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Prison of the Annamites (
In 2012, a 202 hectares area around the camp was designated as a
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
: ''Bagne des Annamites'' or ''Camp Crique Anguille'') is a former prison in the commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township
** Communes of ...
of Montsinéry-Tonnegrande
Montsinéry-Tonnegrande is a commune of French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America.
Montsinéry-Tonnegrande is to the south-west of Cayenne. It contains a botanical garden, and various walking trails. P ...
in French Guiana
French Guiana ( or ; french: link=no, Guyane ; gcr, label=French Guianese Creole, Lagwiyann ) is an overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France on the northern Atlantic ...
. The prison was built for Annamite
The Vietnamese people ( vi, người Việt, lit=Viet people) or Kinh people ( vi, người Kinh) are a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to modern-day Northern Vietnam and Dongxing, Guangxi, Southern China (Jing Islands, Dongxing, Guangxi ...
prisoners who had revolted against French rule. The purpose of the prison was to develop the Inini
Inini was an inland territory of French Guiana, administered separately between 6 June 1930 and 19 March 1946, after which all of French Guiana became a department of France. The territory remained governed as a special entity, until 17 March 19 ...
territory. The prison was in operation between 1931 and 1944.
Background
On 10 February 1930,Annamite
The Vietnamese people ( vi, người Việt, lit=Viet people) or Kinh people ( vi, người Kinh) are a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to modern-day Northern Vietnam and Dongxing, Guangxi, Southern China (Jing Islands, Dongxing, Guangxi ...
soldiers, in what is nowadays called Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
, revolted against French rule during the Yên Bái mutiny
The Yên Bái mutiny ( vi, Tổng khởi-nghĩa Yên-báy, "Yên Bái general uprising") was an uprising of Vietnamese soldiers in the French colonial army on 10 February 1930 in collaboration with civilian supporters who were members of the Vi ...
. 13 soldiers were guillotine
A guillotine is an apparatus designed for efficiently carrying out executions by beheading. The device consists of a tall, upright frame with a weighted and angled blade suspended at the top. The condemned person is secured with stocks at th ...
d, and the remainder were to be exiled. In February 1931, circa 100 political prisoners
A political prisoner is someone imprisoned for their political activity. The political offense is not always the official reason for the prisoner's detention.
There is no internationally recognized legal definition of the concept, although nu ...
and circa 400 common law
In law, common law (also known as judicial precedent, judge-made law, or case law) is the body of law created by judges and similar quasi-judicial tribunals by virtue of being stated in written opinions."The common law is not a brooding omnipresen ...
convicts, boarded the ' for French Guiana. The prisoners were first put in a prison in Cayenne
Cayenne (; ; gcr, Kayenn) is the capital city of French Guiana, an overseas region and Overseas department, department of France located in South America. The city stands on a former island at the mouth of the Cayenne River on the Atlantic Oc ...
, but revolted again.
On 6 June 1930, the territory of Inini
Inini was an inland territory of French Guiana, administered separately between 6 June 1930 and 19 March 1946, after which all of French Guiana became a department of France. The territory remained governed as a special entity, until 17 March 19 ...
had been established to develop the interior of French Guiana separately from the coastal area.
Overview
In April 1931, it was decided to move the Annamites to three camps: a forest camp inApatou
Apatou is a commune in French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France in South America. Apatou is home to Maroons of the Aluku, Paramacca, Ndyuka, and Saramaka tribes.
History
The town of Apatou was founded in 1882 as Moutendé. ...
, Petit Saut, and Camp Crique Anguille. Of the 535 prisoners, 395 were sent to Camp Crique Anguille. to serve as a labour force for the Inini territory. Senegalese Tirailleurs
The Senegalese Tirailleurs (french: Tirailleurs Sénégalais) were a corps of colonial infantry in the French Army. They were initially recruited from Senegal,
French West Africa and subsequently throughout Western, Central and Eastern Africa: t ...
were brought in to guard and oversee the prisoners. When the prisoners arrived, there was nothing at the site, and they had to built the prison themselves. The camp measured , and the main purpose was the construction of a railway line linking all three camps.
In 1937 the prisoners revolted. In 1940, the Senegalese troops were replaced by French Guianan soldiers. On 6 December 1944, the camp was closed, and the prisoners were moved to the normal prisons. The first group was released in July 1946, however some had to wait until August 1953.
Current situation
In 2012, a 202 hectares area around the camp was designated as a protected area
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...
, because it is home to ''bactris nancibaensis
''Bactris nancibaensis'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Arecaceae. It is found only in French Guiana. It is threatened by habitat loss
Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by wh ...
'', a rare palm, and the Amazonian royal flycatcher
The Amazonian royal flycatcher (''Onychorhynchus coronatus'') is a passerine bird in the family Tityridae according to the International Ornithological Committee (IOC). It is found in throughout most of the Amazon basin in northern Bolivia, ea ...
. The site has an IUCN category IV
IUCN protected area categories, or IUCN protected area management categories, are categories used to classify protected areas in a system developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The enlisting of such areas is part ...
status, and is administered by Conservatoire du littoral The ''Conservatoire du littoral'' ("Coastal protection agency") (official name: ''Conservatoire de l'espace littoral et des rivages lacustres'') is a French public organisation created in 1975 to ensure the protection of outstanding natural areas on ...
.
The camp was difficult to access. In 2013, a trail was built linking the camp to the RD5 road. The camp has been opened for visitors.
See also
*Prison of St-Laurent-du-Maroni
The prison of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni was the main penal colony in French Guiana for more than a century. Some of the buildings were restored in the early 1980s.
History
On 22 November 1850, Napoleon III of France, Napoleon III declared: "S ...
References
Bibliography
* {{commons category, position=left 1931 establishments in the French colonial empire 1944 disestablishments in the French colonial empire Defunct prisons in French Guiana IUCN Category IV Montsinéry-Tonnegrande Protected areas of French Guiana