Memories of the Bang Bien Phu Melaleuca Forest War Remnants Area

More than 60 years ago, the land of Vinh Thuan - U Minh Thuong base witnessed an event full of pain and loss. The beatings, torture, physical destruction, and mental terror of people created by the Ngo Dinh Diem government killed more than 1,500 revolutionary cadres, soldiers, and patriotic people.

They set up barbaric rules such as whoever fed or housed the Viet Cong, whoever supplied the Viet Cong, whoever saw the Viet Cong and did not report it, they would kill. Village security teams kept watch day and night in the villages. When they discovered Viet Cong or suspected revolutionary activists, they had to sound the alarm so that the whole village, hamlet, and commune could chase and arrest the person they said was a Viet Cong.

Whether they wanted to or not, whether they were relatives, blood brothers, or relatives, they were all beaten until their skulls were broken. Or they were taken to An Phuoc prison camp led by the villains Lam Quang Phong, Cai Van Nga, and Pham Du for interrogation and torture. In a short period from 1955 to 1957, the Bang Bien Phu cajuput forest became the most brutal slaughterhouse in the Southwest region to implement the "communist-Viet Cong" policy of the Ngo Dinh Diem government.

Ms. Tran Thi Bang (third from right), residing in Vinh Phuoc 2 quarter, Vinh Thuan town (Vinh Thuan) tells a story about the Bang Bien Phu cajuput forest war relic site.

Mr. Thai Cong Binh (74 years old), a 55-year Party member and former Deputy Head of the Inspection Committee of Kien Giang Province Party Committee, recalled: “I can never forget the day I received the bad news that my father was murdered by Lam Quang Phong. That was the morning of October 12, 1957, my mother rowed a boat carrying my siblings and I to the An Phuoc district prison camp to visit my father. As soon as the boat docked, an acquaintance who was a soldier’s wife told my mother that after beating and torturing my father and not being able to extract any information, Lam Quang Phong ordered Thai Truong Thong to be taken to the Bang Bien Phu cajuput forest to be beheaded last night.” Mr. Binh and his mother painfully rowed the boat back to their hometown. Many nights after that, his mother stayed up all night, crying silently.

Mr. Tran Minh Ty (74 years old), residing in Minh Kien A hamlet, Minh Thuan commune, U Minh Thuong district, said that his father, Mr. Tran Van Nghia (born in 1908), was the hamlet chief at the time of his death. Lam Quang Phong captured his father and sent him to An Phuoc sub-region after a period of torture with many brutal punishments, and they "transferred the camp". They dug deep holes behind the prison camp. When night fell, Mr. Nghia and 5 others were taken to the holes and then pushed down and buried alive in the Bang Bien Phu cajuput forest.

Ms. Tran Thi Bang (94 years old), residing in Vinh Phuoc 2 ward, Vinh Thuan town, Vinh Thuan district, has lived near An Phuoc sub-district prison since she was a child. Ms. Bang shared that she could not forget the screams of those executed in the Bang Bien Phu cajuput forest. Every night from 10-12 pm, the puppet soldiers led the prisoners in a line to the cajuput forest for execution.

According to Mr. Doan Hung Hai (78 years old), residing in Vinh Phuoc 2 ward, Vinh Thuan town, in the years 1955-1957, Lam Quang Phong and Cai Van Nga used brutal torture methods to torment prisoners and patriotic people. Every night, Cai Van Nga drank until about 11 pm, then took a machete to the camp and dragged the prisoners out to behead them to show off his power.

Despite all the tortures, with the spirit of steadfast and indomitable revolutionary struggle, communist soldiers, patriots who were loyal to the Party and the people, resolutely refused to surrender or confess. They remained steadfast before the enemy, always firmly believing in the leadership of the Party and Uncle Ho and that the revolution would definitely win, the North and the South would be unified and move towards socialism.

The Bang Bien Phu Melaleuca Forest War Remnants Area and the Temple of Heroes, Martyrs, and Meritorious People were built at the very place where thousands of heroes, martyrs, cadres, soldiers, and people were tortured, buried alive, and sacrificed, which has a great significance, demonstrating the responsibility of today's generation towards the heroes and martyrs. This is a historical project of great significance to preserve and promote the value of revolutionary historical relics,educate the tradition, the history of steadfast and indomitable struggle, the will to rise up, the aspiration for peace, and the unification of the country.

VO THANH XUAN

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