Well implementing the regulations and policies on war invalids, martyrs, contributors, etc. and the military rear is one of the noble activities, expressing the tradition and moral principle of “Drinking water while remembering the source” of the nation, which has been much concerned and effectively carried out by Ha Tinh Provincial Party Committee, government, people and armed forces to show the consideration and deep gratitude.

Ha Tinh, a province with rich revolutionary traditions, is one of the provinces, together with the whole country, having great contribution to the cause of national liberation, building and protecting the Homeland and fulfilling the international duties. Especially, in the resistant war against the U.S for national salvation, Ha Tinh was both the front and the rear which directly provides human and equipment support for the Southern battlefields, and also the focal area of destruction by the US. In this fierce war, Ha Tinh’s Party Committee, government, armed forces and people proved their general strength, directly combatted and supported the combats, cleared the “blood-vessel” routes, timely transported humans and weapons for the front to gain victory. Bringing into play the tradition of “Blood being able to shed, routes without being blocked”, “being stick to the routes when alive, being resilient and brave when die”, “Not regretting any houses when vehicles haven’t passed”, etc., Ha Tinh has importantly contributed to the nation’s general victory. Beside these great contributions, Ha Tinh has also suffered from many sacrifices, losses and heavy consequences of the war. With the devotion and sacrifice by the whole Provincial Party committee, government, armed forces and people for the independence and freedom of the Homeland and the immortality of the nation, Ha Tinh is one of the areas leading the country in the number of martyrs, war invalids, sick soldiers and revolution contributors, which has been acknowledged, appreciated and specially concerned by the Party, State and the whole country.

Being imbued with the nation’s tradition and moral principle of “Drinking water while remembering the source”, recently, Ha Tinh Provincial leaders and government have thoroughly grasped the Party’s guidelines, viewpoints and the State’s policies on war invalids, martyrs, contributors and the military rear. On that basis, the Province has attentively led and directed the drastic and synchronous implementation of solutions for the policy work and the “Gratitude” activities and gained remarkable results. Notably, they have checked, appraised files, solved accurately and timely the interests for contributors, war participants and other cases related to post-war policies; inspected, verified and concluded the files for the war invalids and martyrs, making the publicity, democracy, transparency and rightness; effectively corrected the shortcomings of the implementation. They have actively mobilised offices, units and donators to build the affection and gratitude funds, Fund “for the poor”; supported soldiers’ families who have been stricken with special difficulties, natural disasters and diseases; repaired and improved the cemeteries, cared for martyrs’ graves and looked after the Vietnamese Heroic Mothers. Since 2016, areas in the Province have repaired and built 49 “Houses of Gratitude”, “Houses of Comrade”; health checked, treated and freely provided medicines for nearly 2,000 people; visited and presented gifts to families of policy and contributors, presented the savings books to martyrs’ relatives, etc. with the total of over VND 10 billion; paid nearly VND  211 billion to 92,000 revolution participants and conscripted labourers; 100% soldiers’ relatives have been issued with the health insurance and received a full health check and treatment, etc. Annually, the Province presents thousands of gifts on the occasion of festivals, Tet and organised many meaningful activities of meeting, visiting and presenting gifts to veterans, war invalids, martyrs’ relatives and policy beneficiaries or thurifying the martyrs’ cemeteries. Especially, since 2021, the whole Province has supported the new construction of 4,096 houses for contributors, difficult households with the total of over VND 392 billion. With the gratitude towards the martyrs in 2020 of the Economic-Defence Unit 337, the Province has timely presented 06 savings books of VND 600 million to families; built 06 houses of gratitude and recruited their relatives to the army, etc. Implementing the Project on searching and collecting martyr’s remains in the period of 2013 – 2020, the Province has received and verified thousands of information items on martyrs and their graves; completed the list of 2,241 martyrs, made the map of martyrs’ graves in areas; surveyed, searched and collected 185 martyrs’ remains. These results have been the great material and spiritual motivation for both policy beneficiaries and contributors, contributing to the relief of the war sufferings, the construction and consolidation of trust by the people in the local party committees, governments and armed forces.

Leader of the province encourages the task force conducting the search and collection of martyrs' remains

In the coming years, the socio-economic development in the Province faces difficulties because of the influence of the Covid-19 pandemic, natural disasters and diseases; there is much limitation in the mobilisation of human resources for implementing the regulations and social policies, and the information on martyrs, martyrs’ graves etc., which significantly affects the implementation of the policy work in the location. In order to improve the effectiveness of the policies on war invalids, martyrs, the military rear and the “Gratitude” activities, the Provincial Party Committee, government and armed forces need to well carry out several main duties and solutions as follows:

Firstly, strengthen the leadership, direction and management of the party committees and government at all levels of the work of war invalids, martyrs and the military rear. Basing on the grasp of circulars and instructions from the seniors, the Province needs to attentively lead and direct the full implementation of policies for beneficiaries; complete the database of martyrs, make maps and collect martyrs’ remains; best mobilise the resources to help people with difficulties; completely deal with the post-war unsolved policies; improve the effectiveness of the movement of “Gratitude”, etc. Currently, in order to improve the effectiveness of the policy work, together with promoting the research, issuing the directions, plans and instructions on this work, it is necessary to complete the Steering Committee of solving the policies on contributors; the Steering Committee of researching, collecting and identifying the martyrs’ remains; lead and direct the locations to establish the steering committees, the policy councils in communes (wards, towns) to create the agreement and unity in the implementation. In the implementation process, it is necessary to promote the inspection, monitoring, management, firmly holding the situation to timely discover and solve the raising difficulties; periodically summarize and learn from experience; resolutely correct shortcomings, especially the ones related to the implementation of regulations and policies.

Secondly, promote the propaganda and education for all cadres, party members and classes of people to be deeply aware of the meanings and roles of the policy work for the war invalids, sick soldiers, martyrs’ families, revolution contributors and the military rear. In order to do it, it is necessary to bring into play the roles of the mass media in propagandising the effectiveness of the “Gratitude” activities and the implementation process of the regulations and policies in the locations, of which, it needs to clarify the basic contents included in the decisions by the Government, Prime Minister on the policies on conscripted labourers and revolution participants; Direction No. 169-CT/QUTW, dated 29/12/2020 by the Central Military Commission on strengthening the leadership and direction of the policy work for the Military and military rear in the period of 2021 – 2025; newly-issued or adapted policies together with advantages and disadvantages in the implementation process, etc., through which, to improve the awareness, create the agreement, prove the responsibility of the whole political system, armed forces and the people to effectively implement the policies by the Party and State on the war invalids, sick soldiers, martyrs’ families, revolution contributors and the military rear policies as well.

Thirdly, bring into play the key role of the functional offices in organising the implementation. Accordingly, the military offices at all levels need to prove the key role in advising and coordinating with the party committees, governments, functional offices and local unions to well implement this work according to the Party’s and State’s guidelines and policies. Immediately, together with visiting and presenting gifts to the policy beneficiaries; closely and scientifically making documents and proposing to solve the policies for the war invalids and martyrs, the functional offices need to coordinate, check and timely solve the raising difficulties related to the regulations and policies; attentively approve and completely solve the postwar unsolved policies; give the policy payments to the people participating the resistance wars to protect the Homeland, doing the international duties and looking after the Vietnamese Heroic mothers; cooperatively give vocational trainings and introduce jobs to young people who have completed their military, police services, etc. In the long run, the local party committees and governments need to research and flexibly apply many activities, develop good models and creative methods, gradually “socialise” the activities of “Gratitude” and closely combine these activities with programs of hunger eradication, poverty alleviation, building the new rural areas, the emulation movements of “The whole people taking care of the war invalids, the families of martyrs and contributors” and “Good public relations”.

Fourthly, continue to enhance the searching and collecting martyrs’ remains. According to the reality, there will be many difficulties in the policy work in general and the search and collection of martyrs’ remains in particular because of the passing time and little related information. Hence, the Province needs to actively mobilise all sources, attentively check and complete the database of martyrs and their graves; enhance the collection and verification of martyrs’ information; bring into play the roles of the Provincial Steering Committee 515 and specialised offices, in which the all-level military departments and the searching and collecting teams play as the core. These specialised offices need to attentively build their plans and well carry out the searching and collecting of the martyrs’ remains domestically and overseas, especially in the key areas in the period of 2021 – 2030 and the following years; closely cooperate with the press and media agencies to enhance the propaganda and encourage people to give information of martyrs and their graves; strengthen the activities of defence foreign affairs, coordinate with Bolikhamsai, Khammuoan and Vientiane in searching and collecting the martyrs’ remains from Laos; receive and bury the remains on schedule, scientifically and suitably with the local customs and habits; resolutely avoid any shortcomings.

Together, the Province promotes the retraining on professional knowledge, behaviour manners, etc., building the staff of cadres and workers doing the policy work that have qualification, heart and stature; speeding up the application of the IT into the management of the policy work, making sure the publicity, transparency, unity and the task-demand fulfillment in the new situation.

VO TRONG HAI, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee