Abstract

Jail Notes of a Young Vietnamese

The article presents experiences of young people from the cities of South Vietnam released from jail, in preparation for military induction. A few "important" prisoners were interrogated directly by CIA officials, often ill English and without interpreters. Such prisoners were rarely tortured. By contrast, "ordinary" or "low-class" prisoners were questioned with the aid of electric coils, kicks to the head, chest and stomach, the head forced under water. Girls had bottles forced up their vaginas, men were struck with gun butts, squeezed with pliers, beaten with hammers, nailed through the legs and arms. In addition, there was petty harassment, mental oppression--in short every conceivable tool and technique, modern and primitive.