Touching photos of 'Death row inmates, former prisoners of Con Dao return' by Nguyen A

On the morning of July 27, at the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Cultural House, the launch of the latest photo book "Death row inmates, former prisoners of Con Dao return" took place and displayed selected works by photographer Nguyen A, attracting a large number of viewers.

Delegates and guests cut the ribbon to open the exhibition and launch the photo book of photographer Nguyen A.

Book launch scene

Death row inmate Le Hong Tu (second from left) and his teammates at the exchange.

Photographer Nguyen A confided: "The touching stories from living witnesses, who are death row inmates, made me and many others who heard them at the Con Dao tiger cages cry..."

Attending the ceremony were Head of the Propaganda Department of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Phan Nguyen Nhu Khue; Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Union of Literature and Arts Associations Nguyen Truong Luu; diplomat Ton Nu Thi Ninh; Dr. Nguyen Khac Thuan and Dr. Ly Thi Mai; Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Photography Association Doan Hoai Trung and former prisoners of Con Dao...

To launch the book Death Row Prisoners, Former Con Dao Prisoners Return and the photo exhibition on the occasion of War Invalids and Martyrs Day, July 27 this year, Nguyen A's entire team worked day and night.

Photographer Nguyen A confided: "With this photo book, I wish to contribute my heart to remember those who have forever remained in the war in general, and to express my respect to the death row inmates and former prisoners of Con Dao in particular - the 'living monuments' that I was fortunate to have the opportunity to approach in person. They are now still able to admire and enjoy the peaceful days of the country. Moreover, I want to send a message to young people: always cherish the values ​​of peace, understand the noble sacrifices of many uncles and aunts in the past".

A youth full of revolutionary ideals

Coming to share joy and interact with photographer Nguyen A at the book launch and photo exhibition, death row inmates and former prisoners of Con Dao also recalled unforgettable memories of the heroic days of struggle.

Death row prisoner Le Hong Tu said: "At that time, the enemy kept propagandizing that Saigon was a safe zone. The Viet Cong could not enter, but we arranged to fight two glorious battles right in the center in broad daylight, creating a huge echo. On the morning of the second day of Tet Mau Than 1968, an American warship transported thousands of death row prisoners to Con Dao, and in the afternoon, they transported three death row prisoners: Le Hong Tu, Le Minh Chau, Truong Thanh Danh, along with Le Quang Vinh, to the Saigon General Headquarters to be executed. Every Monday morning, they beat four people for refusing to salute the flag. When the Paris conference was held, they exiled four people to Con Dao...".

Revisiting the place where they were once cruelly imprisoned, the "hell on earth" of the past, death row inmates and former prisoners recalled the most difficult period of their youth but full of revolutionary ideals. The photo " Arms for the Fallen " "captured" the moment when death row inmate Le Hong Tu was silent before the grave of his former comrade Pham Ngo ( Quang Nam province) and was extremely touching.

The scene of death row inmate Vo Van Em and his wife, former prisoner Dang Thi Nga, sitting in front of the special prison cell where prisoners were held for hard labor (rice milling tunnels), including comrades Pham Hung and Ton Duc Thang.

Hero of the People's Armed Forces, death row inmate Vo Van Em said: "During 8 years, 4 months, 24 days in Con Dao prison, handcuffed day and night, they transferred us to many places on the island. They brutally suppressed us every time we demanded civil rights, democracy, and improved the harsh prison regime, they tightened it even more, not allowing us to bathe, and deprived us of food and drink. Most notably, during the struggle against fingerprinting and taking photos, they brutally suppressed and beat us, causing 4 prisoners to die on the spot, including Pham Ngo, a death row inmate who was with me."

The photo "Arms for the Fallen " "captured" the moment death row inmate Le Hong Tu stood before the grave of his former comrade Pham Ngo (Quang Nam province).

Photos of the return of death row inmates and former prisoners of Con Dao printed in the book

Photographer Nguyen A confided: "The touching stories from living witnesses who are death row inmates made me and many others who heard them at the Con Dao tiger cage cry like a child. After the photo book Death Row Inmates, Former Con Dao Inmates Return - Volume 1, I will quickly promote Volume 2."

"With my limited ability, I cannot simultaneously carry out all of such a huge volume of stories and characters in a book with limited pages and my own strength to honor that great achievement. I hope to have the opportunity and more conditions and funds to continue the exhibition and launch the next parts of the book as soon as possible," photographer Nguyen A emphasized.

On this occasion, photographer Nguyen A also launched the photo book "The Peacekeeping Team of the Land of Fire", a work telling the story of the bomb disposal team in the steel land of Quang Tri.

With permission from photographer Nguyen A, Thanh Nien would like to introduce some images from his book Death row inmates, former prisoners of Con Dao on the return day :

Former prisoner Truong My Hoa in front of the grave of Heroic Martyr Vo Thi Sau on September 26, 2019.

Death row inmate Vo Van Em and his wife, former inmate Dang Thi Nga

Former Con Dao prisoners return with their comrades

Touching photo used as cover for photo book Death row inmates, former prisoners of Con Dao return

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/rung-rung-nhung-buc-anh-tu-tu-cuu-tu-con-dao-ngay-tro-lai-cua-nguyen-a-185230727132931757.htm