Mr. Bui Bang Doan was a man who upheld the principles of integrity and righteousness, befitting a renowned Confucian scholar.

On the morning of September 16th, in Hanoi, the Central Committee of the Communist Party, the National Assembly, the President, the Government, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and the City of Hanoi solemnly organized a ceremony to commemorate the 130th anniversary of the birth of Mr. Bui Bang Doan - former Head of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (now the Chairman of the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam).

Attending the ceremony were National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan; former General Secretary Nong Duc Manh; former National Assembly Chairmen Nguyen Van An and Nguyen Sinh Hung; Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh; and Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam.

The patriotic scholar Bui Bang Doan was born in September 1889 into a family with a tradition of scholarship in Lien Bat village, Ung Hoa district, Ha Dong province (now Hanoi). Born and raised during a time when the country was under foreign invasion, witnessing the failure of the Can Vuong movement against the French; and the successive patriotic movements being brutally suppressed and terrorized by the French colonialists, plunging the Vietnamese people into slavery and misery, Bui Bang Doan quickly absorbed the indomitable spirit of the nation.

Mr. Bui Bang Doan. Archival photo.

With a profound love for his country and people, from his time as an official in the Nguyen Dynasty to his rise as a key leader of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, Mr. Bui Bang Doan consistently upheld the spirit of serving the nation and its people, sacrificing himself for the greater good. He is one of the exemplary figures of the Vietnamese intellectual class, transitioning from patriotism to the glorious revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation.

A studious and highly knowledgeable person, in 1906, Mr. Bui Bang Doan, then only 17 years old, passed the Bachelor's examination. Afterward, he was admitted to and graduated as valedictorian of the School of Military Personnel. While serving in the Hue imperial court, he held many positions, from probationary district magistrate in Nghia Hung district, Nam Dinh province, to judge in Lang Son province; judge in Bac Ninh province; governor of Phuc Yen province, and then governor of Cao Bang and Ninh Binh provinces...

The Chairman of the National Assembly emphasized that Mr. Bui Bang Doan was renowned as an honest and upright official. Even in the courtroom, he publicly displayed a notice stating "no gifts accepted" and strictly forbade his family from accepting gifts. This clearly demonstrated the moral qualities of a true Confucian scholar: integrity and righteousness. Mr. Bui Bang Doan had a deep and meaningful relationship with the people; regardless of the circumstances, he always stood by the people and wholeheartedly protected them.

In 1925, while serving as the district chief of Nghia Hung (Nam Dinh province), he was invited to Hanoi to act as an interpreter for the grand trial of Phan Boi Chau. In 1928, following strong press condemnation of the brutal exploitation of plantation workers in the South, the Hue court sent Bui Bang Doan to the South to inspect the French-owned rubber plantations.

“In May 1933, Mr. Bui Bang Doan was appointed Minister of Justice and simultaneously joined the Privy Council – the highest body in the power system under Emperor Bao Dai. In his new position, with his understanding of law and progressive ideas, Mr. Bui Bang Doan initiated many judicial reforms, including the abolition of inappropriate regulations in the provinces and districts of Central Vietnam. He directed and directly drafted new laws of the Nguyen Dynasty with progressive content, such as: the Criminal Law (July 3, 1933); the Rules of Civil and Criminal Procedure (August 2, 1933), the Civil Law (July 1936, September 1939)... At the same time, he improved the activities of the Ministry of Justice, especially the activities of the courts and personnel in a modern direction,” the Chairman of the National Assembly emphasized.

Following the Japanese coup against the French (March 9, 1945), Emperor Bảo Đại issued a decree establishing a new government. Disgusted by the political turmoil of those times, Mr. Bùi Bằng Đoàn refused to join the new government and requested to resign from his position to return to his hometown to rest.

Driven by a spirit of national unity and the ideology of "seeking talented and virtuous individuals" to serve the revolution, President Ho Chi Minh persistently wrote numerous letters and sent people to Ha Dong to invite Mr. Bui Bang Doan to serve as an advisor to the Government. Respecting and admiring President Ho Chi Minh's talent and virtue, and with his profound patriotism and love for the people, Mr. Bui Bang Doan left his hometown and embarked on the revolutionary path. With his talent, virtue, and profound knowledge, Mr. Bui Bang Doan was invited by President Ho Chi Minh to undertake many important tasks and positions. Mr. Bui Bang Doan became one of the ten members of the Government's Advisory Board, personally nominated by Ho Chi Minh at the Government meeting on November 14, 1945.

President Ho Chi Minh, General Vo Nguyen Giap, and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly Bui Bang Doan at the ceremony conferring the rank of General on May 28, 1948, in the Dinh Hoa Resistance Zone, Thai Nguyen. Archival photo.

In January 1946, Mr. Bui Bang Doan was elected as a National Assembly representative for Ha Dong province, and in November of that year, at its 2nd session, the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was elected to the position of Head of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, replacing Mr. Nguyen Van To, who was assigned to a new position.

The Chairman of the National Assembly affirmed that, during his time as Head of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly - the head of the legislative body - with his profound understanding of both theory and practice, Mr. Bui Bang Doan always stood side-by-side with the Government and President Ho Chi Minh to carry out the tasks assigned by the National Assembly.

As the head of the highest representative body of the people, elected by voters nationwide, Mr. Bui Bang Doan actively fought against the arguments of the French colonialists and their henchmen regarding the constitutionality and legality of the resistance coalition government led by President Ho Chi Minh. With his profound knowledge and unwavering political acumen, he affirmed: "Our nation has only one government, the Ho Chi Minh Government, recognized by the nation at the November 1946 session." His powerful declaration was a strong blow to the colonial government's divisive schemes and their attempts to establish a pro-French puppet government to undermine the prestige of the resistance coalition government led by President Ho Chi Minh.

During his time in the Viet Bac resistance zone, in his capacity as Head of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, Mr. Bui Bang Doan was always by President Ho Chi Minh's side and attended meetings of the Government Council, offering advice to the Government and supervising its activities in all aspects of the resistance war. He contributed to the reform of government personnel; implemented policies on economical production, agricultural tax policies, and land policies; and directed regional delegations to inspect the situation and gather people's aspirations to provide feedback to the National Assembly and the Government in leading the resistance war. He also participated in the committee to establish the Vietnam National Union (Viet-Union) to expand national unity and strengthen revolutionary forces.

According to National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, stemming from a heartfelt desire to put the Fatherland above all else, and with the spirit of "putting the public good first," Mr. Bui Bang Doan – a high-ranking official in the Nguyen dynasty's feudal court – overcame the prejudices of the time to participate in the revolutionary government. With fervent patriotism, love for the people, and admiration for the talent and virtue of President Ho Chi Minh, he dedicated all his strength and talent to serving the Fatherland and the nation. During the difficult and fierce years of the Vietnamese revolution, he did not hesitate to make sacrifices and readily assumed important positions. In any position, he wholeheartedly and diligently fulfilled his duties.

“The 130th anniversary of the birth of Bui Bang Doan, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, is an opportunity for us to express our gratitude and remember his immense contributions to the Vietnamese people and revolution. Mr. Bui Bang Doan is a prime example of a true patriotic intellectual, wholeheartedly serving the Fatherland and the people. His spirit of dedicated work, self-sacrifice for the country and the people; his humble and simple life, disregarding fame and fortune, is a shining example for National Assembly delegates, cadres, Party members, and all our people to learn from. Mr. Bui Bang Doan's example plays a crucial role in fostering revolutionary ideals and traditions for cadres, Party members, and the people, especially the younger generation, in the process of national construction,” said the Chairman of the National Assembly.

The Chairman of the National Assembly expressed his wish that, following the example of Mr. Bui Bang Doan, in all activities and in every position, every cadre, Party member, and the entire people must always place the interests of the country, the nation, the people, and the Party above all else; strengthen unity and solidarity to maintain the independence and freedom of the nation, for the happiness of the people.