Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Ho Thi Hoang Yen - Chairwoman of the Provincial People's Council Ho Thi Hoang Yen read a speech at the ceremony. Photo: Thanh Dong
Dear Comrade Nguyen Trong Nghia, Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission,
Dear Comrade Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, former Politburo member, former Chairwoman of the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, exemplary Dong Khoi citizen,
Dear Comrade Truong My Hoa, former Secretary of the Party Central Committee, former Vice President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, honorary citizen of Dong Khoi,
Dear Central Committee members, former Central Committee members, leaders of the Party, State, Vietnam Fatherland Front, Central ministries and branches, leaders of Vinh Long and Tra Vinh Provincial Party Committees, leaders of Ben Tre province through the periods, heroic Vietnamese mothers, heroes of the people's armed forces, heroes of labor in the renovation period,
Dear delegates,
Dear compatriots and comrades,
Today, in the heroic, emotional and proud atmosphere of the historic April days, the Party Committee, the Government and the People of Ben Tre province solemnly organized the Ceremony to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025); the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of Ben Tre province (May 1, 1975 - May 1, 2025). On behalf of the Party Committee, the Government and the People of Ben Tre province, I warmly welcome comrade Nguyen Trong Nghia, Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission, on behalf of the Party and State, to attend the Ceremony and deliver a speech; respectfully send to the leaders, former leaders of the Party and State, leaders of the Vinh Long and Tra Vinh Provincial Party Committees, leaders of Ben Tre province through the periods, veteran revolutionaries, heroic Vietnamese Mothers, Heroes of the People's Armed Forces; Labor heroes in the renovation period, together with cadres and soldiers of the armed forces, wounded and sick soldiers, families of martyrs, families with meritorious services to the country; distinguished delegates, compatriots and comrades, my deepest feelings, warm greetings and best wishes.
In this sacred moment, the entire Party, the entire people and the entire army of Ben Tre province respectfully commemorate the great merits and express our infinite gratitude to President Ho Chi Minh - the genius leader of the Vietnamese revolution, the national liberation hero, the world cultural celebrity - who devoted his entire life to the independence and freedom of the Fatherland, the happiness of the people and the peace and progress of humanity. We engrave and express our deep gratitude to the heroic martyrs who heroically sacrificed, the wounded and sick soldiers, families with meritorious services to the country, the heroic Vietnamese mothers, the heroes of the people's armed forces; generations of cadres, comrades and compatriots who contributed their efforts and intelligence to the cause of building and defending the country and our beloved homeland of Ben Tre.
Dear compatriots and comrades!
After the successful end of the resistance war against French colonialism, our people have the right to live in a peaceful, unified, independent, free and happy country, with equal and friendly relations with countries around the world. However, with the ambition of invasion, the US government sabotaged the Geneva Agreement signed in 1954, intervened in the South, permanently divided our country, turned the South into a new type of colony and a US military base, brutally suppressed the revolution in the South and waged a fierce war of destruction in the North.
In the face of the enemy's invasion, the Vietnamese people were determined not to submit. President Ho Chi Minh's call "Rather sacrifice everything than lose the country, never become slaves" became a sacred command, deeply engraved in the mind and heart of every patriotic Vietnamese . In response to that call, together with the whole country, the Party Committee and the people of Ben Tre rose up strongly, typically the "Dong Khoi" movement under the leadership of Female General Nguyen Thi Dinh. The movement won a resounding victory, becoming a symbol of the spirit of steadfast and indomitable struggle. Dong Khoi was not only an important milestone in Ben Tre but also had a widespread influence, promoting the resistance movement throughout the South, contributing greatly to the defeat of the American imperialists and the Saigon government, establishing glorious feats, defeating the Americans and overthrowing the puppet regime . The peak was the General Offensive and Uprising in the Spring of 1975, ending with the complete victory of the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign, completely liberating the South and reunifying the country.
Delegates attending the celebration. Photo: Thanh Dong
Dear compatriots and comrades!
During the 1975 Spring General Offensive and Uprising in Ben Tre, under the direction of the Campaign Command, the armed forces coordinated with the uprising masses to attack most of the outposts, sub-regions, and important bases in the districts, as well as outposts on the outskirts of Ben Tre town. Political and military forces were also deployed into the inner areas of towns and cities, pressuring the enemy to surrender. Although the provincial governor Pham Chi Kim stubbornly held out, ordering artillery fire everywhere; but with the offensive power of thousands of armed masses from all directions, coordinating with security forces and soldiers, we captured Tan Thanh airport, lowered the puppet flag, raised the revolutionary flag, occupied the Provincial Governor's Palace and other headquarters. At the same time, in the towns of Mo Cay, Ba Tri, Giong Trom, Binh Dai, Thanh Phu, Chau Thanh, Cho Lach and throughout the rural areas, the guerrilla forces and hundreds of thousands of people entered and occupied the sub-regions, offices, and police stations, thoroughly implementing the slogans of "liberating the district, liberating the commune" . By the morning of May 1, 1975, the entire Ben Tre province was completely liberated, and order and security were quickly established. An independent and free life had truly returned to the people of the province after many long years of arduous resistance and sacrifice.
From here, the land of Ben Tre, which is famous for the eight golden words “ Anh dung Dong Khoi, thang My, die nguoi ”, has raised the echo of freedom, sharing the joy of the nation when the country is unified. This is not only the victory of the Party Committee, army and people of Ben Tre, but also the common feat of the entire people, crystallized from years of steadfast fighting and heroic sacrifice for independence and freedom. The boundless joy when the family is reunited: mother meets child, child meets father , wife meets husband… everyone is indescribably happy in the joy of victory. Soldiers and people visit each other, shake hands and congratulate each other , sharing the joy of victory, the happiness of the day of national reunification - the day when the whole country is reunited, independent, free and peaceful.
Dear compatriots and comrades,
War is loss, is sacrifice! To have a peaceful life like today, our ancestors had to pay with their bones and blood. For Ben Tre, the loss and pain are immense. Of more than 70 thousand sons who went to war, more than 35 thousand heroically sacrificed, forever lying on the motherland on all battlefields from the south to the north ; more than 18 thousand people became wounded and sick soldiers; nearly 20 thousand people were arrested, tortured, imprisoned, beaten to the point of disability, many families had 5-7 people killed by the enemy at the same time; more than 30 thousand people were infected with Agent Orange, the consequences lasting for many generations.
50 years - not a long journey in the history of the nation, but an arduous, resilient and proud journey of the Party Committee and the people of the province. That journey was written by the blood, sweat, tears and sacrifices of many generations of predecessors - the excellent children who contributed to creating a Ben Tre today: steadfast, innovative, rich in identity and full of aspirations to rise. Looking back at the half century that has passed since the day the homeland was completely liberated, from a poor province burdened with the consequences of war, lacking infrastructure, especially fragmented traffic infrastructure, purely agricultural economy , being a province " the source of salt water, the source of fresh water ", heavily affected by rising sea levels, saline intrusion and landslides, Ben Tre today has changed its skin , creatively applying and promoting the tradition of Dong Khoi in 1960, with the spirit of " New Dong Khoi ", Ben Tre has constantly risen and achieved many important achievements in all fields.
The work of Party building and political system building has achieved many positive results; the work of training and fostering cadres has been focused on, improving the quality of cadres and party members, meeting the requirements of tasks in the new situation; the work of inspection, supervision and party discipline has been seriously implemented, contributing to maintaining discipline in the Party; the work of preventing corruption, waste and negativity has been given regular attention. National defense and security have continued to be maintained, creating a safe and favorable environment for socio-economic development; the Party's leadership method has always been innovated towards being close to the people and the grassroots.
Processing seafood for export at An Hiep Industrial Park, Chau Thanh District. Photo: Cam Truc
Ben Tre province's economic growth remains stable, the economic structure shifts in the right direction: In the first quarter of 2025, the agriculture - forestry - fishery sector accounts for 38.23%, the construction industry accounts for 20.04%, and trade and services account for 38.05%. Up to now, the province has 118/132 communes meeting new rural standards (of which 49 communes meet advanced new rural standards, 19 communes meet model new rural standards). Traffic - irrigation - electricity - telecommunications infrastructure is gradually invested synchronously. Key projects such as Rach Mieu 2 bridge , coastal road, Ba Lai 8 bridge... are opening up great opportunities to connect Ben Tre with the key economic region of the South.
Rach Mieu 2 Bridge project is expected to be completed before August 2025. Photo: Thach Thao
Attention is paid to investment in culture, education and health. The annual high school graduation rate remains above 99%; the grassroots health network is widely spread ; by the end of 2024, the rate of people with health insurance will reach 96.57%, higher than the national average. Social security policies have been effectively implemented, helping to improve people's material life, enhance their spirit, ensure social justice and progress, and the poverty rate is currently 2.05%. The work of caring for people with revolutionary contributions in the province has always received attention, leadership, direction, and comprehensive and extensive implementation from Party committees and authorities at all levels. The province has confirmed and granted pensions to nearly 30,000 martyrs, built, gathered, and buried 18,506 martyrs' graves; conferred and posthumously conferred titles on 6,946 Vietnamese Heroic Mothers; 101 mothers are still alive and are cared for by organizations and individuals for life; 11,281 houses of gratitude were newly built and repaired , thousands of savings books were given to households of meritorious people and families of policy beneficiaries; to date, more than 99% of families of meritorious people and families of policy beneficiaries have a standard of living equal to or higher than the average standard of living of the residential area. Cultural institutions, heritage preservation, promotion of Dong Khoi cultural values, coconut culture are focused on, enriching the soul of this land.
Dear compatriots and comrades,
The historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign was victorious, bringing the country to unification, ending more than 100 years of colonial and imperialist slavery , marking an important milestone in the struggle for independence and freedom. The 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification; the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of Ben Tre Province is an opportunity for us to forever remember and pay tribute to the heroic martyrs and families with meritorious services, and at the same time look back at the achievements and valuable lessons from the process of building and developing the country. It is an opportunity to commemorate the great sacrifices of previous generations and affirm the achievements in the reconstruction of the homeland after liberation, from economic and infrastructure development to culture, education and society.
Provincial Party Secretary - Chairman of the Provincial People's Council Ho Thi Hoang Yen and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Tran Ngoc Tam presented the award to Mr. Nguyen Van Sang - Nguyen Thao Nguyen.
On the occasion of today's solemn celebration, the province Nguyen Dinh Chieu Award - the award named after the famous person Nguyen Dinh Chieu, honored by UNESCO - poet, virtuous physician, great cultural figure of the nation - is a symbol of patriotic intellectuals, steadfastness and creativity in artistic work. This is an important highlight to honor individuals in the province who have made outstanding contributions to the culture, arts, education and medicine of the province. Let's spread the spirit of humanity, encourage learning and dedication, so that the next generation can continue to preserve and promote the good values that our ancestors have built. The award named after Nguyen Dinh Chieu will continue to arouse national pride and encourage creativity, contributing to enriching Vietnamese culture in general and Ben Tre in particular.
Dear compatriots and comrades!
Proud of the heroic tradition of our homeland Dong Khoi, at this solemn ceremony, I call on all cadres, party members, soldiers, armed forces, and people of all walks of life in the province to carry out the following key tasks:
Firstly, continue to strengthen the work of building a clean and strong Party and political system; improve the effectiveness and efficiency of agencies and organizations. Especially focus on implementing the arrangement of administrative units at the commune and provincial levels towards streamlining the organizational apparatus, improving the quality of the contingent of cadres, civil servants and public employees with adequate qualities, capacity, dedication to work, and good completion of assigned tasks.
Second, strengthen propaganda and education about the history of the struggle for independence, freedom and national unification; the process of building and developing the country and homeland over the past half century. From there, help everyone, especially the young generation, understand and be proud of the great sacrifices of previous generations, to continue the glorious tradition, to devote youth , dynamism and creativity, to build the homeland and country into a new era - the era of development and prosperity.
Ben Tre focuses on developing renewable energy, logistics , and eco-tourism. Photo: Thach Thao
Third, pay attention to economic development, especially the private economy, strongly attract investment, especially in processing industries, renewable energy, logistics , eco-tourism... Focus on developing agriculture in a modern, organic direction, linked to value chains and key products such as coconut, specialty fruits, brackish water seafood... Strengthen regional linkages, at the same time take advantage of central and international resources and mobilize internal resources among the people.
Fourth, focus on improving the quality of high-quality human resources, associated with innovation in education and vocational training, and arousing the desire to contribute in the young generation. Ensure legitimate rights and create conditions for workers to develop their capacity to contribute to the strong development of their homeland and country.
Fifth, effectively implement Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW dated December 22, 2024 of the Politburo on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation in accordance with the practical conditions of the province; enhance the application of science and technology in production labor, helping to improve productivity and product quality; build digital government, digital economy and digital society - towards a smart, friendly and livable Ben Tre. Each cadre and party member must be a pioneer in innovative thinking, dare to think, dare to do, put the interests of the people first. That is the spirit of "New Dong Khoi" in the digital age.
Sixth, develop culture, protect the environment, proactively respond to climate change, complete the task of building new rural communes towards the province completing the task of building new rural areas. At the same time, improve social security, improve the material and spiritual life of the people; determined to complete the program of eliminating temporary and dilapidated houses in the province before June 30, 2025. Fully implement policies, care for and show gratitude to those who have contributed to the cause of building and defending the Fatherland.
Seventh, continuing to preserve and promote traditional cultural values, especially the cultural and historical values of Dong Khoi, the tradition of patriotism, solidarity, humanity and loyalty of the people of the Coconut Land is the greatest endogenous resource for the province to develop sustainably.
Dear compatriots and comrades,
The heroic tradition in war and the resilience and creativity in peace are invaluable assets of the homeland of Coconut. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South, the reunification of the country, the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of Ben Tre province, looking back 50 years - we are proud of the past; 50 years ahead - we nurture aspirations for the future. That aspiration does not come from contentment, but from the will to rise up - from sacrifice, hardship, and deprivation; that aspiration is lit by every Ben Tre citizen: coconut farmers must change their thinking and ways of doing things; young people starting a business must be intelligent; cadres must be devoted to the people; and businesses must be brave when integrating.
We believe that, with high political determination, with the joint efforts of the entire Party, the entire army and the entire people, Ben Tre will continue to "set sail" with an expanded development space, a larger vision, stronger aspirations, and more steady steps on the path of rapid, sustainable and prosperous development worthy of the sacrifices of many generations of predecessors.
In the coming time, implementing the Central Government's policy on arranging and merging provincial and communal administrative units, not organizing district level, the name of the province may be different, but the Dong Khoi spirit, the heroic tradition, loyalty and loyalty of the people of the Coconut land will continue to be preserved, nurtured and spread. Ben Tre - the homeland of Dong Khoi, is not only history but also the soul and spiritual strength of generations of Ben Tre people. In the common home of the new province, the Dong Khoi mark will not fade over time but must be an important symbol, contributing to spreading the Dong Khoi spirit in the new province, creating momentum, consensus and belief to together build a rich, civilized and affectionate land.
On this occasion, on behalf of the Party Committee, Government and People of Ben Tre province, I would like to express my deep gratitude to the Party, State, Central Ministries, other provinces, business community and all compatriots inside and outside the province who have always accompanied and joined hands for the development of Ben Tre over the past 50 years.
I wish all leaders, former leaders of the Party and State, leaders of other provinces, provincial leaders through the periods, heroic Vietnamese mothers, heroes of the people's armed forces, heroes of labor in the renovation period, distinguished delegates and all compatriots and comrades good health, happiness and success.
Thank you very much!
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(*): Title given by the Editorial Board.
Source: https://baodongkhoi.vn/thoi-su/tin-trong-tinh/ben-tre-se-tiep-tuc-ra-khoi-voi-khong-gian-phat-trien-mo-rong-tam-nhin-lon-hon-khat-vong-manh-me-h-a145682.html
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