Seminar on 50 years of the Plain of Jars - Xieng Khouang Defense Campaign: Victory and lessons learned

The workshop was chaired by members of the Party Central Committee: Senior Lieutenant General, Dr. Le Huy Vinh - Member of the Central Military Commission, Deputy Minister of National Defense; Dr. Thai Thanh Quy - Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; Lieutenant General Trinh Van Quyet - Member of the Central Military Commission, Deputy Director of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People's Army; Lieutenant General Nguyen Doan Anh - Member of the Central Military Commission, Commander of Military Region 4 and Major General Nguyen Hoang Nhien - Director of the Vietnam Military History Institute.

Attending the workshop, on the side of the delegation representing the Party and State of the Lao PDR, there were comrades: Seng Phet - Hung Bun Nhuong - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Lao PDR to Vietnam; No Bi Ha Tong Pao - Standing Deputy Secretary of the Xieng Khouang Provincial Party Committee.

On the side of Nghe An province, there were comrade Nguyen Van Thong - Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee; along with comrades in the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, leaders of departments, branches, etc.

Art program to welcome the workshop. Photo: Thanh Duy

VIVID SYMBOL OF SOLIDARITY BETWEEN TWO COUNTRIESVIETNAM - LAOS

Opening the workshop, Senior Lieutenant General Le Huy Vinh - Deputy Minister of National Defense said that 50 years ago, under the leadership of the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commissions of Vietnam and Laos, the Vietnam - Laos coalition carried out and won a great victory in the Plain of Jars - Xieng Khouang Defense Campaign.

Leaders of the Ministry of National Defense, Military Region 4, and Nghe An Provincial Party Committee chaired the workshop. Photo: Thanh Duy

The victory of the Campaign defeated an important step in the US's "Intensive Special War" strategy in Laos, firmly protecting the liberated zone of strategic significance to the Lao revolution, creating a coordinated position in the 1972 strategic offensive of our army and people on the battlefield of Southern Vietnam.

"The victory of the Plain of Jars - Xieng Khouang in the rainy season of 1972 became a vivid symbol of the special solidarity between Vietnam - Laos and Laos - Vietnam. This was the first time we and our friends conducted a complete defensive campaign on the Lao battlefield, leaving many valuable lessons in the theory and practical development of the art of campaigning", Senior Lieutenant General Le Huy Vinh emphasized and said that today's workshop is one of the activities with practical significance to celebrate the "Vietnam - Laos Friendship and Solidarity Year" - 60 years of Vietnam and Laos establishing diplomatic relations (September 5, 1962 - September 5, 2022).

Senior Lieutenant General Le Huy Vinh - Deputy Minister of National Defense opened the workshop. Photo: Thanh Duy

Delegation representing the Lao Party and State attended the workshop. Photo: Pham Bang

Speaking at the workshop, comrade Thai Thanh Quy - Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council of Nghe An emphasized that Nghe An has an important, fundamental and unique position in the Vietnam - Laos relationship. During the years of resistance, Nghe An was the direct rear providing human and material resources to the battlefields in Laos.

In the Plain of Jars - Xieng Khouang campaign in 1972 alone, Nghe An mobilized 2 battalions, 1 platoon, 3 local armed companies along with more than 4,000 frontline laborers and youth volunteers to coordinate with the army and people of Xieng Khouang province to organize defense, destroy bandits, maintain and expand the liberated zone in Laos. Nghe An province welcomed and sheltered thousands of Xieng Khouang compatriots who had to evacuate during the war like family members.

Comrade Thai Thanh Quy - Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee,Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Nghe An province, Chairman of the People's Council of Nghe An province delivered a welcome speech at the workshop. Photo: Thanh Duy

Tens of thousands of Nghe An children volunteered to fight and serve in the war in Laos and were raised and protected by the Laotian people. Nghe An is also the locality chosen as the resting place of more than 13,000 heroes and martyrs nationwide who sacrificed their lives in Laos during the resistance wars.

Entering the period of integration, opening up, consistently implementing the foreign policy of our Party and State, the Party Committee, Government and People of Nghe An province have maintained and developed good cooperative and friendly relations with many localities of Laos, especially the provinces sharing the border, including Xieng Khouang province. Exchange and cooperation activities between Nghe An province and Xieng Khouang province have been maintained regularly, in depth, and increasingly effective in many fields.

Comrade Nguyen Van Thong - Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and comrades in the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee attended the workshop. Photo: Thanh Duy

Delegation from Lao PDR attending the workshop. Photo: Pham Bang

Affirming the great significance of the workshop, the Secretary of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee emphasized that the documents of the workshop will be extremely valuable historical data of the Party, the State and Nghe An province to serve the work of studying, researching, propagating and educating patriotism and the noble international solidarity between Vietnam and Laos for today's and future generations. Thereby, contributing to further strengthening the close, loyal and pure affection between the two peoples of Vietnam and Laos, and the two provinces of Nghe An and Xieng Khouang!.

THE VALUE OF THE CAMPAIGN LASTS WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF TWO NATIONS

In his report to the conference, Lieutenant General Trinh Van Quyet - Deputy Director of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People's Army said that the victory of the Plain of Jars - Xieng Khouang Defense Campaign demonstrated the determination and strategic talent of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Workers' Party, directly the Central Military Commission and the General Command. At the same time, he affirmed that 50 years have passed, but the historical value and significance of the victory of the Plain of Jars - Xieng Khouang Defense Campaign remain intact.

Lieutenant General Trinh Van Quyet - Member of the Central Military Commission, Deputy Director of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People's Army delivered the opening speech at the conference. Photo: Thanh Duy

Lieutenant General Trinh Van Quyet suggested that delegates, scientists, and historical witnesses, using scientific methodology, innovative thinking, creativity, and practical experience, continue to explain, affirm, and deepen the significance of the campaign; enhance national pride and self-esteem; strengthen the belief and political determination of the entire Party, people, and army... so that historical values ​​will forever exist with the development of the two peoples of Vietnam and Laos.

The Organizing Committee of the conference received more than 80 presentations from leaders of the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defense, the General Department of Politics, the General Staff, leaders of central and local agencies... The presentations focused on explaining many specific contents, with rich sources of documents, multi-dimensional approaches, contributing to clarifying many theoretical and practical issues, affirming the outstanding success in leading and operating the Party's revolutionary war. At the same time, valuable lessons were drawn for the current cause of national construction and defense.

Colonel Ngo Doanh - former Commander of Regiment 335, former Battalion Commander of Battalion 2, Regiment 335 presented a paper at the conference. Photo: Pham Bang

Colonel Vongxay Inthakham - Head of the Defense Attaché Office of the Embassy of the Lao PDR in Vietnam presented a paper at the workshop. Photo: Thanh Duy

At the conference, the presentations focused on in-depth analysis and contributed to affirming that the victory at the Plain of Jars - Xieng Khouang was an outstanding success in the leadership and direction of the revolutionary war by the Party Central Committee, the Politburo and the Central Military Commission of Vietnam and Laos. The victory defeated the Nixon Doctrine in Laos in a fundamental step, creating a favorable position and force to promote the resistance war against the US to save the country and achieve a decisive victory.

The presentations also deepened the value, the victory is also a vivid symbol of the great, pure, and loyal solidarity between the Party, State, Army and People of Vietnam and Laos; marking a step forward in the development of campaign art, contributing to enriching the theory of military art of our Army.

Comrade Le Hong Vinh - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee presented a speech at the workshop. Photo: Thanh Duy

Major General Nguyen Hoang Nhien - Director of the Institute of Military History reported the summary of the conference. Photo: Pham Bang

Historical witnesses of the Plain of Jars - Xieng Khouang Defense Campaign attended the workshop. Photo: Pham Bang

Closing the workshop, Senior Lieutenant General Le Huy Vinh - Deputy Minister of National Defense requested leaders and commanders of agencies, units, academies, schools, agencies, departments and branches inside and outside the military to step up propaganda and education to put research results into practice; becoming a driving force to motivate officers and soldiers in the armed forces, together with the entire Party and people, to strive to successfully carry out all tasks, contributing to building and firmly protecting the socialist Fatherland of Vietnam in the new situation.