The search and collection of martyrs’ remains constitute a sacred task of the entire Party, Military, people, and political system, profoundly demonstrating our national traditions of “remembering the source when drinking water” and “gratitude”, contributing to alleviating the pain of war, meeting the expectations of martyrs’ relatives and the sentiment of Vietnamese citizens across the country. In the new situation, it is necessary for authorities, sectors, and localities with the Military as the core force to enhance and better this work.

Over the years, bringing into play the national traditions of “remembering the source when drinking water” and “gratitude”, our Party and State have paid special regard to formulating a lot of guidelines and comprehensive measures to implement policies for war invalids, martyrs’ families, military families, and persons with meritorious services to the revolution, particularly for the search and collection of martyrs’ remains. That demonstrates not only our socialist regime’s nature but also the sacred sentiment and sincere gratitude of the whole Party, Military, and people to our heroes who fought and sacrificed their lives for the independence and freedom of our Fatherland and the people’s happiness. That work also helps alleviate the pain of war and satisfy the expectations of our people across the country.

Sr. Lt. Gen. Vo Minh Luong addressing the conference to review the implementation of Prime Minister’s decisions on ensuring policies and entitlements for organisations and individuals in charge of searching and collecting martyrs’ remains (photo: mod.gov.vn)

Grasping and seriously implementing the Party’s lines and the State’s policies on the search and collection of martyrs’ remains, the National Steering Board on the search, collection, and identification of martyrs’ remains (aka National Steering Board 515), ministries, sectors, local party committees and authorities, units and offices of the Military, and the Labour – War Invalids and Social Affairs Sector have focused on performing this important task with their greatest sentiment and political responsibility, thereby achieving many significant results. It is worth noting that public awareness and a sense of responsibility among cadres, party members, and people from all walks of life towards sacrifices made by martyrs and persons with meritorious services to the revolution have been unceasingly raised. Offices, units, and localities have proactively developed plans, given directions, and frequently consolidated manpower and means for the force in charge of searching and collecting martyrs’ remains. Propagation work aimed at encouraging all relevant people to provide information about martyrs and graves of martyrs has been carried out both widely and deeply, thus attracting public attention and achieving a consensus within society. Coordination between ministries, sectors, and localities in building national database on martyrs, concluding areas-related information, and establishing maps for the search and collection has been maintained in a comprehensive, deep, wide, scientific, and close manner. Currently, many offices and units have accomplished their database on martyrs, made and provided lists of martyrs for localities to verify and conclude areas-related information, establish maps, and conduct the search and collection of martyrs’ remains. International cooperation in searching and collecting martyrs’ remains has been promoted synchronously, uniformly in various degrees, thus gaining initial positive results. Due regard has been paid to conducting preliminary and final reviews and ensuring policies, entitlements, and facilities for the search and collection of martyrs’ remains, thus promoting synergy in the implementation process¹. Authorities, sectors, and localities have closely, carefully, formally organised memorial and reburial services for martyrs’ remains in accordance with local customs, contributing to stimulating patriotism and cementing the faith of Vietnamese citizens both at home and abroad in our Party, State, and socialist regime.

However, in addition to those good results, the work of propagation to encourage the provision of information about martyrs and graves of martyrs has yet to be regular or widespread. The compilation of lists of martyrs, the gathering and verification of relevant information, and the establishment of maps for the search and collection have yet to be really scientific. Many sets of remains of martyrs (about 180,000 sets) have not collected yet. The number of witnesses to graves of martyrs has increasingly decreased. The terrain has been changed considerably, and many places remains littered with bombs, mines, and explosives left over from the war, thereby causing difficulties for the search and collection.

In the upcoming time, authorities, sectors, and localities, with the Army acting as the core force should adopt measures synchronously, mobilise all resources, and promote the synergy of the entire political system and people to more effectively carry out the search and collection of martyrs’ remains, with emphasis placed on several central measures as follows.

First, continuing to thoroughly grasp the Party’s lines and the State’s laws and policies on the search and collection of martyrs’ remains. This measure is of utmost importance to ensuring that the search and collection of martyrs’ remains will be closely carried out under the pre-set lines, goals, and requirements and will demonstrate the humanism and fine nature of our socialist regime. Hence, offices, units, and localities should continue to thoroughly grasp the Party’s lines and the State’s laws and policies on the search and collection of martyrs’ remains, particularly Prime Minister’s Decision 1515/QĐ-TTg dated 14 September 2021 on searching, collecting, and identifying martyrs’ remains until 2030 and beyond. Grounded on those documents, they should formulate measures of leadership and direction, especially over the building of specific, feasible action programs/plans for each year and period in accordance with the particularities of each area. All-level party committees and commands should heighten their responsibility and strengthen their leadership and direction over propagation work to raise public awareness and promote all forces’ synergy in the implementation process. At the same time, due attention should be paid to giving advice to authorities on promulgating policies, entitlements, and guiding documents for the search and collection of martyrs’ remains, with a view to achieving synchronicity and uniformity in the leadership, direction, and implementation process.

Second, enhancing the work of information and propagation among organisations and individuals both at home and abroad in diverse forms. Offices, units, and localities, particularly press agencies should continue to disseminate the Party’s lines, the State’s laws and policies as well as the political responsibility and resolve of authorities, sectors, units, and localities in the search and collection of martyrs’ remains. It is necessary to proactively renew the content, forms, and methods of propagation and bring into play the effectiveness of media institutions to encourage organisations and individuals both at home and abroad to provide information about martyrs and graves of martyrs as well as take part in the search and collection. Besides, it is important to promote the effectiveness of portals on military policy work and information about martyrs, graves of martyrs, and martyrs’ cemeteries, increase forums to exchange and share information, and release more publications on the search and collection of martyrs’ remains. Offices, units, localities, and each force should continue to well carry out mass mobilisation work, encourage all people to provide information about martyrs and graves of martyrs, actively exploit the results of deciphering the symbols and numbers of military units, and maximise the existing records, lists, and national database on martyrs to analyse information for the search and collection, especially in the areas with information about collective graves of martyrs. At the same time, consideration should be given to applying technology to reviewing and completing records and lists of martyrs, concluding areas-related information, establishing maps for the search and collection at all levels, identifying the key areas of search and collection, and building, integrating, and operating national database on martyrs across the country.

Third, regularly consolidating manpower, supplementing means and equipment, and raising the effectiveness of searching and collecting martyrs’ remains in areas. Offices, units, and localities should frequently consolidate the organisational structure of Steering Boards 515 and Standing Agencies of those Boards at all levels and raise their capacity and efficiency to meet the requirements of managing and directing the search and collection of martyrs’ remains. Grounded on the characteristics of each area, it is essential to organise provisional, inter-sectoral, and coordinating forces in charge of searching and collecting martyrs’ remains properly, effectively. Importance should be attached to conducting field surveys, particularly in the key areas as the basis for making plans and organising workforce and means for searching and collecting martyrs’ remains in a close, effective, safe manner. Moreover, it is necessary to proactively hold training courses to improve professional competence and skills of forces in charge of searching and collecting martyrs’ remains as well as review, replace, and supplement means and equipment for this task. In the process, it is important to well manage areas to avoid illegalities of search and collection; due attention should be paid to moving, receiving, and handing over martyrs’ remains and organising memorial and reburial services for martyrs’ remains in a close, careful, formal, and absolutely safe fashion. Resources from offices, units, and localities should continue to be exploited to well carry out the search and collection of martyrs’ remains and contribute to maintaining local political and social stability.

Fourth, promoting the entire political system’s synergy and the role of offices, organisations, and forces, and strengthening international cooperation in the search and collection of martyrs’ remains. Competent offices of the Ministry of National Defence should foster cooperation with relevant ministries, sectors, and localities in the search, collection, and identification of martyrs’ remains; they should also coordinate with Vietnam Veterans’ Associations and Steering Boards 515 at all levels to encourage the people to provide information about martyrs and graves of martyrs, thus improving the effectiveness of searching, collecting, and identifying martyrs’ remains in the new period. Due attention should be paid to giving advice to the Party and State on expanding relations with relevant countries, organisations, and individuals in order to exchange experience, transfer technology, acquire equipment, and include the issues on exchanging and providing documents and information about Vietnamese soldiers who sacrificed or went missing during the wartime in diplomatic programs of leaders of the Party, State, Central Military Commission, and Ministry of National Defence. Besides, it is necessary to raise the effectiveness of coordination between the Vietnamese Government’s Special Task Board and Special Committee, the Lao Government’s Special Task Board, and the Cambodian Government’s Special Committee to accelerate the search, collection, and repatriation of the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who laid down their lives in Laos and Cambodia in a proactive, active, rapid, highly responsible way. At the same time, it is important to build mechanisms of cooperation, realise cooperation agreements, and raise the effectiveness of this humanistic work.

Fifth, intensifying the work of inspection, supervision, and review to draw lessons and opportunely commend organisations and individuals with outstanding achievements in the search and collection of martyrs’ remains. All-level Steering Boards 515 and Standing Agencies of those Boards as well as offices, units, and localities should carry out regular and irregular inspections of the work of searching and collecting martyrs’ remains, particularly in the key localities and areas where many sets of remains of martyrs have yet to be found. At the same time, it is essential to conduct preliminary and final reviews to draw lessons, opportunely adjust and supplement measures of leadership and direction, achieve uniformity in awareness and action, and raise the effectiveness of staff work and implementation process. Moreover, it is vital to opportunely commend organisations and individuals both at home and abroad with outstanding achievements in the search and collection of martyrs’ remains.

Searching and collecting martyrs’ remains represent a sacred political task of the entire Party, Military, people, and political system, demonstrating the tradition of “remembering the source when drinking water” and all Vietnamese people’s respect and profound gratitude for our heroes who sacrificed their lives for the Fatherland. Bringing into play the recorded results, authorities, sectors, and localities with military offices and units as the core force should continue to enhance the search and collection of martyrs’ remains to meet the expectations of martyrs’ relatives and all Vietnamese citizens across the country and make contributions to building a firm “posture of people’s hearts and minds” in the cause of Fatherland construction and protection.

Sr. Lt. Gen. VO MINH LUONG

Member of the Party Central Committee

Member of the Central Military Commission Standing Board

Deputy Minister of National Defence

Deputy Head of National Steering Board 515

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1- Since 2013, Vietnam has succeeded in collecting 21,396 sets of remains of martyrs, including 10,307 in the country, 3,378 in Laos, and 7,711 in Cambodia.