Martyr Hoang Van Ba ​​– the flag bearer in the demonstration on May 1, 1930 in Nghe Tinh

Martyr Hoang Van Ba, also known as Hoang Ba, was born in 1893 [1], in Duc Thinh village, Yen Truong commune, Hung Nguyen district (now Hung Loc commune, Vinh city), Nghe An province. His father was Mr. Hoang Kim Tuong, a farmer with progressive thoughts. His mother was Mrs. Duong Thi Viet, a loyal, hard-working, and capable woman. According to the Hoang family genealogy in Hung Loc, the ancestor of the Hoang family originated from Lan Khe village, Chi Linh district, Hai Duong province, then migrated to live and settle in Duc Thinh village.

Like many other rural areas of Nghe Tinh, Duc Thinh village in the past (today's Hung Loc commune) was originally a poor land but the people here were very patriotic. Especially, after the French colonialists landed in Nghe Tinh (1885), Duc Thinh people followed their ancestors' footsteps and enthusiastically participated in many struggles in the Van Than and Can Vuong movements.

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It was the fine traditions of his homeland, clan and family that contributed to nurturing the patriotism, soul and character of the staunch communist soldier Hoang Van Ba. From a young age, Hoang Van Ba ​​was an intelligent boy, with an early spirit of patriotism and hatred for the enemy. His family allowed him to study Chinese characters from a very early age, and then he continued to study the national language for several years. As he grew older, Hoang Van Ba ​​showed himself to be a young man with a strong will, eager to learn and passionate about the poems and literature full of revolutionary spirit and the patriotic fervor of his predecessors.

On July 14, 1925, patriotic intellectuals from Nghe Tinh such as Le Huan, Ton Quang Phiet, Tran Phu, Tran Mong Bach... gathered at Con Meo Mountain (Ben Thuy) to establish the Phuc Viet Association with the goal of gathering patriotic forces among the people, overthrowing French colonialism, and restoring independence to the country. Under the direction of the Phuc Viet Association's Headquarters, members approached and built bases in many localities, including Duc Thinh village.

Realizing that Hoang Van Ba ​​was a straightforward, upright person with a wide range of knowledge, comrade Hoang Trong Tri (from Duc Thinh village), a member of the Phuc Viet General Department, directly mobilized and admitted him to the association. From then on, comrade Hoang Van Ba ​​enthusiastically participated in meeting patriots, and together with other members organized groups to study the national language, read progressive books and newspapers, and organize mutual aid and friendship associations, roofing groups, etc. in the area.

From early 1927 onwards, in addition to the Phuc Viet Association, the Vietnam Revolutionary Youth Association also began activities to nurture revolution in Vinh - Ben Thuy. A number of patriotic youths were sent abroad to attend Marxism-Leninism training courses led by comrade Nguyen Ai Quoc, secretly transporting the book "The Revolutionary Path" and the newspaper "Thanh Nien" to infiltrate Nghe Tinh.

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As patriotic intellectuals, sensitive to the new trends of the patriotic movement, Hoang Van Ba, Hoang Trong Tri and a number of other progressive young intellectuals quickly absorbed the light of Marxism-Leninism, becoming progressive members of the Hung Nam Association (the new name of the Phuc Viet Association), operating in the direction of the Youth Association.

Faced with the development of the patriotic and revolutionary movement in Nghe Tinh, in June 1929, the Indochinese Communist Party sent comrades Nguyen Phong Sac and Tran Van Cung to Nghe An to build a party base. After examining the situation of the mass movement in Duc Thinh, Yen Dung, and Loc Da, in July 1929, comrade Nguyen Phong Sac contacted comrades Hoang Trong Tri, Hoang Van Ba, and a number of Tan Viet party members, members of the Vietnam Revolutionary Youth Association, to establish the Indochinese Communist Party rural branch in the Northeast of Vinh - Ben Thuy, consisting of 7 party members, with comrade Hoang Trong Tri as Secretary.

In his new role, in October 1929, comrade Hoang Van Ba, together with comrades Hoang Trong Tri and Nguyen Tien Cuong, mobilized and led the people of Yen Dung to rise up against the French colonialists’ plot to seize 300 hectares of rice fields from Yen Dung, Duc Quang, and Yen Luu communes to build an airport. The victory of this struggle further fueled the fighting spirit of Yen Dung village, contributing to encouraging the revolutionary movement of farmers in the countryside of Nghe Tinh.

After the Communist Party of Vietnam was born, in March 1930, the Provisional Central Bureau in Central Vietnam appointed two Provisional Executive Committees of the Communist Party of Vietnam in Nghe An, namely Vinh Provincial Committee and Nghe An Provincial Committee. Vinh Provincial Committee was responsible for leading revolutionary activities in Vinh - Ben Thuy, Nghi Loc, Hung Nguyen of Nghe An province and Thanh Hoa town.

With his prestige during his revolutionary activities, comrade Hoang Van Ba ​​became one of the first five communist party members of Vinh Provincial Party Committee, under the direct responsibility of comrade Le Mao, Standing Committee Member of the Central Branch in Central Vietnam. Hoang family temple in Loc Da was chosen as the headquarters of Vinh Provincial Party Committee and Central Vietnam Regional Party Committee. Thus, from a Tan Viet party member who was enlightened about Marxism-Leninism early on, Hoang Van Ba ​​officially became a communist soldier - a member of the Provisional Executive Committee of Vinh Provincial Party Committee, continuing to devote his youth to the Party and the revolution, contributing to awakening and guiding the young generation to maturity in the new historical period.

On April 21, 1930, comrade Hoang Van Ba ​​attended a conference held by the Central Region Branch and the Vinh - Ben Thuy Provincial Party Committee at the house of comrade Hoang Trong Tri in Loc Da village to assess the situation and discuss a plan for the struggle. The conference outlined a plan to prepare for the first struggle of Nghe Tinh workers and farmers on the occasion of International Labor Day (May 1).

Assigned by the Vinh - Ben Thuy Provincial Party Committee to be in charge of the peasant bloc, comrades Hoang Van Ba ​​and Hoang Trong Tri went to the Party cells to directly organize the masses to practice and prepare for the struggle. In the Duc Thinh and Loc Da areas at that time, there were only 7 Party members, but with the tireless fighting spirit of the communists, comrade Hoang Van Ba ​​shared hardships with his brothers and comrades, day and night sticking to the land, crossing the fields to propagate and mobilize the Party's policies to the people.

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At around 3:00 a.m. on May 1, 1930, as planned, the locations: Coi market, Tria temple sent signals for people to gather. At dawn, farmers from Duc Thinh, Loc Da, Yen Dung villages (Hung Nguyen district) coordinated with farmers from Duc Hau, An Hau, Song Loc villages (Nghi Loc district) in neat rows, lined up in rows along Cua Hoi - Vinh road to march into the city to coordinate with protesting workers to make demands. Comrades Hoang Van Ba ​​and Nguyen De took the lead, holding hammer and sickle flags, raising high banners: "Reduce market tax, abolish poll tax. Confiscate public land and land in the hands of powerful landlords and distribute to the poor"; "Increase wages, reduce working hours for workers",...

Following the command of the red hammer and sickle flag in the hands of the comrades, the unarmed protesters stood firmly in three rows, chanting slogans of struggle as they marched. Wherever the protesters went, people on both sides of the road joined them in large numbers. When the protesters reached Quan Lau, Hung Nguyen District Chief Pham Huu Van and Yen Truong District Chief mobilized soldiers armed with guns, forming a threatening line. Not at all discouraged, comrade Hoang Van Ba ​​and the party members still led the people to maintain their ranks and march forward, shouting in unison: "Workers, farmers, and soldiers unite to fight terrorism and fight beatings!". Faced with the people's fighting spirit, the District Chief and the soldiers looked at each other in fear, moved aside, and then quietly followed behind the protesters.

When they reached Ben Thuy intersection, the protesters gathered in a large group, raised high the red hammer and sickle flag, and shouted revolutionary slogans. The French colonialists intensified their repression, sending down four trucks of soldiers in red uniforms to station at key locations. The workers in the factories in Ben Thuy, although locked by the foremen, still clung to the fence, waving to the farmers in the protest group, and loudly singing "The Internationale".

Comrade Nguyen Don Nhoan bravely rushed in to break down the factory gate so that the workers could join the struggle, but was immediately hit hard in the chest with a rifle butt by a soldier. Comrade Nguyen Don Nhoan grabbed the gun and threw it on the street. A French guard opened fire, killing the heroic comrade on the spot. As if adding fuel to the fire, the sea of ​​protesters became even more seething with hatred. Faced with the momentum of the crowd, guard Petit ordered the legionnaires to fire at the crowd. Some soldiers received the order but pointed their guns into the sky instead of shooting at their fellow countrymen. To preserve their forces and avoid further losses, Hoang Van Ba ​​and his party members instructed the people to temporarily retreat.

At 4:00 a.m. on May 5, 1930, secret police in Nghe An ambushed and arrested comrades Hoang Van Ba ​​and Hoang Trong Tri and imprisoned them in Vinh Prison. In prison, comrade Hoang Van Ba ​​remained steadfast and did not reveal a single word. He was sentenced to 3 years in prison and 3 years of house arrest under Verdict No. 85 dated May 30, 1930 of the Southern Court of Nghe An Province. For the people of Loc Da, the event of the two comrades“Hoang Trong Tri and Hoang Van Ba ​​were captured by the enemy, losing the most experienced core members, losing the flag bearer facing new challenges and difficulties in the locality.”[1].

In June 1930, comrade Hoang Van Ba ​​was exiled by the enemy to Kon Tum prison. Kon Tum prison was built by the French colonialists from 1915 to 1917. Initially, this place only held ordinary prisoners. After the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement broke out in 1930-1931, the French colonialists arrested a series of communist soldiers and exiled them to Kon Tum with the purpose of taking advantage of the remote and isolated area to isolate communist ideology; gradually killing political prisoners without fear of scandal or public opinion.

At Kon Tum prison, the French colonialists implemented extremely savage and brutal policies against comrade Hoang Van Ba ​​and other political prisoners. However, the enemy's cunning, cruelty, guns, and whips could not subdue the steadfast revolutionary spirit and the indomitable will of the communist soldiers.

To fight against the harsh regime of the colonialists, comrade Hoang Van Ba ​​and his fellow prisoners here stood up and organized many fierce struggles, in all forms, against the prison guards and the colonialists to protect the minimum human right to life and promote the revolutionary spirit, typically the Bloody Struggle on December 12, 1931 and the Hunger Strike from December 12 to 16, 1931.

On the morning of December 13, 1931, the remaining prisoners held a memorial service for their comrades who had died in the Bloody Struggle with infinite grief and indignation. On the afternoon of December 13, 1931, the Political Manifesto and the Prisoners' Demands were drafted and translated into French and the languages ​​of the indigenous peoples. The manifesto exposed the brutal treatment of political prisoners by the French colonialists and demanded that the French authorities take responsibility for that brutality. The fighting spirit of the political prisoners grew stronger and stronger. From December 12 to 16, 1931, the prisoners continued to organize a struggle to protest by going on a hunger strike.

On the fifth day of the struggle (December 16, 1931), the enemy brought a unit of soldiers into the prison. Some soldiers stood in the yard, their bayonets shining, their guns pointed at the cells, ready to fire. Others surrounded the outside of the prison. Like the previous days of struggle, whenever the French or soldiers entered, the prisoners shouted slogans. When Ambassador Jemsalemy, Warden DeJenetz, team leader MouLec, Arnold,... arrived, the political prisoners immediately shouted slogans of struggle. However, the enemy decided to disperse the struggle with guns and bullets. Comrade Hoang Van Ba ​​heroically sacrificed himself along with 6 other comrades:

“… As usual, whenever the French and soldiers entered, we all shouted slogans... Today the enemy decided to shoot to disperse the struggle, so whenever they heard someone shouting, they aimed at that person and pulled the trigger; the three French soldiers directly fired, the more they fired, the louder the brothers shouted...

After the ceasefire, they ordered soldiers to open the door of the prison and rush in, drag out the bodies of 7 martyrs and dig a hole to bury them outside the prison. The 7 martyrs were:

1- Vo Thuyen (aka teacher Thuyen) - Hometown Dien Chau - Nghe An - case 9year .

2- Nguyen Hoan - Hometown Di Luan - Nghe An - prison number 2 - life sentence of hard labor.

3- Bui Dat - hometown Dien Chau - Nghe An - 3 year sentence.

4- Tran Huu Duong - hometown Cam Xuyen - Ha Tinh - prison number 154 - sentence 9year.

5- Hoang Van Ba ​​- hometown Hung Nguyen - Nghe Tinh - 3 year sentence.

6- Nguyen Hao - hometown Thach Ha - Ha Tinh - 3 year sentence.

7- Nguyen Mao Khue - hometown Nghe An…”[2]

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Joining the revolution early, in 1930, comrade Hoang Van Ba ​​became a member of the Vinh Provisional Provincial Party Committee with great contributions to the local revolutionary movement. Comrade Hoang Van Ba ​​was the flag bearer leading the demonstration on May 1, 1930 in Vinh - Ben Thuy.

The demonstration on May 1, 1930 is considered the starting point for the revolutionary struggle in Nghe Tinh: "For the first time in the revolutionary history of our country, workers, farmers and soldiers joined hands in the middle of the battle." Not only was he brave in fighting directly against the enemy, but comrade Hoang Van Ba ​​always upheld the indomitable qualities of a Soviet soldier in Nghe Tinh right in the imperialist prison.

The revolutionary life of comrade Hoang Van Ba ​​has contributed to affirming that no matter what environment the communists operate in, the revolutionary spirit is still maintained. With his contributions to the local revolutionary movement, comrade Hoang Van Ba ​​was posthumously awarded the Certificate of Merit by the State in 2005. Comrade Hoang Van Ba's name was given to a street in Hoa Tien hamlet, Hung Loc commune, Vinh city, Nghe An province, as a gratitude of today's generation for the great contributions of comrade Hoang Van Ba.

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