In the glorious revolutionary cause of our Party and nation, countless communist soldiers, regardless of hardships and sacrifices, heightened the spirit of faithfulness and undauntness, and devoted their entire life to the Fatherland’s independence and freedom and the people’s happiness, thereby becoming symbols for the following generations. Pham Hung is such a comrade.
A faithful and undaunted communist soldier
Comrade Pham Hung, whose real name is Pham Van Thien, was born on June 11th, 1912, into a peasant family at Long Thieng hamlet, Long Ho village, Long Binh group (an administrative unit including several communes), Vinh Binh district, Vinh Long province (now Long Phuoc commune, Long Ho district, Vinh Long province). Born in a land with rich culture, great patriotism, and a long-standing grudge against invaders, comrade Pham Hung took part in revolutionary activities organised by the Vietnamese Revolutionary Youth League when he was only 16 years old. At the age of 18, he was admitted to the Communist Party of Viet Nam. He was appointed as Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee of My Tho when he was just 19 years old. While actively leading the people’s struggle against French colonialists and the feudal regime, he was arrested in My Tho on June 2nd, 1931. Despite brutal tortures, the enemy failed to subdue him. After over 7 months in prison, he was brought to the Crime Commission’s court in Sai Gon in early 1932. In spite of having no evidence, the court sentenced him to three years imprisonment in My Tho and another three years of house arrest.
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| Comrade Truong Ching (left) and comrade Pham Hung (right) sign the political agreement on the country's unification on November 21st, 1975 (Photo: VNA) |
In prison, Pham Hung continued leading other prisoners to fight for an improvement in prison conditions, while maintaining communications with his comrades outside to direct the masses’ struggle against the colonialist regime and its feudal lackeys. However, French colonialists barbarically suppressed prisoners’ struggle; comrade Pham Hung was held in solitary confinement, sentenced to death, and transferred to a condemned cell in Sai Gon Central Prison. In that prison, he inspired a number of common prisoners sentenced to death by French colonialists and other political condemned prisoners with confidence in the victory of the Vietnamese revolution. The struggle by Vietnamese patriots at home and the progressive people around the world had forced French colonialists to commute the death sentence of comrade Pham Hung and several revolutionary soldiers to life imprisonment; comrade Pham Hung was then exiled to Con Dao in January 1934. In spite of being held in captivity for 15 years, including 12 years in Con Dao prison – a hell on earth established by French colonialists, comrade Pham Hung always expressed his noble revolutionary steadfastness and courage and the spirit of readily sacrificing for revolutionary ideal, which could be described as an “iron will”. With revolutionary optimism and a sense of responsibility for our Party and nation’s revolutionary cause, comrade Pham Hung and party organisations led prisoners to drastically fight for mitigating forced labour, while organising literacy and theoretical training courses to improve revolutionary will and faith of communist soldiers, common prisoners, and political prisoners, thus making significant contributions to transforming colonialists’ prisons into communist schools for training and developing revolutionary cadres. In response to the August Revolution of 1945, as Secretary of the Party Committee of Con Dao, he led other prisoners to rise up and liberate Con Dao prison and then returned to the mainland for leadership over our resistance war in the South.
A gifted and creditable leader of our Party and State
After returning from Con Dao prison, comrade Pham Hung was elected to the provisional Southern Regional Party Committee and appointed as Director of the National Self-Defence Bureau (aka the South Public Security Department). At that time, he was always enthusiastic about his work during which he proactively developed action plans, encouraged democracy, and adhered to principles, the Party’s resolutions, and Uncle Ho’s direction. Together with the Regional Party Committee, he helped foster solidarity amongst resistance forces and enhance the Regional Party Committee’s leadership, thus significantly contributing to winning many glorious victories during our Southern people and armed forces' resistance war against French colonialists and earning the South the title of “Bronze Citadel”.
As Director of the National Self-Defence Bureau, comrade Pham Hung directly directed the building of a revolutionary Public Security Force in the South. Frightening the enemy via its feats of arms, the South’s Public Security Force won great faith, support, and affection from the people as well as Uncle Ho’s letter of commendation. At the 5th National Public Security Conference held in January 1950, the draft Project on the People’s Public Security of Viet Nam was approved; the contents of the Project laid theoretical and practical scientific foundations for the later building of the People’s Public Security of Viet Nam.
At the 2nd National Party Congress in February 1951, comrade Pham Hung was elected to the Party Central Committee (PCC). He was appointed as Deputy Secretary of the Central Office for the South and Secretary of Southeastern Inter-Zone Party Committee in March 1952. Holding those positions, he led, directed, developed the Southeastern people and armed forces' resistance war against French colonialists to its peak, thus contributing to forcing the French to sign the Geneva Accords (July 21st, 1954) on ending the war and restoring peace in Viet Nam and Indochina. In September 1954, at its meeting, the PCC concluded that we had not fulfilled the struggle for national salvation yet; therefore, it decided to adjust methods of struggle. In order to ensure the enforcement of the Geneva Accords, comrade Pham Hung was designated as Head of the Viet Nam People’s Army Delegation to the Joint Armistice Commission in the South and Head of the Viet Nam People’s Army Liaison Mission next to the International Commission for Supervision and Control, tasked with supervising and requiring the implementation of the Agreements in the South.
During 9 years of the resistance war against French colonialists, comrade Pham Hung together with the Southern Regional Party Committee and the Central Office for the South flexibly applied the Party’s guidelines to the South’s practical conditions, while organising the people’s war, exercising democracy in rural areas, directing the struggle movement in urban areas, successfully dealing with religious work, well carrying out mass mobilisation work amongst patriotic intellectuals, expanding the National United Front, and especially enhancing the Party building. Thanks to the successful settlement of the issues relating to peasants and the worker-peasant-intellectual alliance, the resistance war against the French in the South was further developed, and the liberated areas were increasingly expanded, which greatly contributed to the entire country’s victory in the resistance war.
After the North was liberated, as Member of the Politburo, Secretary of the PCC, and Head of the Central Unification Commission, comrade Pham Hung took part in designing the draft Project on national unification and the South revolution as the basis for the 2nd PCC’s 15th Meeting to develop Resolution 15 on the South revolution, thus contributing to enabling the South revolution to win victories. On April 29th, 1958, at the 8th session of the 1st National Assembly, comrade Pham Hung was elected as Deputy Prime Minister. In that position, he dedicated himself to fostering our country’s economic development, directly encouraging agricultural production movements, facilitating the development of production facilities, and inspecting and directing localities, the formulation of documents on macroeconomic operation, and the performance of socio-economic development tasks. As a result, our country obtained tremendous achievements in socio-economic development as a solid foundation for the frontline in the South.
In 1967, comrade Pham Hung was appointed as Secretary of the Central Office for the South and Commissar of the armed forces for the liberation of South Viet Nam. At that time, the South’s people and armed forces were secretly, quickly making preparations for a strategic offensive on the lunar new year (Tet) holiday of 1968. The Tet General Offensive and Uprising of 1968 by our people and armed forces broke out simultaneously across the South and played a role of paramount importance in defeating the enemy’s will of aggression and forcing the enemy to join negotiations with our Government at the Paris Conference.
Between late 1968 and April 1975, under comrade Pham Hung’s direction, the Central Office for the South issued many directives and resolutions to lead the Southern people and armed forces' struggle movement in all three strategic areas. In April 1975, after victories in Central Highlands, Hue, and Da Nang campaigns, our Politburo decided to launch another campaign to liberate Sai Gon named after Ho Chi Minh and designate comrade Pham Hung as Commissar of the Campaign Command. Being Secretary of the Central Office for the South, Secretary of the Regional Military Commission, and Commissar of the Campaign Command, he greatly contributed to leading, directing, and encouraging our people and armed forces to seize the opportunity to victoriously end the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign. On the morning of the 30th of April, 1975, when hearing that President of the Sai Gon puppet regime had recommended a ceasefire for negotiation to the revolutionary side, Commissar Pham Hung immediately signed and delivered an express telegram to our units on the battlefield, ordering that “the enemy are wavering and disbanding. Our armies should quickly occupy targets under regulations. All armies will meet at the Independence Palace. The enemy have nothing to negotiate with or hand over to us. They must surrender unconditionally. Forward! Victorious!”. At 11:30 a.m., April 30th, 1975, Ho Chi Minh Campaign was victorious. Being one of the top leaders of the South revolution, comrade Pham Hung clearly demonstrated his stoutness, wisdom, and resolve to overcome all hardships and contribute to liberating the South and unifying the country as Uncle Ho’s wishes.
After the country had been unified, comrade Pham Hung was appointed as Member of the Politburo, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Home Affairs. At the 6th National Party Congress (December 1986), he continued to be elected as Member of the PCC and Member of the Politburo. At the 8th National Assembly’s first session (June 17th, 1987), he was elected as Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam. In the first years of national renewal, Viet Nam encountered numerous difficulties together with an economic crisis and galloping inflation. Meanwhile, hostile forces imposed severe sanctions against our country, with a view to destroying our economy. As Head of the Government, he stated to the National Assembly that: “With the revolutionary will and specific actions, the Council of Ministers will devote itself to fulfilling its responsibilities to the Party, the National Assembly, and the people”. Tireless efforts made by comrade Pham Hung to drive the Vietnamese revolution out of difficulties at the onset of national renewal proved his talent and responsibility as a key leader with key decisions that helped tackle hunger and poverty and step by step facilitate economic recovery.
Comrade Pham Hung was a role model in terms of revolutionary morality. In daily life, he always led a simple, friendly, affable, democratic style, wholeheartedly loved his comrades, showed generosity to other people, but treated himself seriously. As Head of the Government, he always expressed his gentleness, thrift, moderation, and orderliness, his love for labour, his appreciation for time, and his disinterest in personal benefits. Also, he hated sycophancy, advocated criticism and self-criticism, and readily received feedback from other people. Notably, he always believed in the people’s strength, maintained a close-knit bond with the people, invested tireless efforts in cementing the national great unity block, learned from the people, took care of the people’s living conditions, and protected the people.
Comrade Pham Hung’s life and career reflect the nobility of a true communist. Being an excellent student of President Ho Chi Minh, he dedicated his entire life to the country and the people. During his 60-year revolutionary career, he always manifested his steadfastness in revolutionary ideal, his determination to sacrifice for national independence, freedom, and unification, his fearlessness in the face of hardships and dangers, and his absolute loyalty to the Party’s revolutionary cause. In any position or revolutionary period, he was always ready to advance towards the most dangerous places. With his revolutionary enthusiasm, political steadfastness, creativity, and extraordinary effort, he fought for the people’s happiness and the country’s peace and development to his last breath. With his significant contributions to the country, comrade Pham Hung was presented with a Gold Star Order and many other noble rewards by our State.
Celebrating the 110th anniversary of the birthday of comrade Pham Hung, each of us seems to feel prouder of a loyal communist soldier and talented leader of the Party. Following the typical example set by comrade Pham Hung, the entire Party, Military, and people will strive to successfully fulfil the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, the goal of “wealthy people, strong nation, democracy, equality, and civilisation” as well as the aspiration for developing a prosperous, happy country.
Associate Prof. LY VIET QUANG, PhD.
Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics