Comrade Vo Bieu, with his famous quote, "Communism is ours..."
During the height of the Nghe Tinh Soviet Uprising, when captured and tortured by the enemy, Comrade Vo Bieu did not reveal anything but only replied with one sentence: "Communists are me, and no one else."
During the revolutionary upheaval of 1930-1931, culminating in the Nghe Tinh Soviet, many Party members, cadres, and revolutionary masses in the two provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh, undeterred by difficulties and hardships, always upheld the indomitable spirit and heroic will, ready to sacrifice their lives to win independence and freedom for the nation. Comrade Vo Bieu, a staunch communist from Thinh Loc in the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement, is one such exemplary figure.
Comrade Võ Biệu was born in 1903 in Yên Điềm commune, Phù Lưu district (now Thịnh Lộc commune), Lộc Hà district, Hà Tĩnh province.(1)Phu Luu commune is a large area with a large population, its people are simple and honest, and possess a fervent patriotism. At the beginning of the 20th century, along with their compatriots nationwide, the people of Yen Diem enthusiastically responded to the "Eastern Journey" movement of Phan Boi Chau and the "Modernization" movement of Phan Chau Trinh.
In 1929, several members of the Vietnam Revolutionary Youth League and Tan Viet also came to Yen Diem to open political theory classes to propagate patriotism among the people… Through this, a number of patriotic individuals such as Vo Bieu, Duong Nghiem, Nguyen Dinh, Le Lua, Le Oc, Tran Truyen, Hoang Sau… in Yen Diem were soon enlightened with revolutionary ideals and participated in patriotic movements.
On February 3, 1930, the Communist Party of Vietnam was officially established. Following this, in April 1930, the Can Loc District Party Committee was founded, marking a historical turning point for the patriotic movement of the entire district. During this time, comrades Vo Que, Hoang Khoai Lac, Nguyen Cuong, and others went to Yen Diem to establish contact with comrades Vo Bieu, Duong Nghiem, Le Lua, and Le Oc to prepare for the establishment of a Party branch in Yen Diem.
On the afternoon of April 9, 1930, the first meeting of the Yen Diem Commune Party Committee was held at the Dai Can temple in the Tien Yen village temple complex (formerly Yen Diem). This temple area was a densely forested, secluded region with little traffic. Attending the meeting were comrades Vo Bieu, Le Lua, Le Oc, Nguyen Dinh, Tran Truyen, and Hoang Sau. Representatives from higher levels included comrades Tran Can (District Party Committee official) and Hoang Khoai Lac (Phu Luu General Headquarters official). Following this meeting, the leaders assigned comrade Vo Bieu and other party members the task of going into the villages and hamlets to encourage the people to support the revolution and be ready to rise up against the oppressive regime.
On the afternoon of April 23, 1930, the second meeting of the Yen Diem Commune Party Committee took place west of the Chop Dun temple. At the meeting, comrades Tran Can and Hoang Khoai Lac presented some aspects of the revolutionary activities in the Upper, Central, and Lower Can Loc regions and unanimously agreed to admit a number of comrades into the Party.
On the afternoon of April 25, 1930, at Chan Tien Pagoda, the first communists from Thinh Loc were admitted into the Communist Party of Vietnam. The ceremony was heavily guarded with numerous security checkpoints. Comrade Hoang Khoai Lac announced the purpose of the meeting and read the decision to admit several comrades into the Party, including Vo Bieu, Duong Nghiem, Le Lua, Le Oc, Hoang Sau, Tran Truyen, and others. That same afternoon, the Yen Diem - Yen Dinh Joint Branch (now Thinh Loc commune) was also established.
After the organization was stabilized, the comrades were assigned tasks: Comrade Dương Nghiêm was appointed Secretary of the Party Branch, Comrade Võ Biệu was in charge of the self-defense force, Comrade Lê Lụa was in charge of printing leaflets, Comrades Lê Ốc and Nguyễn Đĩnh were in charge of mass mobilization, Comrade Hoàng Sáu was in charge of youth affairs, and Comrade Trần Truyện was in charge of the peasant association. The Joint Party Branch also unanimously chose Chân Tiên Pagoda as its secret headquarters, while the regular operational headquarters of the Joint Party Branch was located at the house of Mrs. Võ Thị Sáu (mother of Comrade Võ Biệu). By the end of April 1930, mass organizations in Yên Điềm had been formed in the villages up to the level of liên tổ (inter-group) and tiểu tổ (small group).
Following the directives of the Ha Tinh Provincial Party Committee and the Can Loc District Party Committee regarding a rally to commemorate International Labor Day on May 1st, on the night of April 29th and the early morning of April 30th, 1930, the Yen Diem - Yen Dinh Joint Party Branch distributed leaflets throughout the roads and villages of Thinh Loc commune, calling on the people to unite and fight. On the morning of May 1st, 1931, the red flag with the hammer and sickle flew atop Hoa Cai peak in Van Am mountain, Lang Van peak (Van Hoi - Yen Diem), Bang Son peak, etc. Immediately afterwards, a large demonstration took place at Bai Vun, involving 300 people from Yen Diem, Yen Dinh, Trung Thinh, and Tuy Loc communes, where Comrade Hoang Khoai Lac stood up to speak.
In late July 1930, the Can Loc District Party Committee decided to organize a large demonstration in the district on International Anti-Imperialist War Day (August 1st). On the afternoon of July 28th, 1930, the Yen Diem - Yen Dinh Joint Party Branch held a meeting to discuss and approve the plan of action in the locality. On the night of July 30th and the early morning of July 31st, 1930, Comrade Vo Bieu, along with other party members and cadres from various organizations, went to the hamlets and villages to spread awareness about the significance of August 1st and mobilize the masses to prepare for the demonstration.
On the morning of August 1, 1930, Comrade Vo Bieu, along with the people of Yen Diem commune - Yen Dinh district, gathered at the Lady's Temple (about 300 people), marched to Nghen Bridge, and joined the demonstrations from the communes of Lower Can Loc, Upper Can Loc, and the district town area. Hearing of the demonstration, District Chief Tran Manh Dan hastily sent soldiers to confront them, but they were unsuccessful and he was forced to sign the demands presented by the people.
Under the leadership of the Yen Diem - Yen Dinh Party Branch, the people here also participated vigorously in other demonstrations, such as the demonstration on November 6, 1930, at the Chop Dun temple to commemorate the Russian October Revolution (November 7), and the demonstration on December 11, 1930, marching to the district town to commemorate the "Guangzhou Commune" (December 12). In the struggle on February 4, 1931, more than 200 people surrounded the village communal house while officials were performing a ceremony, presenting demands that the officials had to accept.
In early 1931, famine struck everywhere, and in Yen Diem commune, many families fell into poverty. To overcome this situation, Comrade Vo Bieu, then Secretary of the Inter-Branch Party Committee, organized a meeting at his home to devise a plan to alleviate the famine. Many household items were used by Comrade Vo Bieu to serve the comrades of the Inter-Branch Party Committee during the meeting.
In late 1931, the revolutionary movement in Yen Diem was subjected to fierce repression by the enemy. The enemy sent soldiers to search throughout the Yen Diem commune to arrest communists.
On the morning of February 7, 1932, the enemy dispatched their loyal henchman Ho Phac Ung along with two of his soldiers to raid the house and arrest comrades Vo Bieu and Tran Quang Trung (Secretaries of the Red Peasant Association of Yen Diem commune). They tied the two comrades up and took them to the Kim Chung outpost for brutal torture, hanging them upside down from the rafters and beating them in every way possible until they died. With the unwavering loyalty of communists, in their final moments, when interrogated, comrades Vo Bieu and Tran Quang Trung did not reveal anything and only answered with one sentence:"Communism is the only thing that matters."(2).
After killing comrades Vo Bieu and Tran Quang Trung, the enemy continued to relentlessly search every nook and cranny of Yen Diem to capture communists, forcing party members to flee and operate in other areas. The Soviet movement in Yen Diem temporarily subsided, but the flame of the struggle against colonialism and feudalism for national independence, as ignited in the 1930-1931 uprising, continued to smolder in every person there.
Comrade Vo Bieu sacrificed his life at a very young age, leaving his family and hometown with immeasurable grief. Four hours"Communism is ours."It continues to resonate as a testament to the unwavering loyalty of the comrade to the cause of national liberation and the liberation of his homeland.
The image of Comrade Vo Bieu, a son of Yen Diem land, who upheld the qualities of a steadfast communist, unyielding to the enemy's power, and resolutely protecting the Party's secrets even at the cost of his life, will forever shine brightly in the glorious history of his homeland.
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Note:
1) Before 1945, Thinh Loc commune comprised 5 administrative units: Yen Diem commune and the villages of Trung Thinh, Yen Dinh, Tuy Loc, and Dao Tien. Before February 7, 2007, Thinh Loc commune belonged to the Lower region of Can Loc district, Ha Tinh province. Since February 7, 2007, Thinh Loc commune, along with An Loc, Binh Loc, Hong Loc, Tan Loc, Phu Luu, Ich Hau communes and 6 communes of Thach Ha district, merged to form Loc Ha district.
2) History of the Party Committee and People of Thinh Loc Commune (1930-2008), Culture and Information Publishing House, 2009, p. 70
