Ha Huy Tap - A staunch communist, an excellent theorist of the Party

In 1923, after graduating from Hue National School, Ha Huy Tap was appointed to teach at Nha Trang Town Primary School, then transferred to teach at Cao Xuan Duc Primary School (Vinh City, Nghe An) in September 1925. When teaching in Vinh, Ha Huy Tap met Ngo Duc Dien,Tran Phuand was admitted to the Phuc Viet Association. As an active member, Ha Huy Tap sought every way to propagate patriotism among the people, especially the young generation of Vinh city.

Teaching with Ha Huy Tap at Cao Xuan Duc Primary School were Tran Van Tang and Tran Phu. They regularly organized speeches at Quang Tri Hall (Vinh city), with many students and workers from Vinh - Ben Thuy participating. To isolate him from the patriotic movement of students and workers, the French colonialists transferred Ha Huy Tap to teach in Ke Bang (Quy Chau district).Tran Van TangThen they transferred to teach at the French-Vietnamese Primary School (Yen Thanh district).

In March 1927, Ha Huy Tap was dismissed from his position. He moved to Saigon to work as a reporter for many newspapers with anti-French tendencies, including the newspaper "AnnamIn 1928, Ha Huy Tap returned to Vinh to participate in revolutionary activities and build a family.

After attending the Tan Viet General Conference in Hue (July 14, 1928), Ha Huy Tap and Phan Dang Luu were sent by the General to Guangzhou (China) to learn about the attitude of the General Youth Committee on the merger between the two organizations. Having direct contact with the Youth Association in Guangzhou, Ha Huy Tap became a member of the Vietnam Revolutionary Youth Association. He stayed in Guangzhou and in July 1929, Ha Huy Tap was introduced by the General Youth Committee to study at the Eastern University in the Soviet Union. In 1932, after completing his course, he found a way to return home via the Marseille-Saigon maritime route. Upon arriving in Paris, Ha Huy Tap was discovered by the French government to be a communist party member and was expelled back to the Soviet Union. During his stay in the Soviet Union, he wrote the book“Draft history of the Indochinese communist movement" in French under the pen name Hong The Cong. This is the first book written about the history of our Party, a theoretical work with high combativeness.

In early 1934, Ha Huy Tap returned to the country via the southern route of China. Arriving in Macau, Ha Huy Tap met comrade Le Hong Phong. Here, he, Le Hong Phong and Nguyen Van Dut established the Party's "Outside Command Committee". This committee functioned as a provisional Central Executive Committee, with the task of restoring the organizational system and preparing for the convening of the Party's first Congress.

In March 1935, the First National Congress of the Party met in Macau, passed resolutions and elected the Party Central Committee, with comrade Ha Huy Tap as General Secretary. In July 1936, comrade Ha Huy Tap and the Central Committee moved to Ba Diem, Hoc Mon - Gia Dinh to directly grasp the situation and direct the revolutionary movement in the country.

On May 1, 1938, comrade Ha Huy Tap was arrested by French secret police on Alsace Lorraine Street (Saigon). On May 24, 1938, the Saigon Criminal Court sentenced him to 2 months in prison and 5 years of residence ban for using a fake personal tax card. He appealed, so on July 26, 1938, the Saigon High Court retried him and sentenced him to an additional 6 months in prison and 5 years of residence ban. In March 1939, he was deported back to his hometown and they banned any school in Ha Tinh province from accepting Ha Huy Tap as a teacher.

In February 1940, comrade Ha Huy Tap was re-arrested and imprisoned in Saigon Central Prison. The Southern Uprising broke out, and the French colonialists believed that Ha Huy Tap played a very important role in leading the uprising; therefore, on March 27 and May 17, 1941, the Saigon Special Military Court sentenced Ha Huy Tap and 6 other comrades to death.

On August 26, 1941, comrade Ha Huy Tap and 6 comrades: Nguyen Van Cu, Vo Van Tan, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Nguyen Huu Tien, Nguyen Van Tay, Nguyen Van Huan were shot at Ba Diem shooting range, Hoc Mon, Gia Dinh.