“Paying debt of gratitude” constitutes a vivid manifestation of the tradition of “remembering the source when drinking water” - a millennium-long cultural feature of the Vietnamese nation. As for the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA), “Paying debt of gratitude” not only demonstrates its sentiments and political duty towards revolution contributors, but also helps cement its close-knit bond with the people, build a firm “posture of people’s hearts and minds”, and consolidate all-people national defence associated with the posture of people’s security in the cause of Fatherland construction and protection.

When he was alive, President Ho Chi Minh always attached much importance to “Paying debt of gratitude” and taking care of revolution contributors. He said: “war invalids, sick soldiers, military families, and martyrs’ families are those who have meritorious services to the Fatherland and the people. Therefore, it is our duty to be grateful to, love, and help them”.

Gen. Phan Van Giang, Minister of National Defence gives presents to revolution contributors in Quang Tri province (photo: chinhsachquandoi.vn)

Being imbued with Uncle Ho’s teachings, over the years, the Central Military Commission (CMC), the Ministry of National Defence (MND), the General Department of Politics (GDP), and all-level party committees and commands have seen “Paying debt of gratitude” as an important, routine part of the VPA’s policy work and mass mobilisation work. The CMC Standing Board has issued many documents to direct the entire Military to well organise policy work and “Paying debt of gratitude” activities. Competent offices of the MND have maintained coordination and taken part in advising the 14^th National Assembly Standing Committee to promulgate Ordinance 02/2020/UBTVQH14, dated 9 December 2020, on preferential treatment for revolution contributors, recommending the Government to issue Decree 55/2023/NĐ-CP, dated 27 January 2023, amending and supplementing several articles of Decree 75/2021/NĐ-CP, dated 24 July 2021, alongside Decree 131/2021/NĐ-CP, dated 30 December 2021, detailing regulations and measures for executing the Ordinance on preferential treatment for revolution contributors.

Besides, the MND’s competent offices have closely collaborated with ministries, sectors, and localities to accelerate the appraisal and approval process for profiles of martyrs, war invalids, and sick soldiers, while ensuring policies and regimes for participants in resistance and Fatherland protection wars and international missions according to Prime Ministers’ decisions as well as to provide support policies for Vietnamese revolution contributors residing abroad as stipulated in Decree 102/2018/NĐ-CP, dated 20 July 2018, by the Government. From July 2020 to March 2025, one-time allowances worth about 711,949 bn VND were given to 295,942 individuals; 920,601 martyrs’ profiles across the country were reviewed; all provinces and centrally-run cities handed over database, area conclusions, and maps for searching and collecting martyrs’ remains in phase 1. Between 2020 and May 2025, the whole country searched and collected 7,087 sets of martyrs’ remains (3,271 in Vietnam, 1,096 in Laos, and 2,720 in Cambodia), mobilising resources from the Military and society to construct “houses of affection”, take care of Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, repair martyrs’ cemeteries, provide free medical examination and treatment, give financial assistance to wounded soldiers and families of soldiers who sacrificed their life during military - defence missions, visit and give presents to policy beneficiaries and revolution contributors on national holidays.

In response to the Government’s Program on “eliminating temporary and dilapidated houses” - a major policy of profoundly humane significance of our Party and State, under the spirit of “lightning speed, determination to win”, with a strong sense of responsibility for the people, by May 2025, the whole VPA built 13,277 houses worth about 700.62 bn VND, with 138,644 working days spent by cadres and soldiers. These are significant contributions to improving material and mental life of policy beneficiaries, revolution contributors, poor and near-poor households, deepening the close-knit bond between the people and the VPA, spreading the noble virtues of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers”, and cementing the people’s faith in the Party, State, VPA, and socialist regime.

In the upcoming time, there will be rapid, complex situational changes throughout the world and in the region, imposing new requirements on military - defence tasks and policy work regarding military families. Within Vietnam, in addition to robust socio-economic development, major lines on merging administrative units and adopting two-tier local government model will continue to be executed, thereby leading to significant changes in terms of organisation, personnel, and residence. Those changes will directly affect the process of managing and taking care of policy beneficiaries, particularly in remote, isolated, extremely difficult areas; the aging of the population and rapid urbanisation cause difficulties for a section of war veterans, war invalids, sick soldiers, and martyrs’ families in their life. Besides, hostile forces will continue taking advantage of drawbacks in our policy implementation to distort and undermine unity between the Party, State, VPA, and the people. Those above-mentioned things will impose new, increasingly higher requirements on “Paying debt of gratitude” activities across the country and within the VPA as this is not only a political duty and valuable national tradition, but also an important part of ideological front and the building of a firm “posture of people’s hearts and minds” in the new era. Hence, the entire VPA should focus on several main measures as follows.

First, continuing to enhance education and propagation work to raise awareness and a sense of responsibility among cadres and soldiers towards “Paying debt of gratitude”.

Offices and units should grasp the Party’s lines, the State’s laws and policies, resolutions and directives by the CMC and MND, and guiding documents by ministries, sectors, and the GDP on ensuring policies and regimes for beneficiaries and revolution contributors. It is necessary to step up information work to render cadres, soldiers, and citizens, especially the youth fully aware of significant contributions made by persons with meritorious services to the cause of Fatherland construction and protection. It is vital to clearly understand that taking care of revolution contributors and ensuring preferential treatment policies for those persons constitute a long-term, routine task of the entire political system and society, with the VPA playing a role of utmost importance.

In the process, it is essential to flexibly adopt forms and methods relevant to realities, with a focus on political and ideological education via activities on the occasion of the War Invalids and Martyrs’ Day and during major events of the Party, State, VPA, and localities. Due attention should be paid to promoting the role of press agencies in guiding public opinion and providing timely, sufficient, accurate information about social security policies and “Paying debt of gratitude” activities for all target individuals and the people. Doing so will help raise awareness of the position, purposes, political significance, and humane values of “Paying debt of gratitude” among cadres, soldiers, and citizens as the basis for making this movement more effective and practical.

Second, strengthening leadership and direction of party committees, party organisations, political commissars, junior political commissars, and commanders at all levels over “Paying debt of gratitude”.

There is a fact that “Paying debt of gratitude” becomes practically effective only when there are serious, close leadership and direction. Thus, all-level party committees, political commissars, junior political commissars, commanders, and competent offices should heighten a sense of responsibility, grasp and well execute the Party’s lines, the State’s laws and policies, resolutions and directives by the CMC and MND, plans and guiding documents by the GDP on “Paying debt of gratitude”. Consideration should be given to strictly complying with Directive 14-CT/TW, dated 19 July 2017, by the 12^th Party Central Committee’s Secretariat, on enhancing the Party’s leadership over the work for revolution contributors, Resolution 42-NQ/TW, dated 24 November 2023, by the 13^th Party Central Committee’s 8^th Plenum on renewing and improving social policies to meet the requirements of national construction and protection in the new situation, and the 2020 Ordinance on preferential treatment for revolution contributors.

Furthermore, offices and units should formulate guidelines, measures, and plans for “Paying debt of gratitude” scientifically, feasibly in accordance with their own practical conditions, especially the streamlining of the political system’s apparatus and the re-organisation of local military agencies to avoid interruption, neglect, and a lack of elaborateness. In the process, it is necessary to heighten the role and responsibility of all-level party committees, political commissars, commanders, and political agencies in maintaining collaboration with competent offices both inside and outside the VPA to carry out “Paying debt of gratitude” activities. Offices and units should focus on improving the living conditions of policy beneficiaries and revolution contributors, especially those living in remote, isolated areas, ensuring openness, transparency, and correctness. At the same time, due regard should be paid to conducting the work of investigation, inspection, and supervision, opportunely detecting and rectifying weaknesses in “Paying debt of gratitude” activities to prevent complaints, negative public opinion, and pretexts for hostile forces to step up their sabotage efforts.

Third, actively, flexibly, creatively employing forms and methods in “Paying debt of gratitude”, striving to realise the crucial goal of paying compensation and improving mental and material life for policy beneficiaries, under the spirit of “well implementing laws and policies for revolution contributors via State and social resources, ensuring that the living standards of those persons and their families will be higher than the residential area’s average”.

Offices and units should develop plans and programs flexibly in accordance with target individuals to contribute to raising the effectiveness of “Paying debt of gratitude”; in the process, they should conduct reviews to opportunely identify difficulties, drawbacks, and inappropriate, poor forms as the basis for making adjustments. At the same time, they should multiply new, effective models and approaches for policy beneficiaries. Due attention should be paid to encouraging donation, managing and effectively using “Paying debt of gratitude” Fund and resources from society and military units to provide assistance for Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, policy beneficiaries, nursing centres for revolution contributors, and families of soldiers who were wounded or passed away when performing their tasks. Moreover, it is important for offices and units to closely combine “Paying debt of gratitude” activities with campaigns and emulation movements, particularly the movement entitled “All people take care of war invalids, martyrs’ families, and revolution contributors”, the Determined to Win Emulation Movement, and the Campaign on promoting tradition, devoting talent, deserving to be “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” in the new era, as well as to repair and upgrade martyrs’ cemeteries in their stationed areas. Administrative reform and digital transformation within offices and units should be enhanced, while military cadres in charge of policy work should be further trained to improve their professional expertise and best serve policy beneficiaries. Additionally, offices and units should opportunely commend collectives and individuals with outstanding achievements in “Paying debt of gratitude” activities to create positive spillover effects across the entire VPA and society.

Fourth, promoting the role of forces and organisations in “Paying debt of gratitude”.

To that end, competent offices of the MND, particularly the Military Policy - Social Affairs Sector should continue promoting their role in maintaining close coordination and relationship with other units of the VPA and localities to achieve uniformity in the process of leadership, direction, and implementation. At the same time, it is necessary to encourage a sense of responsibility among offices, units, localities, sectors, and all people in organising “Paying debt of gratitude” activities practically, effectively. Great value should be attached to executing the MND’s Circular 19/2025/TT-BQP, dated 11 April 2025, guiding the implementation of policies and regimes for target individuals under the MND’s management during force adjustments in a timely, accurate fashion. All-level Steering Boards for searching, collecting, and identifying martyrs’ remains should closely cooperate with specialised agencies of Lao and Cambodian governments to accelerate the search, collection, and repatriation of remains of Vietnamese experts and volunteer soldiers who died in Laos and Cambodia. Military regions should direct local military agencies to closely collaborate with local committees, sectors, and unions and friendly units to grasp the number of policy beneficiaries and the performance of policy work as the basis for giving advice to local party committees and authorities on leading and directing “Paying debt of gratitude” activities. Military enterprises should uphold a strong sense of responsibility and continue creating the most favourable condition for families of policy beneficiaries to stabilise their life. Mass organisations should proactively develop action plans and programs relevant to their particularities and capacity, while making more contributions to turning “Paying debt of gratitude” activities into an increasingly deep, wide, practical, effective movement.

Fifth, enhancing inspection and supervision, opportunely detecting and rectifying signs of formalism and bureaucratisation in “Paying debt of gratitude”. Policy work in general and “Paying debt of gratitude” activities in particular are directly related to political, material, and spiritual benefits of policy beneficiaries. Thus, party committees, political commissars, commanders, and competent agencies should further enhance inspection and supervision of the implementation of policy work and “Paying debt of gratitude” activities. Inspection should be aimed at not only detecting wrongdoings, but also making correct evaluations and pointing out weaknesses in leadership, task performance, and specific models and activities. After every inspection, significance should be attached to monitoring and supervising corrective actions, strictly handling signs of indifference, formalism, bureaucratisation, or exploitation of policies for personal gain. Inspection and supervision should be conducted in a regular, focalised way; independent supervision by political and policy agencies within the VPA as well as social criticism by political - social organisations, particularly Veterans’ Associations, Youth Unions, and Fatherland Fronts within localities should be encouraged. At the same time, digital transformation, especially the development of database and applications should be stepped up to ensure openness and transparency and raise the efficiency and effectiveness of state management of policy work for revolution contributors.

The VPA’s “Paying debt of gratitude” activities represent a vivid manifestation of revolutionary humanism, acting as a bridge between the Military and the people, aiming to cement the people’s faith in the Party, State, and socialist regime. In the new era, the entire VPA should further raise its awareness and political responsibility and synchronously, effectively organise “Paying debt of gratitude” activities so as to promote the revolutionary nature and noble virtues of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers”, make all-people national defence and the posture of all-people national defence increasingly strong, and facilitate the country’s rapid, sustainable development.

Sr. Lt. Gen. LE QUANG MINH

Deputy Director of the GDP of the VPA