Côn Đảo Prison, often referred to as “hell on earth” during the war, is not only a symbol of oppression with its brutal imprisonment and torture methods, but also a testament to the indomitable spirit and thirst for knowledge of revolutionary patriots. Despite the darkness of chains and the brutal repression of the South Vietnamese regime, and deprived of all material resources, revolutionary prisoners transformed the prison into a “secret school” where knowledge was secretly and silently transmitted with great determination. They seized every opportunity to exchange knowledge on culture, history, foreign languages, politics, and revolutionary strategies. This tradition of learning not only helped prisoners maintain their faith and will, but also fostered intellectual strength.
At Côn Đảo Prison, inmates were confined to overcrowded cells, enduring continuous oppression, physical beatings, and strict surveillance. They were subjected to forced labor at the “Rice Mill” or placed in solitary confinement within the “Tiger Cages.” In addition to the harsh conditions of imprisonment, prisoners were required to work across 18 different labor camps, including the Firewood Department, Pepper Department, Stone Department, and Plantation Department. The living conditions of the prisoners were consistently dire and harsh. They were forced to consume rice mixed with sand, grit, and husk, accompanied by bitter, decayed dried fish. Their clothing was inadequate, and those subjected to solitary confinement were left naked, regardless of the weather. Prisoners were permitted to bathe only twice a week, with each bath lasting no more than 10 minutes, and any delay in this process resulted in physical punishment. The cells were overcrowded, offering insufficient space to lie down, and were poorly lit and unhygienic. Illnesses went untreated, exacerbating their suffering. Additionally, the guards and riot police employed tear gas grenades and other anti-riot measures to suppress the prisoners. Despite the harsh conditions of imprisonment and the various forms of brutal torture, the revolutionary fighters remained steadfast, using their time in prison to further their education. They transformed Côn Đảo Prison into a revolutionary school, a place for nurturing their commitment to the revolution. Learning and self-study were among the key activities that were organized and prioritized.
“Self-study” was considered by political prisoners as both a duty and a necessity imposed upon themselves within the confines of imprisonment. At its core, self-study is a learning process conducted independently, without formal instruction. This form of intellectual labor requires substantial effort, obliging the prisoner to autonomously develop study plans, learning methodologies, and to engage in self-directed research and analysis of knowledge derived from books and materials to achieve mastery. During the self-study journey of the prisoners at Côn Đảo Prison, there were no teachers, no classrooms, nor any learning materials or formal education schedules. However, driven by an intense desire to learn, and even in the absence of books, the prisoners devised their own study tools and acquired knowledge from their fellow inmates, who were also their comrades. As a result, the cramped and harsh prison cells transformed into makeshift classrooms for cultural studies, foreign languages, and courses aimed at deepening political theory.
Under the regime of the Republic of Vietnam, prison wardens prohibited inmates from organizing their own cultural education or from teaching one another. Those wishing to eliminate illiteracy or pursue supplementary cultural education at the elementary level were required to enroll in classes provided by the authorities. These classes were designed to indoctrinate prisoners with anti-communist slogans and nationalistic, counter-revolutionary rhetoric. Therefore, the majority of revolutionary prisoners did not enroll in these classes. Instead, they secretly established their own learning sessions, concealed behind thick, suffocating walls. Both male and female inmates, including those in forced labor and solitary confinement, pursued cultural education, including reading, writing, arithmetic, basic subjects, and even foreign languages, following tailored curricula designed to meet the level and specific circumstances of each class.
Devoid of paper, pens, and chalkboards, the prisoners developed a study system by secretly concealing broken pieces of brick while engaged in forced labor. During the night, on the concrete floors, they organized classes in which literate prisoners taught the illiterate. Inmates knowledgeable in political theory delivered lectures to others. Furthermore, prisoners translated classic Marxist-Leninist works for political education sessions. Writing materials included the inner lining of cigarette packs, used envelopes, scraps of newspaper with blank spaces, or, on occasion, writing over printed text. Toilet paper was also utilized as a source of paper. Pen nibs were fashioned from branches of the Indian almond tree. Occasionally, prisoners would ask their families to send clothes and food, along with a stick of ink, or would slice the ink into thin strips and hide it in the folds of their clothing, or cut it into small pieces and conceal it within cake fillings. In the absence of water, they used saliva or even urine to grind the ink and sharpen sticks to create makeshift pens for writing. At night, when the iron doors were securely locked, political prisoners gathered to conduct cultural classes. The study materials were hidden at the foot of the walls, occasionally in metal boxes, wrapped in plastic, or tied to ropes and lowered into the latrines for concealment, to be retrieved as needed. Once written, the materials were compiled into small booklets for internal circulation or distributed among the political prisoners of Côn Đảo for revolutionary propaganda and mobilization. Depending on the type of inmate, each group employed specific methods of propaganda.
The process of studying and teaching in prison, of course, was not without its challenges. The prison wardens continuously searched the cells, confiscating paper, pens, books, and notebooks to prevent the prisoners from continuing their educational activities. As the wardens gradually seized all their learning materials, the prisoners resorted to secretly bringing sand into their cells, using it as a medium to practice writing and arithmetic. The “teachers” in these makeshift classes relied solely on their memories as substitutes for textbooks, teaching from recollection and only to the extent of what they could remember, given the absence of formal educational materials. The wardens imposed strict restrictions on the prisoners’ ability to organize and engage in educational activities. They enforced a rule that no more than two prisoners could sit together at any time. If wardens discovered groups of more than two prisoners quietly conversing or studying, those involved were summoned before the disciplinary committee and subjected to punishment. In response, the prisoners devised creative methods to continue their studies. The “teacher” would instruct one “student” for approximately fifteen minutes before moving on to another, ensuring that the entire group received instruction by the end of the session. During these lessons, the teacher would address only the individual seated directly in front of them, while nearby prisoners, appearing to look away, covertly listened and absorbed the material being taught. Furthermore, the prisoners dedicated themselves to memorizing numerous revolutionary poems, particularly those written by Tố Hữu, which were passed on orally by fellow inmates who had committed them to memory. The method of learning involved one prisoner reciting a few lines at a time and repeating them several times until the entire poem was memorized. Longer poems often required several nights to be fully learned. Political prisoners commonly shared and memorized poems from their collective repertoire, as writing them down was not feasible. On occasions when written materials were secretly smuggled into the prison, they had to be memorized immediately and then destroyed to prevent their discovery during inspections. On numerous occasions, the prisoners endured showers of lime powder that burned their skin and brutal beatings that left them injured. However, they overcame all physical pain to sustain their will and determination.
Organizing cultural, scientific, and language studies in prison was a difficult and arduous task due to the presence of prison guards' informants and spies within the cells and wards. These were often ordinary criminals who shared the cells with political prisoners and acted as the guards' henchmen. The South Vietnamese government employed many of these individuals as orderlies, wardens, or prisoner representatives. They would promptly report any activity to the guards, including the organization of study groups among political prisoners. The organization of study activities was most vigorously promoted within the detention cells, which were segregated from the general prison population. Inmates in these cells were not subjected to forced labor. These cells housed only political prisoners who had opposed the policies of the Republic of Vietnam government. The group of prisoners in these cells was largely homogeneous, which explains why the political detainees in solitary confinement not only engaged in cultural studies but also participated in political education. Classes in philosophy, political economy, and socialism were conducted. Almost all the political prisoners in the solitary confinement cells at Côn Đảo Prison participated in a fundamental political program, which consisted of two lessons: the Vietnamese revolutionary line and the five stages of revolutionary work. Every year, or every six months, the Party Committee at Côn Đảo Prison would prepare an article outlining the recent situation, as well as new tasks and directions for the forthcoming period. This initiative was the outcome of contributions from numerous comrades who had gathered and synthesized information from various reliable sources.
In Côn Đảo Prison, regardless of the camp, prisoners consistently found ways to share lessons, revolutionary ideas, and theories with their fellow inmates. Even in solitary confinement, where each individual was held in a separate cell and constantly under surveillance, prisoners made the most of their time, dedicating themselves to the voluntary and persistent study of theory and politics. They disseminated various materials, including political theses, world revolutions, Party regulations, and the Russian Revolution. Additionally, prisoners diligently studied French in order to read Marxist-Leninist classics in their original language. Notably, to promote the education of the Party's line and Marxist-Leninist theory among the political prisoners, the Party cell of Banh 2 decided to publish a handwritten newspaper titled “Common Opinion,” which later became the collective voice of all political prisoners in Côn Đảo. Learning in prison was extremely challenging, yet the prisoners' determination remained high, and the results were outstanding. Some study sessions, such as those on the “Call to Action” from the Region V Party Committee, President Hồ Chí Minh’s Testament, and the contents of the Paris Peace Accords, were extensive, yet most of the prisoners managed to memorize them.
There were no lecterns, lesson plans, chalk, or blackboards, and the prisoners could not even see the face of their teacher, as they could only hear the lectures through the prison bars and walls. Despite these challenges, practical lessons took place and continued month after month within the prison cells. It was through their determination to transform the prison environment into a school that many revolutionary prisoners overcame illiteracy and acquired the knowledge necessary to continue contributing to the cause of national liberation and the construction of the country.