happiness.

The President hopes that the Liaison Committee of Vietnamese Revolutionary Soldiers Captured and Imprisoned by the Enemy will continue to have many practical and meaningful activities, truly becoming a place to unite and bond former political prisoners, caring for and helping each other in life.

On the same afternoon, the President visited Con Dao Museum and Phu Hai Prison Relic.

Con Dao Museum is a place to store, display, preserve and introduce historical and cultural artifacts of the land and people of Con Dao through historical periods. With 2,000 documents and artifacts on display, the Museum is also a place to introduce the history of the struggle in Con Dao prison; images and portraits of patriots; images of prisoners imprisoned, tortured and exiled in the harshest prison regime in Indochina. The steadfast and indomitable fighting examples of heroes, revolutionary soldiers and patriotic compatriots who lived, fought and sacrificed for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland.

President Vo Van Thuong writes in the guestbook at Con Dao Museum.

Visiting the artifacts and writing in the guestbook at the Museum, President Vo Van Thuong emphasized that we must always preserve and promote the great values ​​of the special national historical site of Con Dao, worthy of being a "Revolutionary School", a place to inspire and light up the revolutionary enthusiasm for today's and future generations in the cause of building and protecting the homeland, the country will forever be everlasting, increasingly prosperous and happy.

Phu Hai prison is the oldest prison, established by the French in 1862 under the name Bange 1 with 10 collective detention cells, including 1 death penalty room, 20 solitary confinement stone cells, 2 rice milling cells that also served as punishment rooms, and 1 stone breaking area. Phu Hai prison mainly held political prisoners. Communists detained in this area soon organized systematic theoretical and cultural studies here to nurture their revolutionary will.

Earlier on the afternoon of July 19, President Vo Van Thuong visited and presented gifts to Mr. Nguyen Xuan Vien, born in 1944, a former political prisoner in Con Dao, who returned to live in Zone 7, Con Dao District after liberation; and visited and presented gifts to Ms. Le Thi Diem, born in 1940, whose family contributed to the revolution, is the wife of a martyr, and has lived in Con Dao since 1996.

Source: https://baotainguyenmoitruong.vn/chu-tich-nuoc-vo-van-thuong-gap-mat-cac-cuu-tu-chinh-tri-con-dao-361057.html