MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEFENSE GROUP 776 - REEDUCATION CAMP COMPLE

Created: 1/1/1976

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

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Ministry of National Defenseeeducation Camp Complex (Northern

ietnam (SRV) (MND)6 from its central-level system in the People's Armed parent agency identified b'

coordinated action, the Socialist Republic of Ministries of Interior (MOI) and National Defense red large numbers of former ARVN/GVN personnel in reeducation camp systems in the southern SRV to camp systems in the northern SRV. The MND camp north for ARVN/GVN inmates was administered by

Forces of Vietnam (PAVN). The MND forhas_not_been definitively

have had

some affiliation with the Military Justice Department (Cue Quan Phap/MJD) and/or the Military Security Department (Cue Bao Ve Quan Doi/MSD) of theeneral Political Department, pavn Colonel Pham Thai was reported to be responsible for ARVN detention facilities in the northern SRV after the communist takeover of South Vietnam in Colonel Pham Thai may or may not be identical with Senior Colonel Pham Thai,eputy MSD, who had unspecified responsibilities up3 for the administrationARVN POW detention facilities and for the releaseARVN POW's. The MSD was also known as2 Department of the MOI and its predecessor Ministry of Public Security. Colonel Thai may also be identical with the Colonel Thai who was described by former USMC Privatehis book "Conversations with the Enemy" as in charge ofnd as "the security chief of the DRV."

mm betweenhe MND General Political Department's Military Justice Department (Cue Quan Phap/MJD) had responsibility for the arrest of former ARVN personnel and provided external guard force personnel for reeducation camps that held ARVN inmates. The MJD, however, was not responsible for maintaining camp records and was not responsible for the interrogation and indoctrinationducation management) of ARVN inmates. During this period, the MOI was responsible for maintaining inmate name lists and records, interrogations, indoctrination,

and the administration of the ARVN reeducation camp system. InJD responsibilities for the ARVN reeducation camp system were turned over to the MOI People's Police Bloc'srisons Management Police Department.

4. PAVNas headquartered near Yen Bai City and its subordinaten Hoang Lien Son Province. irected six large reeducation carap complexeshroughn Hoang Lien Son, Ha Tuyen, and Son La Provinces which were established in6 and held an00 ARVN/GVN officers and equivalent ranking civil servants. During the period theamp system was closed down after all ARVN/GVN inmates were transferred to central-level reeducation camps administered by the Ministry of Interior (MOI) in the northern SRV.

heard informationupport capacity in the Group

The Caucasian male was reported erted and chose to remain In etnamese name, and livedeadquarters cadre quarters andet monkey, icycleruck, and wasaintenance and repair at amps. This Caucasian malearine Corps (USMC) Private

"who recounted and described unng the periodMarch ons with the Enemy".

At leastARVN/GVN inmate of

Inter-Camp 1about having seen the above

noted Caucasianwell as one black man (notat theeadquarter3. Camp guards

Caucasian male

and tho black manto remain in Vietnamwar.

7. Theamp systemegregated camp system for ARVN/GVN inmates from the southern SRV. it apparently held no other categories of prisoners in any of its subordinate camps described below. it available, UTM map grid coordinates have been provided. Theamp system consisted of the following camps as provided by former ARVN/GVN inmates:*

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A. LienC-l) was located in the vicinity of4 about six to ten kilometers west or southwest of Yen Bai City at Viet Hong Village and was under che command of PAVN Lieutenant Colonel Doan Hanh. as composed ofubcampshroughnd heldRVN officers and GVN civil servants from the rank of lieutenant colonel upwards. nitially heldRVN generalsRVN full colonels, within several months of arrival however, general grade officers were transferred to the HOZ's Central Ha Tay2 Reeducation Camp and full colonels to either the MOI's Central Ha Tay Camp or the MOI's Central Nam Ha Reeducation Camp. Each subcampman staff, man guard force, and heldnmates. rench-built prison located near It functionedogistics-support processing center for new arrivals, departures, end transfers to other camps. As ofeldrvn privates through lieutenant colonel rank who had been captured as aboutilometers southeast of Yen Bai City and heldRVN NCO and enlisted personnel2 and6 who had been captured in Central Vietnam during and after the8 offensive and during1 ARVN Lamperation in lower Laos. as located about seven kilometers southwest of Yen Bai City near Viet Hong Village andRVN majors and lieutenant colonels. as located withinilometers of Yen Bai City. as located near Yen Bai City, and heldRVN junior grade officers, with two-thirds being military intelligence, military security, psychological warfare officers, and national police/special branch personnel. as located aboutilometers north-northwest of Yen Bai City and heldRVN junior grade officers until7 when the camp was converted into an agricultural worksite (tea plantation). as aboutilometers southeast of Yen Bai City near Viet Cuong Village and was established2 to handleRVN officers who had been captured during1 ARVN Lamperation in lower Laos and in Quang Tri Province. as about seven kilometers northwest of Yen Bai City andajors and lieutenant colonels. as about four kilometers from theeadquarters. 0 was about five kilometers west of Yen Bai City andfficers. The locationl is not known. 2 was aboutilometers north of Yen Bai City in Tran Yen District andRVN/GVN national police junior grade officers. 3 was located4 was aboutilometers northwest of Yen Bai City

ARVN officers.

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2 (Lienka the SonCamp was located aboutilometers north ofDistrict Town inside Son La Province near the HoangProvince border. as composed of sevennd heldRVNield grade officers. Each subcampraan guard force, and held about rench-built prison near Huong ThaiLuong Village, aboutilometers northwest of PhuTown. as built by the French5 toMinh prisoners and was administered by the MinistrySecurity (now known as the HOI)ndubcamp in existence in used to hold Thai and ARVN POW's. As ofsomeRVN officers who had been captured duringTet attack in Hue and during1 ARVN Lamin lower Laos. IneceivedgroupRVN officers who had been shippedin the southern SRV and who were used to build CampsT-6. RVN majors and as located near Ba Khe village and heldmajors and lieutenant colonels. within five kilometers of each other andeach. lsoRVNeach. By all inmates hadto MOI-administered central-level andas dissolved by PAVN. OtherThai prisoners previously mentioned, there were noor individuals who appeared to be foreign reported

3 (LienC-3) aka the TranCamp was located near My Village, VanHoang Lien Son Province. as composed and heldRVN field grade officers). man staffO-man guard force), nmates. There were no foreign prisonerswho appeared to be foreign reported in thearea.

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D. Lienas located about seven kilometers north-northwest of Ham Yen District Town near Nhan Hue Village, Ha Tuyon Province. as composed of nine subcamps) and heldRVN officers, includingRVN field grade officers. Each subcampman staff,man guard force, and heldnmates. as located near Bang Coc aka Tich Coc Hamlet, Cam Van Village, Ham Yen District. as at Nhan Muc Village about seven kilometers north-northwest of Ham Yen District Town. as at Xuong Lai (Xuan Lai) village. Yen Binh District, Hoang Lien Son Province. as at Cam Nhan Village, Yen Binh District. as about two kilometers north of the Cho Ngoc Ferry Landing in Yen Binh District. The locations not known. as about one kilometer north of Xuong Lai (Xuan Lai) Village, Yen Binh District. as about two kilometers north of Xuong Lai (Xuan Lai) near Cam Nhan Village, Yen Binh District. as one kilometerear the Cho Ngoc Ferry Landing _in Yen Binh District.

aucasian male

who was reported to be an American working on thelectrical generator. This Caucasian male is also believed to be identical with former USMC Private HH^^HLvVa^HLSR Other than this individual, there were no other Individuals who appeared to be foreign reported in theamp erei

5 (Lienas locatedQui village, Van Ban District, Hoang Lienilometers northwest of Yen Bai City. IC-5ofubcamps) and heldARVN lieutenants and captains. Each subcampman guard force, and held about B was near Duong Qui village, Vanas near Than Uyen District Township. There wereprisoners, or individuals who appeared to bein theamp area by

6 (Lienas locatedkilometers northwest of Yen Bai City in Hoang Lien as composed of at least fivend heldRVN lieutenants Each subcampman staff, including aforce, and heldnmates. There were noor individuals who appeared to be foreign, theamp area

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G. The Song Muc Reeducation Camp was locatedemote area of Nhu Xuan District, Thanh Hoa Province, where it was reportedly established in June or7 by PAVN Groupsic) to support the adjacent Song Muc Hydroelectric Plant. During the period8 it heldRVN inmates who had been transferred from the Ai Tu Reeducation Camp in Dinh Tri Thien Province. Inmates cleared land for the constructionam and fish farm. The camp was closed down in8 and the camp site was turned over to the Song Muc Hydroelectric Plant. All ARVN inmates were transferred back to the Ai Tu Reeducation Camp. There were no foroign prisoners, or individuals who appeared to be foreign, reported in the camp area by

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