Reeducation Camps after 1975; The editor maintains what is most likely the largest accumulation of Vietnamese reeducation camp covers. It is estimated that between 1 million to 2.5 million people were required to attend reeducation camps. This would suggest that these covers are still plentifully available, but this is not the case. The combination of the stigma that was attached to attending the camps combined with the Vietnamese custom to clean house at the time of the Chinese New Year has led to the fact that most of these letters have been destroyed. Now, only once in a while does the editor see another education camp cover offered for sale.
Very little is known about the exact locations of these reeducation camps as the Government had no interest for the wider world to learn about them. They were administered by the military and usually only an alphanumeric code preceded by a Hom Thu or Hop Thu number would be used to identify a specific location.
This is an attempt to list these covers so that any scholars that may be interested in these camps are able to study them on-line and may contribute more information about them in the future. The editor has also included the correspondence contained in the envelopes. Due to the strict censorship inside the camps the content of the letters is not expected to provide any great insight or secrets about them but they will nevertheless provide a snapshot in time about peoples feelings.
The camp covers are listed in alpha-numerical sequence below:
Camp 1B
Letter sent by a guard from Camp 1B in Binh Thanh to a civilian in January of 1980. Franked with a civilian 12xu Five Year Plan stamp . The letter was processed in HCM City as indicated by the machine cancel. Bin Than is a suburb of Ham City and this jail was used for high level Government prisoners awaiting political trials.
Camp 1C
Letter sent by a guard at Camp 1C to a civilian in HCM City in January of 1977. The letter is franked with the military free frank from 1975. The letter was processed in Kien A which is a suburb of Hai Phong. The sender also indicates a Hai Phong address. This may or may not be an indication that the camp was located in Hai Phong area but since camp mail was always transported by military pouch to a larger postal processing center one can never be sure.HCM City machine arrival cancel on the reverse.
Letter sent by a guard located in Camp 1C to a civilian in Hanoi. Franked with two 12xu flower stamps and paying the 2nd weight level of the standard letter tariff. The letter was processed in HCM City in December of 1978 which may or may not be an indication that the camp was located in the South. Little else is known about this camp. Hanoi machine arrival cancel on the reverse.
Camp 15NV
Letter sent by an inmate to a civilian in Saigon (HCM City) in November of 1975. This camp 15NV is associated with Long Thanh District East of HCM City. The November 6th letter was most likely the first communication sent by this inmate as he/she made it a point to write his/her detailed mail address on the second page. The envelope also contained a letter from November 18th that, based on the date, cannot be from the same envelope but it may be from the same correspondence.
Letter sent by an inmate of Camp 15 NV to a civilian in Saigon (HCM City) in December of 1975. The letter carries the manuscript “Mien Phi” (= Free) to indicate that no postage was due at the time. Cancelled with the machine HCM City cancel.
Rare incoming letter sent by a civilian in Quan 10 to an inmate in Camp in Camp 15NV. The letter carries a red propaganda cachet „Nhiệt liệt hoan nghênh và tích cực tham gia bầu cử Quốc hội chung cả nước“ (=Welcome! Active participation in the election for the national assembly of the entire country).
Here is an interesting group of four letters all from the same correspondence. The first one is an outgoing letter sent from the inmate to a relative in HCM City and the other three are all rare incoming letters sent to the inmate. The one from February 6th, 1976 shows no signs of postal transportation so it may have been delivered to the camp by private messenger. The others carry a HCM City machine or regular canceler. The cover from February 24th contained two letters. One of them is dated in May of 1976 so it belongs to another envelope. The last cover shows a red propaganda cachet „Nhiệt liệt hoan nghênh và tích cực tham gia bầu cử Quốc hội chung cả nước“ (=Welcome! Active participation in the election for the national assembly of the entire country).
Letter sent by an inmate of Camp 15 NV to a civilian in Saigon (HCM City) in May of 1976. The letter carries the manuscript “Mien Phi” (= Free) to indicate that no postage was due at the time. Cancelled with the machine HCM City cancel.
Letter sent by an inmate of Camp 15 NV to a civilian in Saigon (HCM City) in June of 1976. Cancelled with the machine HCM City cancel.
Camp AH1NT
Letter sent in August of 1978 mailed from Camp AH1NT. Nothing is known about the camp”s location. Franked with a civilian orchid stamp from 1976. The letter was mailed by an inmate to a civilian in HCM City. Unfortunately the cancel on front is illegible. HCM City arrival cancel from August 5th, 1978 on the reverse.
Camp A2
Very late letter from November of 1987 indicating that the camps were still operational twelve years after the end of the war. Sent by a civilian located in HCM City to a person located in Camp A2 that was apparently located in Lam Dong, a suburb North of Ham City. Franked with two 5D stamps from 1987 paying an overall postage of 10D.
Camp A6
Letter sent by an inmate or guard of camp A6 in April of 1979 to a civilian in HCM City. The use of 30D National Liberation stamp is somewhat of a puzzle as Camp A6 was located in Yen Bai, which is North East of Hanoi, and its was designated for important prisoners. The stamp was issued in South Vietnamese Dong and hence was not valid postage in North Vietnam until after the currency reform in 1975. At that time the South Vietnamese Dong was devalued by 500:1 against the North Vietnamese Dong. This meant the stamp was only worth the equivalent of 6xu at the time of mailing. 6xu represented the intra-city tariff so would not be enough to cover the long distance from Yen Bai to HCM City in the South. However the real remarkable part if this cover is the canceler. The mute “Viet-Nam Buu Dien” cancel has, according to SICP member Bob Munshower, only been documented six times. Manuell and machine HCM City arrival cancels on the reverse.
Detailed scan of the rare mute cancel.
Camp B1
Letter sent by an inmate of Camp B1 in July 1977 to a civilian in HCM City. The letter was sent without postage which was the reason it initially received a black boxed cachet that indicated that additional postage was due. However, that cachet was stricken out manually by a red cross that also wrote “HT” that stands for How Thu (a military post office box) which meant no additional postage was collected. The letter is cancelled with an unusual double-ringed canceler from Phuoc Long. HCM City arrival cancels on the reverse.
Camp B3
Camp B3Letter sent in a patriotic envelope from an inmate in Camp B3 to a civilian in HCM City in June of 1979. Nothing is known about the camp”s location. Franked with a civilian stamp from 1978. The stamp has a weak Nam Dinh canceler which suggests that the camp was located in the Nam Dinh area. HCM City arrival cancel on the reverse.
Letter sent by a member of the military to a guard located at camp B3. Franked with a military free frank from 1984. Canceled with a weak canceler from the Pleiku district (Zip Code 54630)
Camp B5
Letter sent by an inmate or guard of Camp B10 located in Hanoi to a civilian in HCM City. The letter is franked with two 12xu HCM Mausoleum stamps paying an overall postage of 24xu (second weight level) cancelled with the Hanoi machine canceler. HCM City arrival canceler on the reverse.
Camp B10
Rare incoming letter sent by a civilian in September of 1989 to an inmate or guard at Camp B10. Franked with a 100D stamp from 1988. The Quan 5 70250 zip code puts the postal processing center into the HCM City region. SICP member Bob Munshower suggested that this camp was located in the Dong Phu area and that it was a brutal camp that tortured inmates and had a high death rate.
Very similar cover from October of 1989 but this time franked with two 100D stamps paying the 200D tariff of the second weight level. The letter was also processed in the HCM City area (zip code 70652). HCM City machine cancel on the reverse.
Camp B11
Incoming letter sent by a civilian in HCM City to a guard or inmate in Camp B11. The letter is franked with a 100D stamp from 1988 and cancelled with the circular Quan 5 canceler from the HCM City region . Camp B11 is associated with the Soing Be region and was used to house low level political prisoners.
Camp B21
Here is an interesting letter that was apparently sent from one prison guard to the other. It must have been of private nature and hence was franked with civilian postage stamps in the amount of 13xu. This actually represents an obvertpayment of 1xu so the 1 xu stamp was probably just added for patriotic fervor. The letter was sent in August of 1977 from Camp A13 to Camp B 21. Camp 21 is associated with the Song Be region North/East of HCM City.Cancelled with the HCM City cancel. Phuong Long transit cancel on the reverse.
Camp C3
Letter sent by a member of the military guarding Camp C3 top a civilian in Tan Binh. Franked with a civilian 1D stamp from 1986 that was cancelled with a cancel from Binh Phuoc (zip code 71301). Various transit and arrival cancels on the reverse.
Camp D9
Letter sent from the main prison in Long Than sent to a civilian in Quan 1. Franked with a 12xu HCM stamp from 1976. Canceled with the circular Long Than cancel in March of 1978. HCM City machine cancel on the reverse. Cam D9 was known as a general mid-level camp.
Camp E8
Letter sent in May of 1977 by a guard of Camp E8 to a civilian in Mytho. Camp E8 is associated with Phuoc Long. The letter is franked with the military free frank from 1975 and was apparently transported by military pouch to Mytho were the letter was canceled with the machine canceler of that city.
Camp K1
Letter sent by an inmate of Camp K1 to a civilian in HCM City in November of 1981. The camp is associated with Gia Lai Province and Kon Tum. Franked with a 20xu October Revolution and 10xu Sunflower stamp paying an overall tariff of 30xu. Cancelled with a 54353 cancel outside of Pleiku. Binh Thanh transit cancel on the reverse.
Letter sent by an inmate of Camp K1 to a civilian in HCM City in April of 1983. The camp is associated with Gia Lai Province and Kon Tum. Franked with a 30xu HCM stamp. Cancelled with a 54353 cancel outside of Pleiku. Binh Thanh transit cancel on the reverse. Illegible cancels on front and back
Very rare incoming letter sent by a civilian in HCM City to an inmate of the K1 Camp in April of 1983 . Not many incoming letters have survived due to the harsh conditions in the camps. This envelope only contained an empty page and a family photograph. It was franked with three civilian stamps of 10xu each paying an overall postage of 30xu. Since the address, unusually, contains the location (Gia Lai/Kon Tum) the camp must have been located close by.
Camp K2
This letter was initially sent by a civilian located in Bien Hoa and using a military free frank from 1975 to another civilian in Saigon (HCM City). The letter was initially processed in Tu Doc a Saigon suburb. However upon arrival it was determined that the intended recipient was now located in Cam K2 and the letter was forwarded to there. HCM City machine arrival cancels on the reverse.
Letter sent in January of 1978 by an inmate of Camp K2 to a civilian in Gia Dinh district. Camp K2 was located in this district and hence the letter only had to be franked with 10xu which represented the intra-city letter rate at the time. Cancelled with the machine HCM City cancel. HCM arrival cancel on the reverse.
Series of three letters sent by the same inmate of Camp K2 in May, July and December of 1980 to a civilian in Tien Giang. The camp is associated with Trai Cai, Gia Trung and Gia Lai . The letters are franked with a single civilian 12 xu stamp from the 5 Year Plan series of 1979 that were canceled with a cancelers from Dien Hong which is a suburb of Pleiku and other cancelers from Quin Nhon province. This shows that the letter processing center used for a certain camp were not always the same. Various transit/arrival cancels on the reverse.
Camp K3
Lettre sent by an inmate of Camp K3 in March of 1980 to a civilian in Canto. K3 is associated with Gia Lai and Kon Tum. The letter was franked correctly with one 12 xu 5 Year Plan and was cancelled with a cancel from the Pleiku district. Illegible transit cancel on the reverse.
Letter sent by an inmate of Camp K3 in October of 1982 to a civilian in HCM City. K3 is associated with Gia Lai and Kon Tum. The letter was franked with two 12 xu 5 Year Plan and a 6xu Flower stamp paying an overall postage of 30xu. Binh Thanh transit cancel.
Camp K4
Letter sent by an inmate of Camp K4 to a civilian in Vung Tau. The letter is franked with two 6xu National Liberation stamps paying the correct letter rate of 12xu in January of 1977. The letter was processed in Xuan Loc which may be indication of the camp’s location.
Letter sent by an inmate of Camp K4 postage free in October of 1977 to a civilian in HCM City. This is the latest date of a postage free letter the editor has. Two different HCM City arrival cancels on the reverse.
Letter sent by an inmate of Camp K4 to a civilian in HCM City. Camp K4 is associated with the Binh Long/Song Be area. The letter is correctly franked with 12xu Stamp Exhibition Sofia stamp. Cancelled with illegible canceler.
Camp K5
Here is an interesting group of six covers from the same correspondence that were mailed from Camp K5 Sub-Camp A10 to a civilian in Ho Chi Minh City. All of them have their original contents preserved. Also, all of them were cancelled with the HCM City machine cancel which documents that all of the mail coming from this camp was transported by military pouch to the HCM City post office. This camp is associated with the locations of Vi Thanh, Choung Thien and Than Son that are located South East of Rach Gia in the very South of Vietnam. The letters are dated January 9th, 1976, January 12th, 1976, February 29th, 1976, March 27th, 1976, April 27th, 1976 and May 7th, 1976. This suggests that initially inmates could send letters fairly frequently. This changed in the latter years when inmates were only allowed to mail letters every 3-5 months. All the letters were annotated with “Thơ học tập cải tạo” (= letter about reeducation) which indicated that the letter originated in a reeducation camp and also that they could initially be transported free of charge. This free mailing privilege was changed some time in 1977 when inmates and guards either had to use standard postage stamps or military free franks. Since the period of postage free mail ended after only a few months letters without stamps are more rare than letters with stamps.
Letter sent by an inmate of Camp K5 to a civilian in HCM City in May of 1977. The letter carries a manuscript remark “Thủ Cải Tạo Viên” which translates to “Rehabilitators”. HCM City machine arrival cancel on the reverse.
Camp K10
Letter sent by a civilian in HCM City to an inmate located in Camp K10. Franked with two 10xu civilian Union Congress stamps paying an overall postage pf 20xu. The letter was processed in HCM City in June of 1978. The manuscript date and signature indicates that the letter was censored.
Camp K75C
Letter sent in April of 1976 by an inmate of Camp K75C to a civilian in Saigon (HCM City) properly franked with a 12 xu stamp from 1975 (Anniversary of Paris Agreement) Camp 75C was a political prison for high level individuals and located in Hangi (a part of HCM City). HCM City machine arrival cancel on the reverse.
Camp L1
Early letter sent in September of 1975 from Camp L1 to a civilian in Gia Dinh. Camp L1 is associated with Song Ong Doc near Ca Mau. HCM City arrival cancel from September 13th, 1975 on the reverse.
Letter sent by a civilian located in Phú Nhuận (suburb of HCM City) in October of 1975 to what appears to be a prison guard in Camp L1. The letter was franked with a military free frank of 1973 (rare Perf. 12.5) and cancelled with the HCM circular canceler. The envelope was then turned and reused by the guard who had since been transferred to Camp K1. It was sent back to the same civilian August of 1976 in HCM City from whom the cover originated. It is not known why the cover was transported postage free. Unusual item that documents the scarcity of paper right after the end of the war.
Letter sent in October of 1975 by an inmate of Camp L1 to a civilian located in HCM City. Franked with two 6xu National Liberation stamps paying an overall postage of 12xu. The letter was processed in Tay Ninh. HCM City arrival cancels on the reverse.
Letter sent in March of 1976 from an inmate of Camp L1 to a civilian in Nam Don. The letter was sent postage free and wass processed in HCM City s indicated b y the machine cancel.
Letter sent by a guard located at Camp L1 to a civilian in Saigon (HCM City) in September of 1976. The letter was franked with a 6xu National Liberation stamp (already in the new unified currency) and processed in Xuan Loc to the East Of HCM City. The 6xu postage indicates that the camp was located within HCM City limits as longer distances required a 12xu stamp. HCM City machine arrival cancel on the reverse.
Letter sent by a civilian in January of 1977 to an inmate off Camp L1. The letter was franked with a 12xu Orchid stamp canceled with the circular Bao Thanh cancel. Two HCM City arrival cancels on the reverse.
Camp L2
Interesting cover that was used twice by turning it. It initially was mailed postage free by a civilian in October of 1975 from Gia Dinh to an inmate at Camp L2 in October of 1975. The cover was then returned in January of 1976 (again postage free) from Camp L23 to the same sender. Gia Dinh arrival cancel on the reverse.
Letter sent by an inmate of Camp L2 to a civilian located in HCM City in August of 1977. The letter was transported postage free and was processed in HCM City as indicated by the machine canceler. HCM City arrival cancel on the reverse.
Camp L3
Letter sent by a civilian located in Saigon (HCM City) to an inmate of Camp L3. The letter was processed in HCM City in February of 1976 as indicated by the HCM machine cancel.
Letter sent by an inmate of Camp L3 to a civilian in HCM City in August of 1976. This camp is associated with Tran Phu South East of HCM City. The letter is franked with a 30D National Liberation Front stamp and was cancelled with the M.N. Xuan Loc canceler.
Letter sent in November of 1976 by a civilian in Tay Ninh to a guard or inmate located in Camp L3. Franked with a civilian 12 xu Red Cross stamp from 1976. HCM City arrival cancel on the reverse. Red boxed propaganda cachet on front “nhiệt liệt chào mừng hai hội đảng lần thứ IV” which translates to “welcome the two party associations for the fourth time”.
Letter sent by an inmate or guard from Camp L3 to a civilian in HCM City in September of 1977. The letter is only franked with a 6xu stamp which was the intra-city tariff at the time suggesting that the letter was sent within the HCM City limits. Cancelled with the circular Xuan Loc canceler through which the letter was apparently processed. Two HCM City arrival cancels on the reverse.
Letter sent by a civilian located in Nha Trang to an inmate in Camp L3 in February of 1978. Franked with a 10xu civilian stamp. Apparently the inmate was no longer located at the facility and hence the letter was returned to the sender as indicated by the red boxed cachets.
Camp L4
Rare incoming letter sent by a civilian to an inmate in Camp L4 in June of 1976. Franked with two 30D National Liberation stamps paying an overall postage of 60D. Since the South Vietnamese Dong had been devalued by 500:1 in 1975 that was worth 12xu. Transported by military pouch to HCM City and cancelled there. HCM City machine arrival cancel on the reverse.
Letter sent by an inmate of Camp L4 to a civilian in HCM City in March of 1977. Franked with a 12xu civilian stamp paying the correct postage of 12xu. Cancelled with the Bien Hoa canceler. HCM City machine arrival canceler on the reverse.
Camp L6
Two letters from the same correspondence. Both were sent by an inmate of Camp L6 to the same civilian in October and November of 1976. Both letters were transported postage free and both were processed in the Tay Ninh post office. This may our may not indicate that the camp was located within the vicinity of Tay Ninh. Both letters show HCM machine arrival cancels.
Camp L9
Here is a military cover that was mailed by a guard from Camp L9 to a civilian in Ho Chi Minh City in April of 1976. Camp L9 was located in Dong Nai Province to the East of HCM City. SICP member Bob Munshower speculated that L9 was a sub camp of the Hoc Mon prison in HCM City. The cover is franked with the military free frank from 1973 (Perforation 12.5, Michel Nr. M24C) which indicates that less than a year after the end of the war (April 30th, 1975) guards already had to use military free franks to mail items. The letter has a civilian cancel from Xuan Loc but the stamp was cancelled with the machine cancel from HCM City. There is also the same machine arrival cancel on the reverse.
Camp L19
Rare incoming letter sent in August of 1975 by a civilian in Phang Rang to a person located in Camp L19. The letter is franked with a 6xu National Liberation stamp (already in the new unified currency). 6xu was the intracity rate at the time so it is likely that the camp, of which little is known, is located in the proximity of Phan Rang or was even located in Phang Rang prison. On the other hand the writer indicated in the letter that his location was Rach Gia which is to the South West of HCM City. Since camp mail was often processed centralized in larger post offices the location of the canceler may or may not be an indication where a camp was located.
Letter sent by the administrative officer at Camp L19 to a civilian located in HCM City. The letter was again only franked with a single 6xu National Liberation Front stamp which indicates that the camp was in the vicinity of HMC City.
Camp N765
Camp N765Letter sent by an inmate of Camp N765 that is associated with the Long Thanh Region East of HCM City. The letter was sent by an inmate to a civilian in HCM City in June of 1976. Long Thanh transit cancel from August 8th and HCM City machine arrival cancel on the reverse.
Camp T1
Letter sent by an inmate or guard located in Camp T1 in Vung Tau and dent to a civilian in HCM City. The letter was franked with a civilian 12xu National Assembly stamp from 1977. The letter was processed in Vung tau in May of 1970. HCM City machine arrival cancel on the reverse.
Camp TD63
Rare incoming letter sent in November of 1979 from a civilian in HCM City to an inmate in Camp TD63. The letter is franked with a 12xu civilian stamp. from 1977. The letter was cancelled in unusual blue color in a small post office outside of HCM City.
Letter sent by an inmate of Camp TD63 written in October of 1982 to a civilian in HCM City. The letter is franked with a 12xu HCM stamp from 1982 and it was mailed on November 3rd, 1982 from Post Office 71100 (which is a suburb of Bien Hoa). Bien Hoa transit and machine HCM City arrival cancel on the reverse.
Camp Z30A
Letter sent by an inmate from Camp Z30A in July of 1979 to a civilian in HCM City. Franked with two 30D National Liberation Front stamps paying an overall postage of 60D (which equated after the currency devaluation in the South to 12xu). Cancelled with circular Gia Rai canceler. This may have been a sub camp of the Xuan Loc main camp.
Letter sent by an inmate of Camp Z30A that is associated with the Xuan Loc region to the East of HCM City to a civilian in HCM City in September of 1979. Franked with two 30D Liberation Front stamps paying an overall postage of 60D. The South Vietnamese Doing was devalued 500:1 in 1975 so the 60D equated exactly the 12xu postage due in 1979. HCM City machine arrival canceler on the reverse.
Letter sent by an inmate of Camp Z30A located in Xuan Loc, Dong Nai Province to a civilian in Go Lap, a suburb of HCM City. Franked with a 12 xu civilian stamp. HCM City machine arrival cancel on the reverse.
Rare incoming letters sent in August and September of 1983 by a civilian to an inmate located in Camp Z30A. Franked with two 30xu HCM stamps paying an overall postage of 60xu. Xuan Loc transit canceler on the reverse.
Camp Z30D
Letter sent by a prison guard in March of 1979 from Camp Z30D to a civilian in Quan 10. The letter is franked with a civilian 12xu stamp paying the correct tariff at the time. Illegible cancel on front. HCM City arrival cancel on the reverse.
Another letter from the same individual in Camp Z30D sent in July of 1979 to a civilian in HCM City. The letter is franked with a 12xu civilian stamp. Two HCM City arrival cancels on the reverse.
A third letter from October of 1979 of the same individual located in Camp Z30D to the same civilian in HCM City. This time the letter was franked with the Military Free Frank of 1976 (red-carmine color) indicating that the sender was a guard on military duty. HCM City machine arrival cancel on the reverse.
Letter from the same correspondence, again sent to the same civilian in HCM City in November of 1980. Franked with a 12 xu civilian National Assembly stamp. The letter was processed in Phan Thiet. HCM City arrival cancels on the reverse.
Another letter from the same correspondence in December of 1981 originating in Camp Z30D and franked with two 10xu civilian postage stamps paying an overall postage of 20xu. The stamps are canceled with the circular HCM City canceler. Quan 1o transit cancel on the reverse.
Letter sent by an inmate of Camp Z30D to a civilian in HCM City. Franked with a 12xu National Liberation stamp (that was already in the new unified currency) and used from Ham Tan to the East of HCM City in December of 1979. HCM City machine arrival cancel on the reverse.
Letter sent by an inmate of Camp Z30D to a civilian in HCM City. The camp is associated with Ham Tan, Thuan Hai Province, near Da Mai village. The letter was sent in March of 1980 and franked with a civilian stamp of 12 xu Five Year Plan stamp from 1979 that was cancelled with a machine HCM City canceler. HCM arrival cancel on their reverse.
Rare letter sent in May of 1984 by a guard of Chi Hoa Prison to another guard located in Camp Z30D located to the East of HCM City in Ham Tan district. Franked with a 50xu Karl Marx civilian stamp and canceled with the rural Chi Hua canceler.
Registration Nr. 200401
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