Hy March of last year, amid great publicity, all the military prisoners held by the Thieu regime in South Vietnam had been released. Thea the releases stopped. It was only on 8 February this year that Thieu was forced into releasing some of his civilian political prisoners, and them only 400 of them, Almost 300,000 are still sotting in his prisons.
The conditions in which the prisoners live are horrifying. Almast all the prisons ane grossly overcrowded, with 300 adults contined in rooms incasuring 25 Feet by 60 feet-barely enough room to sit, let alone Bie down. But these and positively luxuri ous compared to the "tiger cages" on Con Son island, where the most recently buill capes are two squaro feet smaller than the previous ones.
The few prisoners so far released are for From the overcrowding. Discases such as tuberculosis. typhoid, dysentery, hepatitis and skin disorders are endemic. With rare exceptions there is no medical care. Nor is thone much food, the average diet being 400 grammes of rice a day, supplemented by stones, lice and sand. In Con Son even water is withheld (three swallows a day allowed), Forcine prisoners to drink their own urine.
The prisoners tall into three categories: civilian and military mombers of the National Liberation Front, plus NLF sympathisers (including people accused of heing in the NI.F bocause they were convicted of criminal offences. Members es and prison guards.
anti Thieu activity, and taking part in a strike are all ilicgal, Under the F6 programune a casual denunciation by a in the wrong place at the wrong linc): nonNLF opponents of the regime; and people of the last proup froquently serve as 'trusti The police and anny have very wide powurs of arrost: sympathy with the NLF or the neutralest opposition, taking part in