Comrade Le Cong Lien - An outstanding son of Minh Thanh (Yen Thanh) homeland

Comrade Le Cong Lien (also known as Le Cong Tieu, Le Tieu, alias Duc), was born in 1906 in Ngoc Luat village, Van Tu commune, now Minh Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district, Nghe An province.

Born into a family with a rich tradition of patriotism and revolution, both Lê ​​Công Liên's paternal and maternal grandfathers participated in the resistance army of Nguyễn Xuân Ôn. His father, Lê Liệu, and his older brother, Lê Điều, both made significant contributions to the local revolutionary movement. As a child, his father told him many stories about heroic figures in the Văn Thân and Cần Vương movements, which ignited a flame of patriotism in Lê Công Liên.

In 1927, Comrade Chu Dam (from Dien Chau) returned to Ngoc Luat village to work and instill communist ideals in the progressive youth there. Comrade Le Cong Lien enthusiastically joined the Revolutionary Youth League in Van Tu commune, becoming the first core member of the Party in Ngoc Luat. He actively propagated revolutionary ideas and raised awareness among the people.

Under the direction of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee, on the occasion of the 13th anniversary of the Russian October Revolution, Yen Thanh district organized a large-scale demonstration on November 7, 1930, to show the strength of the masses, demand a reduction in taxes, postpone tax payments, and protest against the imperialist and feudal oppression of workers in Vinh - Ben Thuy (May 1) and farmers in Hung Nguyen (September 12). A meeting was held at the house of Comrade Nguyen Ngoan, including comrades Nguyen Thuc, Nguyen Chuyen, Nguyen Ung, Le Dieu, Le Cong Lien, Le Than, Vo Chau, etc., to plan and prepare for the demonstration.

On the morning of November 7, 1930, Comrade Le Cong Lien, along with a group of people from Van Tu commune led by comrades Nguyen Ngoan, Nguyen Uy, Nguyen Thuc, Le Dieu, and others, marched down to the district headquarters. As they walked, the group chanted slogans:

Down with the imperialists and feudalists of the Southern Dynasty!

- Support for workers and farmers in Vinh - Ben Thuy, Hung Nguyen.

- Reduced taxes, deferred taxes, and exemption from public service.

- Support for the Russian-Soviet revolution.

"

The upper district protesters marched to Nha Vang (Golden House) where soldiers shot and killed two people and wounded several others. The lower district protesters, upon reaching Muong Bridge (Phu Thanh), were opened fire on by Foreign Legion soldiers, killing 10 people and injuring many others, forcing them to disperse.

On November 10, 1930, the Provisional Party Committee of Yen Thanh District was established, with Comrade Nguyen Ung as Secretary. The District Party Committee assigned its members to various communes to develop Party branches and organize the masses. Soon after, Party branches were established in the villages of Tru Phap, Ngoc Luat, Dong Yen, Quy Trach, Quan Hoa, etc.; mass organizations such as the Youth Union, Women's Union, Red Peasant Association, Red Self-Defense Force, and Support Association were also formed to promote the development of the revolutionary movement.

"

At the end of 1930, after overcoming challenges in his work, Comrade Le Cong Lien was admitted to the Party and participated in the Cao Son Party Branch, with Comrade Le Dieu as its Secretary.

Comrade Le Cong Lien was assigned the task of printing leaflets, organizing the Red Peasant Association, and establishing a Red Guard unit in Ngoc Luat village to protect the Party and the people. In early 1931, he, along with the Red Guard unit and the people of Ngoc Luat, demonstrated by taking rice from landlords and distributing it to the poor. He also organized campaigns to encourage the people to hang Party flags and beat drums to boost morale and encourage the fighting spirit…

The revolutionary movement in Yen Thanh developed strongly, pushing the enemy into a state of fear and confusion. They intensified their brutal repression. During this period, Mr. Le Lieu was appointed by the revolutionaries as the village headman to deceive the enemy. The French colonialists came to Ngoc Luat village to arrest comrades Le Cong Lien and Le Dieu, but failed to capture them. They then tortured and beat Mr. Le Lieu, and at the same time sent a French military supervisor from Do Luong with soldiers to destroy Ngoc Luat village. Comrade Le Cong Lien immediately mobilized the Red Guard to counter this, organizing a patrol team of loyal people to protect the Party and defend the village.

At the end of June 1931, the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee sent Comrade Nguyen Trinh (from Nam Dan) to restore the Yen Thanh District Party Committee, establishing a District Party Committee Executive Board consisting of Comrades: Nguyen Trinh (Secretary), Le Cong Lien, Le Dieu, Nguyen Duc, and Pham Khuong. The District Party Committee again chose the Ngoc Luat hilly area as its base, both to protect the Provincial Party Committee's office and to direct the movement.

On July 1, 1931, Comrade Le Cong Lien was captured by the enemy and imprisoned at Tru Phap outpost, then transferred to Yen Thanh district prison. After a period of imprisonment, in November 1931, the Southern Court of Nghe An province sentenced Comrade Le Cong Lien to 2 years of imprisonment and 18 months of house arrest and transferred him to Dien Chau prison (Judgment No. 172 dated November 18, 1931). Life in prison was extremely harsh, with insufficient food and only moldy rice and rotten fish. Faced with this situation, Comrade Le Cong Lien and his fellow prisoners decided to stage a hunger strike, forcing the enemy to make concessions and improve the meals and living conditions in prison.

In 1933, Comrade Le Cong Lien was released from prison and returned to his hometown to continue his revolutionary activities. At the end of 1934, Comrades Nguyen Xuan Hien and Phan Vinh, from Lien Tri village, Lien Thanh commune, went to Ngoc Luat village to establish contact with Comrade Le Cong Lien and other recently released political prisoners to form the core group for restoring the movement and building a Party base in Yen Thanh. After only a short time, the Tong Van Tu Party Branch, comprising Comrades Nguyen Xuan Hien, Phan Vinh, Le Dieu, Lang Lai, Le Du, and others, was established.

In early 1936, the combined Van Tu commune Party branch was split into four smaller branches: Ngoc Luat branch (with Comrade Le Cong Lien as Secretary), Quan Chuong branch, Tru Phap branch, and Lien Tri branch.

In December 1936, Comrade Le Dinh Vy, on behalf of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee, went to Lien Tri (Lien Thanh) to convene a conference to establish a provisional district Party committee consisting of three comrades: Phan Vinh, Le Cong Lien, and Nguyen Khuong (from Tru Phap village), with Comrade Phan Vinh as Secretary.

In early 1937, following the directive of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee, the Yen Thanh District Party Committee convened a Party Congress in Ngoc Luat village. The official Executive Committee of the District Party Committee consisted of comrades Phan Vinh (Secretary), Le Cong Lien (Deputy Secretary), Ngo Xuan Ham, Nguyen Khuong, and Nguyen Tan.

In 1940, seeing the growing strength of the mass movement in Ngoc Luat village, the French colonialists intensified their repression and arrests of Party members and suspected individuals. Comrade Le Cong Lien was arrested for the second time at his home by Vinh secret police and sent to La Hy prison (La Hy prison in Hue).

In 1943, Comrade Le Cong Lien was transferred to Phu Bai prison in Hue. Throughout his years in prison, he was subjected to all kinds of torture and beatings by the enemy, but with unwavering loyalty and the indomitable will of a Party member, the enemy was unable to extract any information from Comrade Le Cong Lien.

"

In his memoirs, Comrade Le Cong Lien recalled: "...At that time, my spirit was very strong, a test of courage against them... They used ropes to tightly tie my hands, twisted them behind my back, straightened my whole body, and then electrocuted me. My blood boiled, my whole body felt numb and tingling, but to everything they asked, I answered: 'I don't know...'"

While in prison, Comrade Le Cong Lien actively participated in the struggle to demand improvements in living conditions, education, and to fight against terrorism, beatings, and all forms of exploitation of fellow prisoners.

In 1945, when Japan overthrew the French, Comrade Le Cong Lien and his fellow prisoners broke out of prison. Comrade Le Cong Lien found a way to return to his hometown, continued his revolutionary activities, participated in the seizure of power, and held many important positions in the locality. For his significant contributions during the Nghe Tinh Soviet period and afterwards, Comrade Le Cong Lien was recognized by the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee as a veteran revolutionary cadre.

-----

References:

- Comrade Le Cong Lien's memoirs are preserved in the archives of the Soviet-Nghe Tinh Museum.

- Local history and geography of Minh Thanh commune, Nghe An Publishing House, 2009.

- History of the Party Committee of Dai Thanh Commune, Yen Thanh District