Côn Đảo Prison

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Côn Đảo Prison

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Côn Đảo Prison, Colonial prison complex on Con Son Island, Vietnam.

The prison compound spans multiple buildings with thick stone walls, solitary confinement cells, and mass graves spread across the shoreline of Con Son Island.

French authorities constructed the initial prison structure, Phu Hai, in 1862 to detain political dissidents from Cambodia and Vietnam during colonial occupation.

The prison reflects Vietnamese resilience through exhibits displaying photographs, personal belongings, and documented stories of those who opposed colonial rule.

Visitors can explore the prison grounds through guided tours that explain the various sections, including the cells, torture chambers, and memorial areas.

The facility contains specific prison sections called tiger cages, which measured less than five square meters and exposed inmates to extreme weather conditions.

Inception: 1861

GPS coordinates: 8.68890,106.61480

Latest update: May 26, 2025 21:39

Military and prison sites of the Vietnam war

The historical sites of the Vietnam War include prisons, tunnels, museums and military bases. The Vinh Moc tunnels display an underground defense system. The Hoa Lo Prison in Hanoi and the War Museum in Ho Chi Minh City document the conflict's history. Military locations such as the Hue Citadel and Khe Sanh Base present strategic combat sites.

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This collection brings together penal institutions that have marked the history of incarceration worldwide through their architecture, detention conditions, or roles in major historical events. From the Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba, established in 2002 for holding individuals suspected of terrorism, to high-security facilities like Red Onion in Wise County, Virginia, these sites document the evolution of penal systems across continents. Among the institutions transformed into memorial sites, Diyarbakır Prison in Turkey stands out for its conversion into a cultural center and museum since 2019. Its 24 dormitories spread over two floors, its cells, and corridors allow visitors to explore this chapter of Turkish penal history. In Argentina, Mendoza Prison, built in the early 20th century, reflects the prison practices of that era and the development of the regional judicial system. Other facilities remain operational and raise questions about prisoners' rights and incarceration conditions. Gldani Prison in Tbilisi caused national protests in 2012 after images exposing systemic abuses were released, leading to major reforms in the Georgian penal system. Ciudad Barrios Prison in El Salvador continues to function as a correctional center in the eastern region of the country. These sites, spread across multiple continents, provide documented insights into penal practices in various political and social contexts. From Rwanda to North Korea, passing through Colombia and the United States, they help understand the evolution of judicial and correctional systems while raising current issues related to detention and rehabilitation.

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« Côn Đảo Prison: Colonial prison complex on Con Son Island, Vietnam » is provided by Around Us (aroundus.com). Images and texts are derived from Wikimedia project under a Creative Commons license. You are allowed to copy, distribute, and modify copies of this page, under the conditions set by the license, as long as this note is clearly visible.

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