President attends activities to celebrate 76th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs Day in Con Dao

On the occasion of the 76th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs Day (July 27, 1947 - July 27, 2023), on July 19, President Vo Van Thuong and leaders and former leaders of the Party and State attended many activities to pay tribute to heroic martyrs, revolutionary soldiers, and patriotic compatriots; met with former political prisoners in Con Dao; visited and presented gifts to people with meritorious services in Con Dao district, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province.

Con Dao - a sacred land that marks the steadfast and indomitable struggle of heroic martyrs, revolutionary soldiers, and patriotic compatriots during the two resistance wars against the French colonialists and the invading American imperialists. In those fierce battles, many generations of fathers and brothers, following the sacred call of the Fatherland, did not spare their blood and youth, dedicating themselves to the cause of national liberation and national unification. On the sacred land of Con Dao, tens of thousands of outstanding children heroically sacrificed or left behind a part of their bodies due to the fierce torture of the enemy.

President Vo Van Thuong attends the memorial service for heroic martyrs, revolutionary soldiers and patriots who sacrificed their lives in Con Dao. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA

Years have passed, but the great contributions of the fallen heroes, revolutionary soldiers, and patriotic compatriots will forever be recorded in the golden pages of the nation's history as an immortal heroic epic, forever a tragic song about a painful time of the nation that no Vietnamese person is allowed to forget.

President Vo Van Thuong and other leaders and former leaders of the Party and State offer incense at Hang Duong Cemetery. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA

* On the morning of July 19, at Hang Duong Cemetery, President Vo Van Thuong and the delegation respectfully offered incense, commemorated and paid tribute to heroic martyrs, revolutionary soldiers and patriotic compatriots who heroically sacrificed their lives in Con Dao. Also attending were former President Nguyen Minh Triet, former President Truong Tan Sang; Party Central Committee Secretaries: Head of the Central Propaganda Department Nguyen Trong Nghia, Head of the Central Mass Mobilization Department Bui Thi Minh Hoai; leaders of a number of central and local departments, ministries and branches. Notably, nearly 80 former political prisoners of Con Dao from many provinces and cities across the country also attended this solemn ceremony.

With infinite respect and gratitude, President Vo Van Thuong, leaders and former leaders of the Party and State and former political prisoners of Con Dao respectfully offered flowers and incense to commemorate the nation's outstanding sons who sacrificed their lives for the homeland and the Fatherland. The delegation's wreath bore the words "Forever grateful to the heroes and martyrs".

Here, President Vo Van Thuong and the delegation offered incense and flowers in memory of the late General Secretary Le Hong Phong; Martyr, Hero of the People's Armed Forces Vo Thi Sau and burned incense at the graves of patriots, heroes and martyrs who have forever remained on the sunny and resilient land of Con Dao.

President Vo Van Thuong offers incense at the grave of martyr and People's Armed Forces Hero Vo Thi Sau at Hang Duong Cemetery. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA

* After the incense offering ceremony at Hang Duong Cemetery, President Vo Van Thuong and the delegation attended the Memorial Service for Heroic Martyrs, Revolutionary Soldiers and patriots who sacrificed their lives in Con Dao. The event was solemnly held at Con Dao Temple.

After President Vo Van Thuong rang the bell and offered incense to open the ceremony, delegates held a flag salute ceremony and observed a minute of silence to commemorate President Ho Chi Minh and the heroic martyrs, revolutionary soldiers and patriots who sacrificed and devoted their lives to the country.

Speaking at the memorial service, Chairman of the People's Committee of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province Nguyen Van Tho emphasized that it was at this very place 71 years ago that heroine Vo Thi Sau stood tall during her execution at 7:00 a.m. on January 23, 1952 with the immortal words: "I only know how to stand, not kneel."

Hang Duong Cemetery with 1,922 graves; Con Dao Temple with 2,284 martyrs on stone steles, but this land and the open sea still have countless outstanding sons of the nation who have turned into dust. The great sacrifices of many generations of Con Dao prisoners are heroic pages of the nation's history with their love for their homeland. The indomitable spirit of patriots and revolutionary soldiers has turned the "Hell Island" into the "Heroic Epic" of defending the country of the nation.

* On the same afternoon, President Vo Van Thuong attended a meeting with 76 delegates who are former political prisoners of Con Dao.

President Vo Van Thuong with former political prisoners of Con Dao. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA

Reporting to the President, the representative of the Liaison Committee of Vietnamese Revolutionary Soldiers imprisoned by the enemy said that over the past time, with the support of all levels and sectors, the Liaison Committee has gradually consolidated and improved its organization, actively completed support policies, and taken care of the health of revolutionary soldiers imprisoned by the enemy. Thanks to that, the revolutionary soldiers have improved their lives, continued to set a shining example for their children and grandchildren, and the younger generation in terms of revolutionary enthusiasm, and contributed to the cause of socio-economic development of their homeland and country.

Representatives of former political prisoners in Con Dao all expressed their gratitude for the attention of the Party, the State, Ba Ria Vung Tau province and the National Liaison Committee of Vietnamese Revolutionary Soldiers imprisoned by the enemy. Recalling the difficult years in prison, keeping their integrity in the face of enemy blows, the delegates also expressed their emotions and nostalgia for their comrades who heroically sacrificed and remained here forever; at the same time, they affirmed to continue to foster the spirit of patriotism and revolution for the next generation; contributing to the construction of the country and homeland with specific and practical actions, suitable to their abilities.

Moved by the meeting with delegates on the occasion of the 76th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs Day (July 27), President Vo Van Thuong expressed his admiration and respect for the great sacrifices of former political prisoners in Con Dao. The President emphasized that Con Dao is considered a "hell on earth" with a notorious prison system. However, it was the barbed wire of the prison that revealed and clarified the steadfast revolutionary qualities of the soldiers and patriotic people, turning the forced labor prison into a revolutionary school, a place to educate patriotism, revolutionary spirit, and foster the determination to fight for national liberation.

President Vo Van Thuong and delegates take a photo with former political prisoners of Con Dao. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA

The President said that there are currently more than 5,000 revolutionary cadres and soldiers nationwide who have been captured and imprisoned by the enemy; among them, there are former political prisoners from Con Dao who are present at this meeting. Although each person has different circumstances and living conditions, living with injuries, they are still optimistic, love life, and believe in the revolutionary cause of the nation.

The stories about the lives of former political prisoners have affirmed the noble revolutionary qualities, demonstrating the spirit: "Living in prison is steadfast and indomitable, living in real life is affectionate and loyal", the President emphasized and added that after nearly 50 years of national reunification, the whole country has over 9 million people with meritorious services. Over the years, the Party and State have always paid attention and cared for people with meritorious services with gradually improved policies; demonstrating the spirit of "Repaying gratitude" of the nation.

The President requested central ministries and branches to continue advising the Party and State to perfect policies to care for people with meritorious services; strengthen gratitude activities, especially collecting martyrs' remains, renovating cemeteries, organizing more trips to visit former comrades and political activities, and revolutionary education for the younger generation.

The President welcomed Ba Ria - Vung Tau province and Con Dao district for investing, upgrading and developing Con Dao into a very meaningful historical and spiritual tourist destination, attracting a large number of tourists, children of martyrs' families, and people from all over the country to visit, study and commemorate the martyrs and patriots here. The President suggested that the province should continue to do better in planning and developing the socio-economy in conjunction with nature conservation, promoting the value of the special national historical relic site, educating the young generation today and tomorrow about patriotism, the cause of building and defending the Fatherland.

The President also requested that the Liaison Committee of Imprisoned Revolutionary Soldiers promote its activities and truly become a place to unite and bond former political prisoners in Con Dao. He also hoped that former political prisoners in Con Dao across the country would continue to promote their noble revolutionary will and qualities, and pay attention and contribute ideas to the Party and State in the cause of national construction and development.

* In the afternoon of the same day, the President visited Con Dao Museum and Phu Hai Prison Relic.

President Vo Van Thuong and delegates visit Con Dao Museum. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA

With 2,000 documents and exhibits, Con Dao Museum introduces the land and people of Con Dao through historical periods; recreates the history of the struggle at Con Dao prison; displays images and portraits of patriots, images of prisoners imprisoned, tortured, and exiled in the harshest prison regime in Indochina. Phu Hai prison is the oldest prison, established by the French in 1862 under the name Bange 1 with 10 collective detention cells, including 1 death penalty room, 20 solitary confinement stone cells, 2 rice milling cells that also served as punishment rooms, and 1 stone breaking area. Communists detained in this area organized systematic theoretical and cultural studies to nurture their revolutionary will.

Visiting the artifacts and writing in the guestbook at the Museum, President Vo Van Thuong emphasized: "We must always preserve and promote the great values of the special national historical relic Con Dao, worthy of being a "Revolutionary School", a place to inspire and light up the revolutionary enthusiasm for today's and future generations in the cause of building and protecting the homeland, the country will forever be everlasting, increasingly prosperous and happy".

President Vo Van Thuong and delegates visit Phu Hai Camp Relic Site. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA

On this occasion, the President visited and presented gifts to the family of Mr. Nguyen Xuan Vien, born in 1944, a former political prisoner, currently living in Zone 7, Con Dao district; and visited the family of Mrs. Le Thi Diem, born in 1940, a family with revolutionary contributions, wife of a martyr, living in Con Dao since 1996.

According to VNA/Tin Tuc Newspaper

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