In the resistance wars against the French colonialists and American imperialists to gain national independence, freedom and unification, to protect the Fatherland and perform noble international tasks, millions of cadres, soldiers and compatriots have heroically sacrificed themselves in the battlefields. This is the great loss of many generations of Vietnamese people, typically heroes and martyrs who fell for the independence of the nation, for the people's freedom, well-being and happiness. Therefore, searching and gathering the remains of martyrs is a sacred and humane political task of the entire Party, Army, people, and the whole political system; in which, the Vietnam People's Army always plays a pivotal role.

With the nation's tradition and morality "Drink water, while remembering the source" of the nation, over the years, our Party and State have paid special attention to leadership and direction, and have numerous guidelines and solutions for this important work. In particular, on May 15, 2013, the Politburo (11^th tenure) issued Directive No. 24-CT/TW on "Continuing to promote the search and gathering of martyrs' remains from now to 2020 and the following years" (referred to as Directive No. 24) showing respect, gratitude and deep memorial to the great merits of martyrs; gradually ease the pain of war, contributing to educating the nation's glorious revolutionary tradition for generations of Vietnamese people, especially the young.

Over the past 10 years, with the attention, leadership and direction of the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defence, agencies and units throughout the Army have focused on carrying out this important task with affection, determination, the highest political responsibility and achieved several outstanding results. The Military Policy Sector has coordinated with agencies and units to proactively propose to the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence to advise the Party and State to establish a National Steering Committee; formulating schemes and regulations on regimes and policies and promulgating legal documents in a timely, uniform and synchronous manner, etc., in order to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the search and gathering of martyrs' remains. Propaganda and mobilisation to provide information about martyrs and martyrs' graves have been widely conducted; organisations and forces performing the task of searching and gathering martyrs' remains from central to local levels are regularly supplemented and consolidated. The coordination with ministries, branches and localities in building national databases, concluding geographical areas, mapping search and gathering has been implemented comprehensively, scientifically and closely. International cooperation in searching and gathering martyrs' remains has been carried out methodically, synchronously, at many levels which has initially resulted in positive achievements. Regimes, policies, assurance work, inspection, preliminary and final reviews are carried out in an orderly and serious manner, creating unity, promoting synergy in the performance of tasks. Since 2013 to date, the whole country has searched and gathered more than 20 thousand remains of martyrs; in which, nearly 10,000 remains of martyrs have been gathered at home land and over 10,000 remains of martyrs have been gathered abroad. Currently, several units and localities have completed the construction of the database; conducting analysis, transferring the list of martyrs for each locality to verify, conclude the area, map and organse the search and gathering, ... contributing to improving the effectiveness of the implementation of Directive No. 24. These practical actions vividly represent the tradition and morality of the nation "Drink water, while remembering the source" of the nation, which is a manifestation of the political determination and devotion of cadres and soldiers of the whole Army to the heroes and martyrs who heroically sacrificed themselves for the cause of national liberation, defence and performing noble international duty, contributing to encouraging patriotism and strengthening the trust of the people and martyrs' families in the Party, State and socialist regime.

Ha Tinh province conducts the repatriation of martyrs' remains from Laos

In the following years, in order to improve the efficiency of searching, gathering and identifying the remains of martyrs, together with all levels, branches, forces, localities and the whole people, the Policy branch, with the core being the Army agencies and units, needs to continue to deeply grasp Directive No. 24, synchronously implement practical solutions, mobilise all resources, promote the synergy of the whole political system, forces and people to well perform this important political task. In particular, it is necessary to focus on implementing a number of key solutions as follows:

Firstly, strengthen the leadership and direction of the Party committees and commanders of agencies and units; closely coordinate with localities and functional agencies to improve the efficiency of searching and gathering martyrs' remains. Agencies, units and localities continue to thoroughly grasp the viewpoints and guidelines of the Party and the State's policies on the task of searching and gathering the remains of martyrs, including: Directive No. 24; The plan to search, gather the remains of martyrs and identify the remains of martyrs without information until 2030 and the following years which was issued in Decision No. 1515/QD-TTg, dated September 14, 2021 by the Prime Minister. Party committees and commanders at all levels enhance their responsibilities, strengthen their leadership and direction, and promote the synergy of organisations and forces during the implementation. At first, focus on directing the development and supplementation of specific implementation programs, plans and solutions, ensuring feasibility and suitability to the situation of each locality, the reality of each year, in the period of 2021 - 2025 and the following years. At the same time, continue to study and propose competent authorities to promulgate or promulgate according to their competence regimes and policies for the forces directly on duty; legal documents to direct and guide the implementation of the task of searching and gathering the remains of martyrs, creating synchronisation and unity in leadership, direction and implementation.

Secondly, promote information and propaganda work associated with proactively collecting, connecting and processing information about martyrs and martyrs' graves. Agencies, units and localities, especially the military news agencies and press, continue to promote extensive propaganda of the Party's guidelines, the State's policies, the responsibilities and political determination of all levels, branches, units and localities for the search and gathering of martyrs' remains. Thereby, deepening the noble purpose, political and human meaning of the search and gathering of martyrs' remains. During the implementation, it is necessary to actively innovate the content, forms and methods of propaganda; promote synergy and efficiency of institutions and media to propagate and mobilise organisations, individuals and all people to provide information on martyrs and martyrs' graves, and coordinate in the search and gathering of martyrs' remains. Resolutely fight against false perceptions and distorted arguments by opportunists on this issue. Effectively promote the role of the Military Policy Sector Portal and the Martyrs' Grave, Martyrs Cemetery and Martyrs' Portal; improve the quality of specialised pages and categories of newspapers and radio stations; hold forums and exchanges to share and provide information on martyrs and martyrs' graves; publish and distribute publications and strictly manage information on the search and gathering of martyrs' remains.

Thirdly, regularly strengthen the organisations and forces, supplement means and equipment, and further improve the efficiency of search and gathering activities in the localities. Accordingly, agencies, units and localities must regularly supplement, consolidate and improve the operational capacity and efficiency of the 515 Steering Committee at their own level and the standing agency of the 515 Steering Committee at the same level in order to meet the requirements and tasks of managing and directing activities of searching and gathering martyrs' remains. Based on the characteristics and practical conditions of each locality, promptly deploy specialised forces, provisional forces, inter-sectoral forces, and coordinated forces to perform the task of searching and gathering martyrs' remains in an appropriate and effective manner. Along with actively doing well in training and fostering to improve qualifications and professional skills for the forces in charge of searching and gathering, agencies, units and localities continue to study and propose regimes and policies; regularly review, replace and supplement necessary means and equipment, in accordance with the requirements of this important task.

Fourthly, continue to expand relations and strengthen international cooperation in the search and gathering of martyrs' remains. The functional agencies of the Ministry of National Defence must strengthen coordination with other departments, ministries, branches and localities to continue implementing solutions to expand international cooperation, strengthen relations with relevant countries, organisations and individuals, in order to exchange and provide information and documents related to Vietnamese soldiers who died, lost information or disappeared during the war; exchange experiences, science and technology applications, support equipment and means, and coordinate in participating in activities of searching, gathering, and identifying martyrs' remains. In the current context of deep international integration, it is necessary to regularly stick to the Party's foreign policy, continue to include the issue of exchanging, providing information, and sharing experiences in searching for soldiers who died, lost information or disappeared in the war into the program of high-level diplomatic activities of the Party and State leaders. Advise and propose the Special Working Committee and the Government's Special Task Force to continue working closely with the Lao Government's Special Working Committee, the Government Committee of Cambodia, and the authorities of these countries to speed up the search, gathering and repatriation of the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who died in Laos and Cambodia. At the same time, develop mechanisms, implement cooperation agreements, and improve the effectiveness of this noble humanitarian work.

Finally, strengthen the work of inspection, supervision, preliminary and final reviews; promptly praise and reward organisations and individuals with achievements in performing the task of searching and gathering martyrs' remains. Periodically and annually, the 515 Steering Committee, the 515 Steering Committee standing agencies at all levels actively develop plans and conduct periodic and irregular inspections, especially for key localities and areas where there are many remains of martyrs that have not been searched and gathered. Through inspection and supervision, leaders at all levels must firmly grasp the situation, progresses and results of search and gather martyrs' remains; promptly detect and handle problems that arise. At the same time, well conduct preliminary and final reviews, and draw lessons learned to promptly adjust and supplement leadership and direction solutions, create unity, and improve efficiency during the implementation. Along with that, it is necessary to timely praise and reward organisations and individuals at home and abroad with outstanding achievements, creating motivation and promoting the sense of responsibility in the search and gathering of martyrs' remains.

Finding and gathering the remains of martyrs is a sacred political task, the morality of the nation, the responsibility of the whole political system which shows the respect, gratitude and deep memorial to the great merits of the martyrs. Promoting the results achieved, military agencies and units must promote the core role, closely coordinate with all levels, branches, localities and mass organisations, with the highest efforts and political determination, continue to promote the search and gathering of martyrs' remains, meeting the expectations of martyrs' families and compatriots, soldiers nationwide, contributing to consolidate the “People’s hearts and minds posture” in building and protecting the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Major General DOAN QUANG HOA, Head of Policy Department