What was life like from 1954 to 1963?

After 1954, we had freedom of movement. We could go to the forest and the mountains to find things to eat and to make a living. But after 1963, when the strategic hamlet was established, they controlled us very tightly. It was difficult even to go and find firewood, to fish or to hunt. Therefore, under the American and the puppet regime we lost our freedom.

Could you tell us what life was like under Diem?

Under Diem it was difficult to go from one buon to another, to go find firewood, and to fish. Wherever you wanted to go, you had to ask for special papers. Therefore we did not have freedom.

They began to set up the strategic hamlets during the period from 1962 to 1965. It was much more difficult to travel around then. They opened the gate to the strategic hamlet only at 8 a.m. to allow people to go out to work. But everybody had to come back to the hamlet before 4 p.m. Whenever people left the hamlet, the soldiers search them thoroughly, turning the backpacks up-side-down to make sure that nothing was taken out. It was like a prison camp.