The exhibition displays images, artifacts, and documents about revolutionary soldiers at Phu Quoc Prison.

From May 7th to 9th, 2009, at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, the University's Veterans Association, together with the Museum of Revolutionary Soldiers Imprisoned by the Enemy, organized an exhibition of images, artifacts, and documents about revolutionary soldiers imprisoned by the US-backed regime at Phu Quoc Prison. The exhibition presented the most authentic images and evidence of the war crimes committed by the US, the indomitable fighting spirit of the communist soldiers, and the inevitable victories of that heroic struggle.

The photographs and artifacts on display are organized according to the following main themes:

• The horrific crimes committed by the US-backed regime against prisoners of war and civilians;
• The indomitable fighting spirit of the communist soldiers;
• The disastrous failure of the US-backed regime;
• Some of the activities of the Museum of Revolutionary Soldiers who were captured and imprisoned by the enemy.

[img class="caption" src="images/stories/2009/05/10/8820-0015.jpg" border="0" alt="Students chatting live with a veteran who is a living witness of Phu Quoc prison" title="Students chatting live with a veteran who is a living witness of Phu Quoc prison" width="320" height="214" align="left" ]

In early 1966, the US-backed South Vietnamese regime built a massive prison on Phu Quoc Island, consisting of 44 sections directly managed by the Military Police Department of the South Vietnamese General Staff. The Phu Quoc prisoner-of-war camp covered an area of ​​400 hectares and held prisoners from July 6, 1967, until the end of March 1973. At its peak, the prison held approximately 40,000 prisoners. Aiming to destroy the spirit and body of the communist fighters imprisoned there, the enemy brutally suppressed, interrogated, and killed over 4,000 prisoners. The torture methods employed by the US-backed regime were extremely barbaric: gouging out eyes, drilling teeth, nailing into bodies, throwing into boiling water... By 1972, they implemented a policy of mass destruction, shelling prison camps or secretly eliminating prisoners by burying them alive en masse. In 2008, the K92 recovery team of Military Region 7 excavated two mass graves of Con Dao prisoners of war, each containing over 500 sets of remains.

Besides viewing famous historical photographs that have been collected and presented in the media, viewers are also shocked to see firsthand the horrific torture instruments used by prison guards at Phu Quoc prison, such as the "gamble of sorrow," the "party cell pounding," the "separation stick," batons, iron balls, iron chains, stingray whips, etc. In contrast to these cruel images are the most powerful and romantic testaments to the indomitable spirit of the communist soldiers – artifacts that deeply move viewers, such as: Party and Youth Union flags painted with blood; tiny study materials that prisoners secretly passed around to read and study in prison; handwritten messages expressing unwavering loyalty to the Party and devotion to the people; and simple everyday items that skillful prisoners made during moments of enemy laxity.

[img class="caption" src="images/stories/2009/05/10/8816-0011.jpg" border="0" alt="Photographs of martyrs who died at Phu Quoc prison" title="Photographs of martyrs who died at Phu Quoc prison" width="320" height="156" align="right" ]

In particular, one of the most impressive exhibits for viewers is the portrait of 38 martyrs from Phu Quoc prison, accompanied by detailed annotations about each person's name, life, and circumstances of sacrifice. The 38 faded faces of the martyrs, visible against a black-and-white background—photographs from the prison files of the US-backed regime—were sought out and preserved by survivors who wished to retain the faces of these fallen heroes. These are the most authentic proofs of the enemy's crimes, the pain of war, and above all, the beauty of courage that transformed ordinary people into extraordinary individuals.

At the exhibition, students had the opportunity to speak directly with veterans who were living witnesses to the Phu Quoc prison era. After viewing the exhibition, many students wrote touching reflections in the museum's guestbook. Speaking about the significance of the exhibition, Mr. Vu Duc Nghieu, a school staff member, wrote: “These are lessons written in blood, bones, and the lives of loyal heroes, which must be preserved and passed on to those living today and to future generations. Preserving and passing them on is not to foster hatred, but to help everyone understand the immeasurable values ​​of our ordinary lives today, and especially to ensure we never forget those who sacrificed for this country.”