Coming to the War Remnants Museum, the public will have the opportunity to learn about the "“Tiger cage"” model of Con Dao prison. Although the Museum only recreates 02 cells of this prison, the content of the consequences of the prison always attracts visitors. A political female prisoner - The statue of blind Sau mother has been “restored” in this space. In addition to recreating the harsh form of imprisonment for prisoners, the model is also associated with many stories about the Blind Sau Mother - former political female prisoner Nguyen Thi Chi.
Sau mother was born in 1918 and was from Dien Ban district, Quang Nam province. During the war, the Mother lived in Saigon, had a revolutionary base that fed officials in a secret manner, conducted propaganda work, spread leaflets ... In May 1968, the Mother's base was revealed, the Saigon Government arrested her and banished to Con Dao. The Mother was imprisoned in a "Tiger Cage", this was a special hidden area, no one knew about the secret of this cell area except for the jailers. The prisoners detained here often had no chance to survive.
The Mother was the image of "Mother in the middle of hell”, the Mother left a lot of closeness and love for the prisoners in Con Dao. During the time at Con Dao prison, the mother had the eyes dropped down with latex of small cactus by the jailers, which made her eyes blurred and then completely blinded due to the persecution with lime powder. Although she lived in the dark, she was still wise in the struggle against the harsh regime of the prison. She paid much attention and shared difficulties with prisoners in the cell. She often used her hands to touch each person on the floor of the tiger cage cell "to see how people sat down and laid”, despite of being investigated in all forms, she still did not flinch. She was blind but her hearts was bright, the female prisoners who were sick or tortured and walked around hard were led by with hands by the Mother with every step and said, "l will become your legs and you will become the eyes” and always told funny sfories to mutually forget the pain. Night at night, the Mother stroked the little prisoners' hair with her hands and whispered, "l am sorry, you will be much loved if you are at home”. Living in a narrow cell but her love for her fellow prisoners was immense. One time the jallers messed up the cells to differentiate the prisoners, and when it was time to receive rice, the Mother asked loudly, "“What dishes to eat today?”. Some women answered, "There is nothing but bitter dried fish, mother". Immediately, the meal with boiled eggs, vegetable soup for the Mother was returned to the supervisor by the Mother. She went on a hunger strike to fight and would rather die than leave the ranks. She stood by side for struggle with her fellow prisoners. Despite her high age, blindness and hardship, the Mother always followed the evolutionary path, become optimistic and believed in the success of the resistance of war. In the prison, the Mother often recited the poem sentences:
Jailed here due fo bad luck
Determined not to declared no matter what happens
Death is the death of physical being
Constant role model for the life...
In early 1970, in Saigon, protests continuously took place of the Students' Union, demanding that the government released the students being detained in Con Dao. Under this pressure, the authority were forced to release five students detained at the tiger cages: namely Cao Nguyen Loi, Nguyen Minh Tri, Tran Van Long, Nguyen Thanh Tong and Nguyen Tuan Kiet. When they got out of the prison, the students observed and remembered the entire location, the entrance to the tiger cage and drew the diagram. When they arrived in Saigon, they went to the House of Representatives of the former government to make a report to denounce the crimes of Con Dao Prison. An American journalist Don Luce disclosed all of the information about this secret solitary confinement area, published in Life Magazine, which shocked the public around the world. Prior to this event, Tom Harkin, a US Congress employee and a US Congress delegation immediately came to Vietnam to investigate the incident. Tom Harkin met Cao Nguyen Loi to learn and receive the diagram of tiger cages drawn by the students. The US congress delegation along with Tom Harkin and Don Luce arrived in Con Dao. Upon discovering the door to the tiger cage, the US congress delegation felt shocked and moved when they witnessed the "hell on earth" with the images of the prisoners shackled and tormented by demoralizing tricks of the Saigon government. They found out and knew the prisoners who were tormented for the sake of peace ... They took photos of the cells and many prisoners, their prism also recorded the photo of the blind Sau Mother through the bars. The skinny Mother sat on a cement base with blind eyes looking upward and a bright spot in a cell.
After returning to the United States, Tom Harkin and the US congress delegation strongly condemned the existence of the tiger cages and provided more photos and documents for Life Magazine, published on July 17, 1970. The photo of Sau Mother was featured in Life magazine that year. This event caused a huge outcry in the world. Public opinion condemned, struggles for the imprisonment regime broke out. The Saigon government was forced to loosen the imprisonment regime, a number of prisoners were released, including Sau Mother.
Escaping from prison and back to Saigon, Ma participated in the struggle of the imprisonment regime improvement committee in South Vietnam. The Mother attended lectures and meetings about fighting against the imprisonment regime in prisons. Although she was blind, difficult to move, if there is somewhere to have struggle movement, she tried to come to join in, she did not hesitate to do anything and fought wherever with the desire of liberating the country.
In 1975, the war ended, The Mother did not hesitate to participate in the activities of the Blind Association of Ho Chi Minh City. As a member of the Executive Committee, she always sought to organize the Associaftion's meaningful activities and contribute to harmonizing the lives of people with disabilities into the community. She did not forget to pay attention to and visit the women who shared their difficulties during their imprisonment in Con Dao prison. She shared the pain that was left behind by the imprisonment regime and offered to take care of the children of the fellow prisoners so that they feel secured to work. Although living in the dark, the children were cared in a very clean and attentve manner by the Mother. Mateship and compatriot sentimetal attachment are always coherent by her despite living in any situation.
In 1995, Senator Tom Harkin and journalist Don Luce returned to Vietnam and they were very touched when they met Sau Mother. Everyone exchanged thoughts and feelings of the years living in fierce war. Two men told Mom about the story of reporting Con Dao tiger cages in Life magazine and the appearance of Sau Mother touched the hearts of international friends. From then, they joined the anti-war, contributing to the success of the resistance war against the US to save the country. Hand in hand, Sau Mother showed her gratitude to the hearts of two men, although in different front lines, two men constantly fought for peace in Vietnam. This meeting was recorded in the movie “From the hearts to the hearts: by film writer Tran Duc Tuan and former political prisoner Cao Nguyen Loi, director Nguyen Hoang. The film has shown the honest voice of historical witnesses. Each moment of history was clearly recreated with strong evidentiary effect.
Journalist Don Luce met Sau Mother again, 1995
In 1996, the War Remnants Museum accepted to take care of Sau Mother. Young people of youth branch visit and care for Mom in turn. For over time, the Mother knew who visited her through hearing their voices. The Mother was very happy and touched each person and asked: “Are you older sister Van, right? Younger sister Van is so skinny! Does Ms. Van have mole? Why hasnt Ms. Hong gone here recently?”. Almost names of officers in the Museum are known and remembered. Besides caring, the Museum also organizes exchanges between Sau Mother - former political prisoner and visitors. Many visitors were very moved to hear the stories of witnesses and victims of the war. Former prison André Mendras (Ho Cuong Quyet) once visited, she was very happy and welcome him in a thoughtful and attentive manner. He was a Frenchman who bravely raised the flag of National Front for Liberation and scattered leaflets in front of Saigon Government National Assembly House in 1970 against the US's invasion, demanding peace for Vietnam. He was detained at Chi Hoa Prison. She and André Mendras talked about the war in Saigon together with the struggles for independence. Many students at home and abroad also heard the Mother telling stories about the loss and pain in the struggle against the imprisonment regime. Many international students and delegates who talked to Sau Mother were sympathetic to the loss and suffering of war victims. Thereby they understand further about the country and people of Vietnam. From the sfories of the former female prisoner, the young generation will learn many lessons about life experiences in all situations, lessons about the will to overcome difficulties and rise up in life.
On March 8, 2011, she died at the age of 93. Although she departed from this life, her image in a tiger cage remains historical value in the resistance war against the US to save the country of the Vietnamese people. The lessons about faithful will, gratitude, loyalty, from her story hope to light the hope and trust in the public when visiting the War Remnants Museum
War Remmants Museum offers a wheelchair to Sau Mother, February 15, 2011
Students of Risumeikan University (Japan) interacted with The Sau Mother, Septembser 6, 1998
Information and Foreign Affairs Division