When someone mentions the phrase "school shooting", people immediately think of the United States because it is so common there that it has become a stereotype for that country. But school shootings have also taken place in many other countries as well.
In Vietnam, with tight gun control, the risk of school shootings or school-related attacks that play out like they do in the USA is almost zero. But school attacks had taken place in Vietnam as well, but of course, they were all parts of larger-scale conflicts and those were wars.
In the modern history of Vietnam, there have been two such attacks, one in 1974 and the other three years later. The first incident was the Cai Lay school shelling on March 9th, 1974, which led to the deaths of 23 pupils, but it was still controversial so I’m only writing about the second one.
The most brutal school-related attack in Vietnam ever happened in what is now Tan Lap commune, Tay Ninh province. On the night of September 24th, 1977, Pol Pot troops attacked the Tan Lap commune and brutally massacred most of the civilians of the commune which is next to the border. They slaughtered civilians in the most brutal ways possible (I don't think they should be listed), and didn’t spare children. The number of people who escaped this surprise raid is able to be counted on one hand, and they, unsurprisingly, had been mentally haunted for life.
At the dawn of September 25th, they broke into a cottage (it was used as a school), shot and executed 11 teachers (there was no student). Some teachers ran to the backyard to hide in the bushes, but it was too easy for the terrorists to find them. Not only that, for female teachers, Pol Pot troops also raped before brutally murdered them, and their bodies were thrown into a well nearby. Before the People's Army of Vietnam could counterattack, Pol Pot troops had massacred a total of 592 civilians (the number is uncertain), including 11 at the school.
Due to the dire nature and lack of information at that time, as well as the fact that was easily overshadowed by the war for righteousness to destroy the Khmer Rouge, it was quickly forgotten by many people. and so it is difficult to find detailed information about this incident. It is only referred through a small number of articles (it was only a year ago that it was on national television, even if it only appeared briefly), and above all, the horrifying memories of the local people.
More than 20 years after that bloody
incident, in 1999, a stele was erected on this site to commemorate the school
attack in particular and the attack on the commune in general. It was an event
that would later be referred to as the "massacre of the Tan Thanh primary
school".
 |
| The massacre memorial |