On November 1980, an officer at the Z30A camp came to my room and announced,
“Nguyen Van An, stay home for further assignment.” At first, I couldn’t realize
“What kind of assignment I would be called for?” Anyway, enjoying a day, or at
least a morning off, was a good opportunity. [I had been called for a meeting
with the officer several months earlier. He had proposed me to assume the duty
of head of the working group. Being a “head of the working group” meant becoming
more or less “red”, i.e. sort of “being integrated into the communist system” in
regards of communist ideology and doctrine. Although there were not without
overwhelming and challenging on the delay of being possibly released from
“re-education camp” if I obstined to not accept such a duty, I still refused,
arguing that I was not “ready” for such a hard duty.]
When all my “classmates and schoolmates” had gone to work, I began going to the
public toilet area. To my surprise, I met four of my Juniors, Alphonse Minh,
Anthony Thanh, Andre Thang and Thanh Hoang (Bobo), going to the rest area. They
were discussing about something like I had been wondering. I shared with them
about my thoughts in staying home today for “further assignment.”
A few minutes later, we rushed to find other Brothers of our La Salle Mossard
Community. Except Brothers Gervais Ha and Pierre Thang, and Brother Francois Anh
who had been moved to Z30B, other Brothers, Jerome Diep and Augustin Phuc,
stayed home, too, for “further assignment.” At about 10:00 AM, Brother Francois
Anh brought his luggage from Z30B to join our group.
Even though we couldn’t be clear what could happen to our community members,
except to Brothers Gervais Ha and Pierre Thang, we all were able to guess that
we’ll be released. The only question was, “Why these two Brothers Gervais and
Pierre didn’t join us?”
Indeed, at about noon, we were sitted, comfortably on the DESOTO van, escorted
by two armed guards and the chief policeman. The groups working at the field
begun to return “home” for lunch. I saw Brother Gervais looking at the van. I
waved my hand as au-revoir. He percieved my hand and slightly nodded his head,
more or less sad. I did the same thing when I saw Brother Pierre. But this time,
it seemed that tears running down his eyes and he showed himself much more
frustrated.
***
Before ordering the driver to depart, the chief policeman said, “You may
guess what will come to you. We’ll be going to the Police Station of Ho Chi Minh
City. So, behave yourself on the car. Do not stupid things!” We looked at each
other, smiling, delightly. Everyone understood that we will be “re-education
graduated ”, i.e. released from hard labor camp.
We were driven to a relatively clean but tightly closed room whose unique way to
communicate with outside was a small rectangular window called judas. A few
minutes after we had been installed, we heard voices from the opposite room
asking something like “Who are you over there? We are former chaplains of Saigon
Armies, just driven from Hanoi.” Brother Francois answered, “We are the La Salle
Brothers, just come from K3 Xuan Loc.”
- "Oh! Were you involved with La Salle Mossard, Thu Duc? You are great!
Congratulations!"
- "How do you know it?"
Instead of responding to the question, a song was sung, describing the pride of
being loyal to and faithful to “Mother Vietnam of the South!” and many other
songs they had composed while they were in the re-education in Hanoi.
I knew later that they were 8 priests. Seven of them had been chaplains of the
former Saigon Armies, presented to the new government and driven to the North
since ‘75 to be “re-educated,” and the other priest was arrested for unknown
reason and had undergone the re-education program in K4, Long Khanh. They just
came back to Saigon a day earlier and, hopefully like 8 De La Salle members,
would be released by December, 1980. As my understanding, that was from “the
negotiation of the Vatican with Hanoi: Vatican offered to Hanoi a large ship
full of medicines and food in exchange for the liberation of all priests and
religious men from the re-education camp.” But I didn’t know why there were, at
that time, only 16 of us - 8 priests and 8 De La Salle members - were so luckily
chosen in the drawning by chance.
***
Before being released from prison, we benefitted from a better meal ration:
two bowls of white rice per day and a small fish and a cup of vegetable soup. In
addition, we had more time to sleep!
On December 7, I was called to work with the officer in charge of
Religion&Religious Service. After a few words exchanged in the climate of mutual
respect and comprehension, the officer told me, “We know that La Salle Brothers
had not been involved into politics...” I couldn’t remain calm. I questionned,
almost promptly, “If so, why did you arrest me and other Brothers, and put us in
jail for 3 years, without any citation in Court?” He looked at me, amazed for a
while, and then said, “After three years in the re-education camp, and you
remain the same!”
I recalled this conversation to my Confreres and Juniors. Brother Francois Anh
laughed then said, “Me too! he told me the same thing, and I replied exactly
with the same words as yours!”
A few days later, we heard the interrogation at the office desk:
- “ Name?”
- “ Doan”
- "... Address?”
- “ Dac Lo Center...”
- “ Diploma?”
- “ Sub-Ph.D”
- “ What?”
- “ Just right down Sub-Ph.D.”
...
We recognized who were arrested: the priests of the Company of Jesus, SJ, at the
Dac Lo Center.
***
On the morning of December 15, the priests from the opposite room shouted
with joy. I heard their foot steps getting out of the room. Some rised voice,
clearly, “We are free! La Salle Brothers, see you outside!...” About a minute
later, someone got back and said loudly, “The Bishop Nguyen Van Binh came to
welcome us back home!” Our group of 8 excitedly prepared luggage and anxiously
waited for being called to go home. We waited and waited... Lunch time came, and
we still waited. Nothing happened.
But yes, the time came! A guard opened the front door of our room and said, “Be
prepared! You have to move to another camp!” All of us were so surprised and
disappointed that no one could say a word. Indeed, we were driven into the
opposite room where a few hours earlier 8 priests chanted joyfully for their
liberation.
In the new room, there were 5 “new comers” welcoming us. They were parishoners
or employees at Dac Lo Center who had been arrested a few days earlier and moved
to this room, right after 8 priests had been released. They were surprised, too,
seeing 8 of us “coming back to jail.” Three days had passed. No one exchanged a
word.
***
On the fourth day, a young man in his 30s came to me and said, “Brother An.
Maybe you don’t know me, but I saw you and knew you in December 1977.” I smiled
then nodded my head, friendly. His name was Joseph Thang. He came to La Salle
Mossard Thu Duc for the Christmas Celebration on December 24, 1977. After the
Eucharist, we had a brief meeting, wishing each other “Merry Christmas! Good
Luck for the coming Years!”
He continued, “Do not worry! I am sure you’ll be freed. Moving you to this room
instead of freeing you at the same with 8 priests is just a way to tyrannize
your mind for the last time!” “I hope so!” I whispered. He then took a serious
appearance, confided to me the following:
“I have something more important to confer to you. As you know it, Dac Lo Center
has been “visited” a few days ago. Reverend Doan, SJ, director and some
employees, I am included, were arrested and put in jail. It’s really
Providential that I have the good opportunity to meet you here.
First of all, I had the chance to identify the man who led policemen to Dac Lo
Center. We did suspect him working for the government a long time before, but we
didn’t have any proof yet. He used to sit at the refreshment kiosk in front of
the Ky Dong church administered by the Redemptorists. Every Saturday, he was
there from 3:00PM to 5:00PM. It is easy to recognize him with his bicycle and
there is always a rush basket hanging on it. Please alert other Orders and
Congregations to be careful about him.
Second thing is about an ex-Brother - forgive me for not disclose his name
because he is my close friend, and overall you know each other so much - perhaps
you can guess who I’m talking about. He had been arrested on the road fleeing
overseas, and I was with him. In exchange for his liberation, he has to follow
and report to the police any activities of certain priests, of your
Congregation, especially at your Provincialate House at Nguyen Du Street. As my
knowledge, he was appointed to particularly follow up the way your Brother
Visitor exchanged and/or transferred money from overseas. Please inform your
Brother Visitor about it.”
***
On the morning of December 22, 1980, our group of 8 La Salle members were
freed. Each one recieved “the certificate of liberation” and a certain amount of
money, just enough to buy a train or bus ticket for returning to his own native
village. I recieved the highest amount of money, 100 State Bank Dong, because my
native village is in Hue, Vietnam Center.
I quickly read my “certificate of liberation” and noticed that the date of
arrestation was incorrect. I related this incorrection to the officer who
replied, “Keep it and get out, or if you want, return to the camp!
At the gate out of the Police Station, a guard stopped me and obliged me to
change the cloth before going out. I wore shirt and pants from the K3
re-education with the stamps “CAI TAO K3” (K3 Re-Education Camp) on them. I
said, “I have nothing else to change. May I go out naked?”