Nhan Dan Newspaper presents a special information series on the Victory of Dien Bien Phu.

On the morning of March 21st, in Hanoi, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory (May 7, 1954 - May 7, 2024), Nhan Dan Newspaper organized a special information campaign about the Dien Bien Phu Victory across its publications and platforms.

Attending the event were Central Committee members: Le Quoc Minh, Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan Newspaper, Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda Department, and President of the Vietnam Journalists Association; Lieutenant General Trinh Van Quyet, Deputy Head of the General Political Department of the Vietnam People's Army; Tran Quoc Cuong, Secretary of the Dien Bien Provincial Party Committee; and Vu Manh Ha, Alternate Member of the Central Committee of the Party and Standing Deputy Secretary of the Lai Chau Provincial Party Committee.

Also attending were representatives from central ministries and agencies, along with the provinces of Dien Bien and Lai Chau; representatives from military units, news agencies, and the press…

Notably, the event was also attended by two historical witnesses: Lieutenant General Dang Quan Thuy, Hero of the Armed Forces, former operations officer of the General Staff during the Dien Bien Phu campaign; and Major General Nguyen Tu, Hero of the Armed Forces, former medical officer of the 316th Division, the division that attacked the eastern flank of Hill A1. These are two of the three generals who were soldiers at Dien Bien Phu and are still alive today.

THE LARGEST, MOST COMPREHENSIVE, AND LONGEST-LASTING NEWS COVERAGE EVER IN THE PRESS

UP TO NOWVICTORY AT DIEN BIEN PHU

Seventy years ago, our troops had just completed the first phase of the offensive against the Dien Bien Phu stronghold, which the French colonialists and Western military circles considered an "impregnable fortress," with the intention of crushing the fledgling Viet Minh army.

In just the first five days, we destroyed the Him Lam resistance center, captured Doc Lap Hill, forced the Ban Keo supply line, and completely took control of the northern sector of the Dien Bien Phu fortified complex. Our troops began digging 100km of trenches, creating a noose around the neck of the "hedgehog" of Dien Bien Phu.

In the atmosphere of remembering those glorious days, as the leading multimedia press agency of the revolutionary press, Nhan Dan Newspaper launched a special information campaign about the Dien Bien Phu Victory across all its publications and media platforms, with particular emphasis on..."Fifty-six days and nights of digging tunnels, sleeping in bunkers, enduring torrential rain, and eating meager rations / Blood mixed with mud / Unwavering courage / Unyielding determination!"of seven decades ago.

Speaking at the event, Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan Newspaper, Le Quoc Minh, said that the entire Nhan Dan Newspaper apparatus participated in this special information campaign, from the print newspaper's specialized departments and the system of domestic and foreign bureaus, to print, electronic, and television publications. This is the largest, most comprehensive, and longest-lasting information campaign in the press to date, carried out by Party journalists, about the Dien Bien Phu Victory.

After months of meticulous preparation, starting on March 13, 2024, Nhan Dan Newspaper launched an unprecedented online product – a special dedicated webpage.The Dien Bien Phu Victory(at the address https://dienbienphu.nhandan.vn), with the key highlight beingCampaign Progress DiaryFor 56 days and nights, from the opening battle on March 13, 1954, to the victorious conclusion on May 7, 1954.

The diary includes all the daily events at the Dien Bien Phu front and on other fronts and localities throughout the country related to the Dien Bien Phu campaign; the diplomatic struggle and international public opinion regarding the Battle of Dien Bien Phu.

WithCampaign Progress Diary, partOverviewIncludes the following categories:Documentary; International Public Opinion; Dien Bien Phu Today; Q&A about the Dien Bien Phu Campaign and MultimediaThe website features television clips with many valuable images produced by People's Television. "To date, hundreds of articles by experts have been published on this special page. The content is presented in a very creative and high-quality way, providing a unique experience for viewers," said Comrade Le Quoc Minh.

He also stated that in the near future, partCampaign progressEnglish, French, Spanish, Chinese, and Russian versions will continue to be added with the hope of bringing authentic information about the Dien Bien Phu Victory to international friends, especially young readers.

In addition, alongside the online edition of Nhan Dan, the daily, weekend, and monthly editions of Nhan Dan, the Thoi Nay newspaper, and Nhan Dan Television will feature feature articles, commentaries, news, analyses, interviews with historical witnesses, and introductions to articles and literary and artistic works about Dien Bien Phu then and now, presented in a very new and particularly interesting way.

“The heroic stories of the Dien Bien Phu victory will continue to be told by today's generation to future generations, forever. And the articles, television reports, and special features of the Nhan Dan Newspaper that we are witnessing today also aim at that purpose,” Comrade Le Quoc Minh affirmed.

BREAKTHROUGH INITIATIVES IN PROPAGANDA WORK

Speaking at the event, Lieutenant General Trinh Van Quyet, Deputy Head of the General Political Department of the Vietnam People's Army, affirmed that the special information campaign on the Dien Bien Phu Victory on the publications and platforms of Nhan Dan Newspaper is the first activity in a series of propaganda activities about the historic Dien Bien Phu victory.

Evaluating this as a groundbreaking initiative in propaganda work, the comrade expressed confidence that in the coming time, Nhan Dan Newspaper will have many vivid and rich articles about the "glorious victory that shook the world" 70 years ago; thereby helping compatriots, cadres, soldiers, and international friends to understand more deeply the will and aspirations of the Vietnamese people; contributing to strengthening the people's trust in the Party and the Army; building national pride and self-respect, towards realizing the goal of building a prosperous and happy country.

Expressing his emotion and excitement at attending this meaningful event, especially with the presence of historical witnesses of the Dien Bien Phu Victory, Comrade Tran Quoc Cuong, Secretary of the Dien Bien Provincial Party Committee, respectfully thanked the Nhan Dan Newspaper in particular and the press agencies nationwide in general for giving Dien Bien special attention on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory.

He stated that Dien Bien province is coordinating with central ministries and agencies, as well as units and localities in the Northwest region, to urgently complete the construction projects in order to successfully organize the upcoming commemoration ceremony.

The comrade emphasized that the fact that Nhan Dan Newspaper organized the presentation of page 56 on the night and day of the Dien Bien Phu Victory is also an event that helps people nationwide and around the world to understand more deeply and fully about the victory that "shook the world and resonated across five continents" 70 years ago.

Colonel Le Thanh Bai, Deputy Director of the Institute of Military History - General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, affirmed that building an accurate historical database plays a very important role, especially in the current context.

He affirmed that, upon receiving the cooperation proposal from Nhan Dan Newspaper, the Institute of Military History mobilized its resources, developed a specific plan, and assigned tasks to each group on a weekly basis to ensure accuracy and maximum interaction.

Also at the event, Lieutenant General Dang Quan Thuy, former Vice Chairman of the National Assembly and a veteran of the Dien Bien Phu battle, shared his most profound memory from the resistance war. He recalled the moment before the attack began, when the leaders ordered a change, postponing the attack. This unexpected change created many difficulties, such as moving artillery, but the entire army remained united and trusted the orders from above, leading to a successful offensive.

During the Q&A session with the press, Comrade Le Quoc Minh, Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan Newspaper, answered questions about the difficulties encountered during the implementation of the special section, especially in finding, filtering, and verifying a massive amount of data.

"There has never been a daily memoir-style publication like this before. Fortunately, our campaign lasted a long time but focused on just 56 days and nights, so we tried to release it on March 13th. The online special feature is just one of the products of this information campaign," said Comrade Le Quoc Minh.

The comrade stated that the information screening and selection process was carried out cautiously and thoroughly. Nhan Dan Newspaper collaborated with the Ministry of National Defense and the Military History Institute to collect data and build a comprehensive information system. The Military History Institute assisted in verifying information and summarizing the content in the most concise way. In addition, the newspaper has long-standing technology partners, through whom it collaborates to create an attractive interface and interactive features on the website.

According to the Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan Newspaper, this information release is only the initial step in building the most comprehensive database about the Dien Bien Phu victory. Over the years of future anniversaries, the database will become increasingly complete and include more supplementary features.

Speaking with reporters, Comrade Tran Quoc Cuong, Secretary of the Dien Bien Provincial Party Committee, also provided information on the preparations for the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory; and the specific and special policies that the province has been implementing to honor the historical witnesses and soldiers of Dien Bien Phu who remain today.

On behalf of the Ministry of National Defence, Comrade Trinh Van Quyet, Deputy Head of the General Political Department of the Vietnam People's Army, stated that the Ministry was tasked with leading the preparation and coordination of the parade; organizing propaganda activities and scientific seminars on the historic Dien Bien Phu Victory; researching new theoretical and practical contributions of the Dien Bien Phu Victory in relation to the cause of national construction and defense; and implementing activities to honor the Dien Bien Phu soldiers and former youth volunteers.

Within the framework of the event, Comrade Le Quoc Minh, Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan Newspaper, and Comrade Trinh Van Quyet, Deputy Head of the General Political Department of the Vietnam People's Army, presented commemorative gifts to the Dien Bien Phu veterans attending the program.