Nghe An province has received over 17,800 DNA samples from relatives of fallen soldiers.
After 7 days of implementing the campaign to collect DNA samples from relatives of fallen soldiers at 7 fixed locations in the province, the Nghe An Provincial Police have collected 17,831 samples, serving the work of searching for and identifying the identities of more than 22,000 fallen soldiers.
According to the Police Department for Administrative Management of Social Order (PC06) of Nghe An Provincial Police, the campaign was organized from June 25 to July 1 at collection points located in Truong Vinh ward and the communes of Dai Dong, Do Luong, Tuong Duong, Dien Chau, Tan Mai, and Tam Hop.
According to the plan, the concentrated sampling campaign is expected to collect samples from 21,824 relatives of 17,533 martyrs, including 8,217 martyrs with two remaining relatives and 9,316 martyrs with one remaining relative who are eligible for DNA sampling.
Lieutenant Colonel Chu Chi Quoc, Head of the Administrative Police Department for Social Order, Nghe An Provincial Police, stated: "Although the number of samples collected was lower than planned, it basically met the requirements of the peak period. In fact, one biological sample from a relative can be used for comparison between two to three martyrs in the same family."
"In addition, some cases cannot be sampled because the fallen soldier no longer has priority relatives; many relatives live far from home and have not yet returned, or are elderly and in poor health, unable to come to the centralized collection points. In the coming time, ministries, sectors and localities will continue to develop plans for supplementary sample collection for these cases," Lieutenant Colonel Chu Chi Quoc further shared.
The collection of biological samples was carried out in strict accordance with regulations, prioritizing DNA sampling from the maternal lineage to ensure accuracy in comparison. The subjects sampled included, in order: the martyr's mother; the martyr's maternal grandmother; siblings from the same mother; uncles and aunts who are siblings of the mother; children of the martyr's mother's sisters; and children of the martyr's sisters.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Chu Chi Quoc, the "500-day campaign to complete the collection of DNA samples for relatives of unidentified martyrs" is entering a crucial phase. However, the task ahead remains very challenging, as the country currently has more than 175,000 martyrs whose remains have not been found, and over 300,000 martyrs' graves whose information has not been identified; Nghe An province alone has more than 22,000 unidentified martyrs.
Meanwhile, many of the martyrs' close relatives are elderly and frail, with some carrying the lifelong wish of finding their loved ones. Therefore, collecting DNA samples is considered a particularly important step, providing a scientific basis for identifying the remains of martyrs in the future.
Following this peak period, Nghe An will continue to review and compile a list of unidentified martyrs and cases where relatives are eligible for sample comparison. At the same time, departments, agencies, and localities will continue to inspect and update the status of martyrs' remains that are being collected or have not yet been collected and brought to cemeteries, and advise on appropriate collection plans.
The Department of Internal Affairs will coordinate with the Provincial Police and relevant agencies to receive the DNA matching results, compare them with existing records and documents to identify the remains of fallen soldiers, and promptly notify relatives and families when the results are available.
