The reunion was organized by the Liaison Committee of former political prisoners and prisoners of war of Ho Chi Minh City at the City Party Committee Hall (District 3).
At the reunion, Ms. Bui Thi Xuan Hanh (57 years old, living in Phu Nhuan district) said: she and her mother entered Thu Duc prison when she was just a fetus, and when she left prison, she was already a three-year-old girl.
"When I was in prison, I found out I was pregnant with you. The prison guards found out and brutally tortured me, using cruel torture to make me confess, but I did not give in. Despite the brutal torture, hunger and thirst, both mother and son were very resilient. You were born on a day in March 1967," said Ms. Hanh (Ms. Hanh referred to herself as "son" when telling the story).
There were also children who had to witness their mothers being tortured right before their eyes, like Mr. Nguyen Tri Dung (55 years old, living in Thu Duc City) who went to Con Dao prison with his mother when she was only one month pregnant with him. "When she was arrested, my mother just found out she was pregnant with me. She was taken to Chi Hoa prison to give birth, then my mother and I were taken back to Con Dao prison," Mr. Dung recounted.
According to Mr. Dung, during his days in Con Dao, the mothers were regularly tortured with lime powder and tear gas grenades. Mr. Dung was also hit by lime and grenades while lying on the ground. Since then, one of his eyes has only had 10% vision.
Like Ms. Hanh and Mr. Dung, many others at the meeting had painful stories. They had experienced beatings, hunger, and serious illnesses... But with extraordinary determination, they overcame everything to survive and grow up.
Ms. Ngo Thi Be (53 years old, living in Thu Duc City) has been to three prisons in Hue, Con Dao and Chi Hoa prison. She said that when she was two months old, her mother carried her for seven days and seven nights to Con Dao but she did not cry. “Without a single cry, my mother thought something was wrong with me… Now that I am still sitting here, it is truly a great blessing and a great life,” Ms. Be said.
Even after many years, the painful memories are still imprinted in their minds. The scars on their bodies are the clearest evidence of what they have been through.
In harsh circumstances, maternal love still shines. Mothers have not feared danger to protect their children, passing on noble values to them. It is the mother's love that helps them overcome difficulties and challenges.
Ms. Hoang Thi Khanh, Head of the Liaison Committee for Former Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War in Ho Chi Minh City, said that this was the first time the Liaison Committee organized a meeting of "prisoners without numbers", from which the name was born. According to statistics, Ho Chi Minh City has more than 70 "prisoners without numbers".
