The 2018-2019 dry season will search for and gather 80 Vietnamese martyrs who died in Laos.

Before entering the conference, provincial leaders and conference participants observed a minute of silence to commemorate President Tran Dai Quang. Photo: Tran Minh

This is also an activity to summarize the work of searching and collecting martyrs' remains in the 2017-2018 dry season and deploy the collection plan for the 2018-2019 dry season.

Attending the conference on the Lao side were comrades: Major General Sy Tha Duong Ma La - Director of the Lao People's Army's Policy Department, Deputy Head of the Lao Government's Special Work Committee; Bua Son Nuon Thong - Deputy Secretary, Deputy Governor of Xieng Khouang province; representatives of the leaders of Vientiane and Xay Xom Bun provinces.

On the side of Nghe An province, there were comrades: Le Ngoc Hoa - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Head of the province's special working group; Colonel Tran Van Hung - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Commander of the Provincial Military Command and members of the special working group of Nghe An.

Nghe An province delegation attended the conference. Photo: Tran Minh

The conference evaluated the results of the search and collection of martyrs' graves of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts in the dry season of 2017 and 2018. Accordingly, the search and collection process encountered many difficulties because most of the remaining martyrs' remains were scattered in remote areas, difficult roads, high mountains and dense forests, many bombs and mines left over from the war, many burial sites were buried too long, the terrain changed so information about the remains could not be determined... However, the Special Working Group of 4 provinces and the Martyrs Collection Team - Nghe An Provincial Military Command always received the attention, leadership and direction of the Special Working Group of the 2 Governments, the Ministry of National Defense of the 2 countries and the wholehearted help and attention of the Party Committees, authorities, armed forces and people of Laos, so they achieved good results.

Comrade Le Ngoc Hoa - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee,Head of the provincial special working group and membersat the meeting. Photo: Tran Minh

During the dry season of 2017 - 2018, the collection team surveyed, searched, collected and brought back to Vietnam the remains of 98 Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who died in the three provinces of Xieng Khouang, Vientiane and Xay Xom Bun, reaching 122.5% of the plan. The Special Working Group of the four provinces coordinated to organize the handover and reception ceremony, moving the remains of the martyrs to the Motherland for burial, ensuring proper rites, solemnity and dignity.

Speaking at the conference, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Ngoc Hoa expressed his deep gratitude to the Party, State, Army and people of Lao ethnic groups for their special attention to the search and collection of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers' graves in recent years. This is an important condition and premise for the collection team to complete the task of searching, collecting and repatriating the remains of martyrs who died in Laos.

Delegates attending the talks participated in the signing ceremony of the memorandum of understanding. Photo: Tran Minh

To complete the task of searching and collecting 80 martyrs' remains in the dry season of 2018-2019, the Special Working Group of the 4 provinces discussed and determined that in the coming time, the task of searching and collecting martyrs' remains will face many difficulties, so it is necessary to coordinate well in propaganda work to cadres and people to receive information, participate in guiding the search for martyrs' graves; strengthen leadership and direction at all levels, sectors and localities to well implement the contents of the program of coordination of activities according to the set plan.

Delegates presented souvenirs. Photo: Tran Minh

After agreeing on the contents, representatives of the four provinces signed a memorandum of understanding, assigning targets on searching for and collecting the remains of martyrs of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts in the 2018-2019 dry season.