Jane Barton Griffith

In 1971-72 I documented the existence of South Vietnamese political prisoners being held in Quang Ngai Vietnam by South Vietnamese military and police personnel. Who tortured the political prisoners, under the training and observation of the US CIA. Ordinary citizens were indiscriminately rounded up routinely for questioning and held in large barrack structures, surrounded by barbed wire and watch towers, built on the main street of Quang Ngai. Later, they would be questioned in a special Interrogation room. Torturing included “water boarding.” Many of the women who had been tortured with electricity suffered convulsive seizures months after their torture. When a prisoner was badly tortured and likely to die, that prisoner might be transferred to the local hospital which is where I was able to photograph the prisoners. These prisoners were kept in a small building and for some periods of time, the Quaker doctor and myself were allowed to visit and examine the prisoners. I recorded their stories and took photographs.

In 1971 some of the political prisoners who were held in Tiger Cages—enclosures too small to stand—were released. Their leg muscles had atrophied and they could not walk.

The photograph of the tortured 67 year old woman lying on cardboard appeared in Time magazine and all of the photos were used by Amnesty International as part of their campaign to free political prisoners in Vietnam.

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