The historical aspects of Vietnam-Cambodia trip

by: Staff writer, Sun Newspapers - Opinion Updated: Mar 9, 2016

Charlotte, Florida —

In January 2016, a three-part article in the Sun Let’s Go supplement chronicled a 2015 trip to Vietnam and Cambodia.

This was an excellent article, accurately described the trip, but it omitted several sites of historical interest. My wife and I took the same trip with the same provider in December 2015. I will attempt to chronicle those sites of historical interest.

In Hanoi, the French prison "Maison Central," the remnants of which are now a museum, displays the cruel treatment of Vietnam dissidents by the French, such as shackling prisoners on long benches and a guillotine used for execution. Large cells with a cot where U.S. GI’s, who knew this prison as the "Hanoi Hilton," were supposedly incarcerated are displayed, as are propaganda posters of the U.S. GI’s being humanely treated. We know these are not representative from reports of the U.S. GI’s who were incarcerated here. Bamboo cages, such as the one at the Military Heritage Museum, are not displayed.

In a bomb shelter beneath our Hanoi hotel, an audio of Jane Fonda reciting a poem while bombs exploded in the background, was proudly played. The tour director was informed that Jane Fonda is considered a traitor. Vietnam is still using her for propaganda.

The "Killing Fields," on the outskirts of Phnom Phen, Cambodia is where thousands of men, women and children were taken by the Pol Pot’s Kamer Rouge, systematically tortured, then executed, most of whom died from blunt force trauma. Skulls of some of those executed are displayed in a memorial. Prison S-21 in Phnom Penh was operated by the Khmer Rouge. Every individual who was imprisoned in S-21 was photographed upon entry, as were some in the process of being tortured. Representative photos are on display. Only 12 individuals are known to have survived the S-21 prison during its five years of operation. An estimated 14,000 prisoners were tortured and executed at S-21.

Pol Pot was responsible for the death of an estimated 2 million of the Cambodian population of 8 million between 1975 and 1980. In 1980, the Khmer Rouge killed 5,000 residents of a Vietnamese village. The Vietnamese responded by invading Cambodia and putting an end to Pol Pot’s barbarism.

Sa Dec, a Viet Cong secret regional underground headquarters in Vietnam, consists of underground tunnels, including rooms where attacks on the South Vietnamese and U.S. troops were planned. The entrances to these tunnels were camouflaged so their locations were not apparent.

North of Ho Chi Min City (Saigon) is Cu Chi, an extensive underground VC facility, located close to what was a U.S. base (now a Vietnamese military facility). A diorama depicts a surface decimated by U.S. air attacks, while underground tunnels remain intact.

Cu Chi housed underground operations, such as sandal manufacturing from tires, land mine manufacturing from artillery shells and meeting rooms. One section of the tunnels has been widened so visitors can experience crawling through them. Various types of VC booby traps are exhibited including a camouflaged pit with sharpened bamboo stakes in the bottom.

In contrast to Hanoi, Ho Chi Min City is much more vibrant, though both have a flourishing free market. In spite of the flourishing free market economy, Vietnam is very much a Communist country, as is Cambodia. Individuals are not allowed to speak against the government, as freedom of speech does not exist. The schools are operated by the government, perpetuating the Communist philosophy. Every small town has a National Communist Government Center. Billboards with the "hammer and sickle" symbol emblazoned on them serve as reminders of who is in control.

Salvatore Castronovo is a resident of Punta Gorda.