The work of searching, collecting, and identifying fallen soldiers’ remains short of information is a major guideline of the Party and a sacred, political mission of the entire Party, military, and people, which proves the tradition: “When you drink water, think of the source”. On deeply grasping these things, over the past years, the 4th Military Region Party Committee’s Standing Board and Command, party committees, authorities, Steering Committees 515 of provinces, departments, and units have always heightened the spirit of unity, activeness, proactiveness, and creativeness to successfully perform this vital task, which contributes to war relief, fulfilment of cadres’, soldiers’, and people’s sentiments and aspirations, and generation of a great spiritual source for establishing an increasingly strong “people’s heart and mind posture” in the area.
During the past wars of resistance, the 4th Military Region was not only a great rear which provided manpower and materials for theatres of war and engaged in combat to support Laotian friends, but also one of the fiercest theatres of war heavily devastated by enemy bomb raids. Therefore, the Military Region is one of the areas with the largest number of martyrs, martyrs’ families, war invalids, sick soldiers, and military personnel missing in action. In recent years, the Military Region Party Committee and Command have regularly attached importance to leadership and direction of searching and collecting martyrs’ remains, and identifying martyrs’ remains short of information to contribute to resolution of post-war policy work. More importantly, to implement Directive No. 24-CT/TW, dated 15 May 2013 of the Politburo and Resolution No. 1237/QĐ-TTg, dated 27 July 2013 of the Prime Minister on approving the Project on searching and collecting martyrs’ remains by 2020 and beyond, the Military Region Party Committee and Command have perceived and popularised the higher echelons’ documents, directives, resolutions, and instructions on this important work; put forward specialised resolutions on leading this work according to each period of time and year; established the Military Region’s Steering Committee 515; promulgated decisions and assigned the task of searching and collecting martyrs’ remains to each department, unit, and locality.
Due to vast search areas both in Viet Nam and Laos, difficult terrain, and insufficient information about martyrs’ tombs, to achieve their objectives, apart from tapping into the role of the Steering Committee 515 at all levels and strengthening organisations and forces responsible for search and collection, the Military Region Party Committee and Command attach importance to propagation and mobilisation of information about martyrs and martyrs’ tombs; directed functional departments to decode signs and designations of units; linked information with military units, organisations, and individuals to complete records, lists of martyrs, and databases of martyrs, martyrs’ tombs, martyrs’ relatives, and martyrs’ cemeteries; reach conclusions about search areas; mapped search and collection areas. Additionally, the Military Region have successfully carried out diplomacy and inked cooperation deals with the Special Work Committee, party committees, authorities, and armed forces of Laotian provinces to create favourable conditions for search and collection teams to undertake the task of searching and repatriating remains of Vietnamese fallen soldiers and experts from Laos.
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| MR4's Steering Committee 515 checks the work of search and collection of martyrs's remains in 2021 - 2022 period |
Despite numerous difficulties, notably complex developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the search and collection of martyrs’ remains have obtained positive results thanks to drastic leadership and direction of the Military Region Party Committee’s Standing Board, the Military Region Command, and Steering Committee 515; close, synchronous collaboration among branches, organisations, and forces; consensus and support of people from various walks of life at home and abroad; efforts of cadres and staff directly responsible for searching and collection martyrs’ remains. The Military Region searched and collected 2,766 martyrs’ remains (1,620 martyrs’ remains in Laos and 1.146 martyrs’ remains in the country) in the 2013 – 2020 period. It collected 5,702 biological samples for DNA testing and identified 342 martyrs’ tombs by positive methodology. The Military Region has basically completed conclusions about search areas and mapped areas for searching and collecting martyrs’ remains at provincial level so far. It has identified 69,955 martyrs of units and localities, developed databases and handed over them to localities, and transferred the databases to the Policy Department, Ministry of National Defence as provided by regulations. Departments, units, and localities have successfully collaborated in handing over, receiving, commemorating, and burying remains of Vietnamese fallen soldiers and experts from Laos and martyrs’ remains collected in the country, ensuring solemnity, consideration, safety, and suitability to local conditions.
The above-mentioned outcomes have proved political resolution and deep respect of cadres, soldiers, party committees, local authorities, and people in the Military Region’s area of responsibility for search, collection, and identification of martyrs’ remains. However, certain limitations have been exposed when doing this work. The review and completion of martyrs’ records, conclusion of search areas, and mapping of search and collection areas are still slow in some localities and units. There are not many martyrs’ remains and biological samples of martyrs’ relatives being examined by DNA tests. There is a lack of close, timely collaboration between departments, branches, and forces on information collection, and search, collection, and identification of martyrs’ remains in some cases.
Currently, beside advantages, new complex issues relating to search, collection, and identification of martyr’ remains have been emerging as a result of insufficient manpower and large areas. Meanwhile, information about martyrs and martyrs’ tombs fades away as the time passes. There are many changes in terrain due to impacts of the nature, production activities, and socio-economic development. To speed up progress and improve quality and effectiveness of search, collection, and identification of martyrs’ remains aimed at making a breakthrough in this vital task, the Military Region Party Committee and Command seek to focus on successfully adopting the following measures:
First, stepping up the leadership and direction of party committees and local authorities and bringing into play the role of Steering Committee 515 at all levels in searching, collecting, and identifying martyr’s remains. On grasping and implementing higher echelons’ documents, directives, resolutions, and instructions on the search and collection of martyrs’ remains, most notably the Plan to search, collect, and identify martyrs’ remains through 2030 and beyond of the Prime Minister, the Military Region Party Committee’s Standing Board and Command request departments, units, and localities to review and add measures to realise Project 1237 and Project 150 according to each period of time and year in accordance with characteristics, functions, and missions. Special attention is paid to strengthening and maintaining operations of Steering Committee 515 at all levels; promoting collaboration, direction, inspection of work to timely detect difficulties and propose solutions, ensuring fulfilment of goals set out by projects. To achieve high effectiveness, departments, units, and localities need to successfully conduct propagation and raise levels’, branches’, and people’s awareness and responsibility for search, collection, and identification of martyrs’ remains; proactively detect and resolve to struggle against indifferent attitude, wrong awareness as well as distorting allegations of opportunists and reactionaries about this crucial work.
Second, speeding up progress and striving for completing review, records, lists of martyrs, and mapping of search and collection areas. Accordingly, together with enhancing propagation and encouraging organisations and individuals both at home and abroad to provide information about martyrs and martyrs’ tombs, the Political Department – the Military Region Steering Committee 515’s Standing Body – continues to tap into its leading role, closely follow higher echelons’ direction, successfully carry out decoding symbols and designations of units, link its information with that of military units, organisations, and individuals, instruct units and localities to review and quickly complete records and lists of martyrs in their areas of responsibility. There needs to actively collate and standardise information and complete the national databases of martyrs, martyrs’ tombs, martyrs’ relatives, and martyrs’ cemeteries; timely analyse and transfer lists of martyrs compiled on the basis of places of sacrifice and initial burial grounds to verify and reach conclusions about areas and gradually provide information for martyrs’ families and relatives. In addition, the Military Region continues to direct localities and units to demarcate areas where the search and collection of martyrs’ remains have been finished, areas where the search and collection of martyrs’ remains have not been finished, areas where the search and collection of martyrs’ remains have not been conducted yet, and areas where the search and collection of martyrs’ remains have been carried out but yielded no results, thus reaching conclusions about focused areas in the coming time.
Third, attaching importance to strengthening organisations and forces; enhancing quality and effectiveness of information collection, development of records, search and collection of martyr’ remains. On the basis of experience and mission requirements, the Military Region Party Committee’s Standing Board and Steering Committee 515 continue to lead and direct departments, units, and localities to promote strengthening of organisations and staffing in an “adept, compact, proper, effective” direction, in which priorities are given to selection of people with political steadfastness, good health, high responsibility, experience in the search and collection of martyrs’ remains, and ability to communicate effectively in Lao language for professional teams. They also request provincial military commands, the 337th Economic-Defence Division, and 968th Division to advise provincial party committees and people’s committees to comprehensively lead and direct operations of collection teams, especially information collection, verification, and conclusion relating to martyrs, martyrs’ tombs; development of plans and organisation of forces to survey, search, collect, transfer, and bury martyrs’ remains. It is necessary to successfully do the work of identifying martyrs’ remains, verifying and reaching conclusions about martyr’ tombs short of information in martyrs’ cemeteries by positive methodology.
Apart from the above-mentioned solutions, the Military Region further promotes diplomacy and works closely with party committees, authorities, departments, branches, unions, and people of Lao provinces to search and repatriate martyrs’ remains. It also reviews and supplements necessary equipment, meeting mission requirements. The Military Region closely monitors and effectively uses financial resources, equipment, and vehicles, ensuring that all regulations and policies on people directly doing this work are carried out timely and appropriately. Inspection is strengthened aimed at timely detecting and addressing problems. Localities are to be under close management to prevent illegal search and collection of martyrs’ remains. The Military Region strives to basically complete the search, collection, and repatriation of martyrs’ remains within its area of responsibility and from Laos by 2030 to pay tribute to heroes and fallen soldiers and contribute to strengthening of “people’s heart and mind posture,” construction and firm protection of the socialist Fatherland of Viet Nam.
Major General NGUYEN DUC HOA, Deputy Commissar of the Military Region, Chairman of the Military Region’s Steering Committee 515