Willing to study and follow the shining revolutionary moral example of comrade Le Hong Phong(*)

(Excerpt from the opening speech of Comrade Dinh The Huynh - Member of the Politburo, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central Propaganda Department, Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council at the Workshop)

(Baonghean) Today, the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and Public Administration, Nghe An Provincial Party Committee and the Central Propaganda Department jointly organized the scientific workshop "Comrade Le Hong Phong with the Vietnamese revolution and his homeland Nghe An" on the occasion of the 110th anniversary of the birth of Comrade Le Hong Phong, an outstanding leader of the Party, an outstanding son of the Vietnamese people and his homeland Nghe An, a staunch soldier of the international Communist and workers' movement.

This is an opportunity for us to learn more about the glorious revolutionary life and the great sacrifices and contributions of comrade Le Hong Phong to the cause of national liberation, for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland, and for the happiness of the people. On behalf of the Politburo and the Central Party Secretariat, I would like to warmly welcome the veteran revolutionaries, representatives of the leaders of the Central agencies, scientists, delegates and representatives of comrade Le Hong Phong's family to attend this meaningful scientific conference.
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Comrade Le Hong Phong was born and raised in Nghe An, a homeland rich in patriotic and revolutionary traditions, the birthplace and nurturing of many famous people and talented people of the country such as Mai Hac De, Ho Tong Thoc, Nguyen Xuan On... before and later Phan Boi Chau, Nguyen Ai Quoc... Nghe An is also a cultural land, the birthplace of immortal literary and artistic works of poetry, music, folk songs, and folk verses imbued with humanity and lyricism.

Nurtured and educated by the traditions of his homeland, witnessing firsthand the suffering of the people under colonial and feudal rule, and the brutal and bloody suppression of patriotic movements, comrade Le Hong Phong soon formed patriotic and revolutionary thoughts.

After finishing elementary school, Le Hong Phong left his hometown for Vinh to work as a worker at Ben Thuy Match Factory. Here, comrade Le Hong Phong experienced the fate of a hired worker, despised and exploited by the employer. Le Hong Phong mobilized the workers to stand up and fight and was fired. Le Hong Phong did not return home but was determined to leave to find a way to save the country. In 1923, Le Hong Phong and Pham Hong Thai secretly went to Siam (Thailand), then to Guangzhou (China). In April 1924, Le Hong Phong joined Tam Tam Xa, a revolutionary organization founded by comrade Ho Tung Mau, Le Hong Son and a number of other revolutionaries.

At the end of 1924, leader Nguyen Ai Quoc went to Guangzhou to build an organization and open the first cadre training classes for the Vietnamese revolution. Comrade Le Hong Phong attended a political training class led by leader Nguyen Ai Quoc. Based on the Tam Tam Xa group, leader Nguyen Ai Quoc established a core group of 9 members, including comrade Le Hong Phong, called the Communist Group. In June 1925, based on the Communist Group, he established the Vietnam Revolutionary Youth Association, contributing to the preparation for the founding of the Party.

During the years 1924-1931, comrade Le Hong Phong studied at the Whampoa Military School, Guangzhou Aviation School (China), Leningrad Air Force Military Theory School (now Saint Petersburg City), Borisgelevsky Military Pilot Training School and the Communist International Oriental University in Moscow. He was admitted to the Communist Party of China and the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

After the 1930-1931 revolutionary movement, culminating in the Nghe Tinh Soviet, was drowned in blood by the French colonialists and their lackeys, the Central Executive Committee, the Regional Party Committees and most of the Party's bases nationwide were destroyed by the enemy. Many Central Committee and Regional Party Committee members were captured or murdered by the enemy. Hundreds of cadres and thousands of Party members were arrested and imprisoned. In that context, in May 1931, comrade Le Hong Phong accepted the mission of the Communist International, returning to the country to rebuild the revolutionary movement, leaving his graduate studies unfinished. Due to the dense blockade of the enemy's secret police network, he could not contact the bases in the country, had to go around Siam, and did not return to Guangxi (China) until early 1932. He tried every way to establish contact with comrades Hoang Dinh Giong, Hoang Van Thu, Hoang Van Non... to discuss solutions to rebuild the Party's organizational system. Opened training classes, trained cadres, built revolutionary bases in ethnic minority areas in border provinces such as Lang Son, Cao Bang; sent comrades Hoang Van Thu and Hoang Dinh Giong back to the country to continue developing revolutionary bases, building mass forces in Hai Phong, Quang Ninh... Comrade Le Hong Phong had great merit in restoring and rebuilding the organizational system and bases of our Party from 1932 to 1935 - an extremely difficult period of the Vietnamese revolution.

In June 1932, in order to promptly stabilize the ideology of cadres, party members and the masses, comrade Le Hong Phong discussed with the Party's leaders and announced the Party's Action Program, which he participated in drafting and which was approved by the Communist International. The Party's Action Program affirmed that the revolutionary struggle line set forth by the Party was correct; the losses and difficulties that the Party encountered were only temporary, and that one should not panic or be pessimistic; it outlined the direction of the revolutionary struggle, clearly stating the common requirements of the Party and of the masses in the struggle. The Party's Action Program brought cadres, party members and the masses confidence in the revolutionary future, pushed back confusion and wavering thoughts, contributed to the rapid restoration of the Party's organizational system; contributed to consolidating the Party politically, ideologically and organizationally, restoring the revolutionary movement, and bringing the Vietnamese revolution to a new stage. From early 1933 to 1934, the Southern Regional Party Committee, the Provisional Northern Regional Party Committee, the Central Regional Party Committee and a number of provincial and municipal Party Committees were also rebuilt.

In March 1934, comrade Le Hong Phong went to Macau (China) to direct the establishment of the Overseas Command Committee of the Indochinese Communist Party. The Overseas Command Committee functioned as the provisional Central Executive Committee with comrade Le Hong Phong as Secretary. Under the direction of comrade Le Hong Phong, the Overseas Command Committee contacted Party organizations in the country, re-established bases in broken places, built bases in places that did not exist, and moved towards unifying revolutionary forces throughout the country. When Party organizations in the country, especially the Regional Party Committees, were restored, the Overseas Command Committee decided to convene a Conference of domestic cadres to meet in Macau (China) (June 1934) to assess the situation, propose new policies to consolidate the Party, restore and develop mass organizations, and prepare for the First Congress of the Party. During the urgent preparation for the Congress, comrade Le Hong Phong was invited to attend the 7th Congress of the Communist International.

In early 1935, he led the Party delegation to Moscow to attend the 7th Congress of the Communist International. The work of preparing and conducting the 1st Party Congress was left to the comrades at home.

At the 7th Congress of the Communist International (from July 25 to August 21, 1935), comrade Le Hong Phong read an important speech on the revolutionary movement in Indochina. At this Congress, our Party was recognized as an official branch of the Communist International, and comrade Le Hong Phong (alias Hai An) was elected as a member of the Executive Committee of the Communist International. The 7th Congress of the Communist International ended, and comrade Le Hong Phong returned to Shanghai (China). At that time, the 1st National Congress of the Party (March 1935) had closed, and comrade Le Hong Phong was elected in absentia as the Party's General Secretary. At this time, fascism was actively preparing for war. In his capacity as a member of the Executive Committee of the Communist International and General Secretary of the Party, comrade Le Hong Phong convened and chaired the Central Conference (July 1936) in Shanghai. Based on developments in the world and domestic situations, the Conference decided to change the immediate goals and tasks of the revolution; determining the direct goal to be the struggle against the reactionary colonial regime, against fascism and imperialist war, demanding people's livelihood, democracy and peace. The main immediate enemies of the Indochinese people are the colonial reactionaries and their lackeys. At the proposal of Le Hong Phong, the Conference decided to establish the Indochinese Anti-Imperialist People's Front - an organization to gather and unify the forces against fascism and colonial reactionaries in Vietnam.

In November 1937, at the request of the revolutionary movement in the country, comrade Le Hong Phong secretly returned to Saigon to work directly with the Party Central Committee to direct the revolutionary movement. At the Central Conference in March 1938, he was elected to the Central Standing Committee and together with the Party Central Committee decided to transform the Anti-Imperialist People's Front into the Indochinese Democratic Front, aiming to gather the masses, mobilize all forces to participate in the struggle for freedom of speech, for people's livelihood, democracy, and against fascism; launching a high tide of democratic struggle in our country.

In 1939, the fascist war was approaching, the colonial reactionaries turned against the revolutionary movement. On June 22, 1939, comrade Le Hong Phong was arrested by the French colonialists in Saigon. The secret police used all means of torture and enticement, but he steadfastly maintained his communist integrity. With insufficient evidence to convict him, the French colonial court sentenced him to 6 months in prison and 3 years of house arrest. After the 6-month prison term expired, the colonial government forced him to return to his hometown in Nghe An so that they could easily monitor and house him. In September 1939, World War II broke out. In January 1940, comrade Le Hong Phong was arrested by the Southern secret police in Nghe An and imprisoned in the Big Prison - Saigon. Knowing that comrade Le Hong Phong was a high-ranking Party leader, the French colonialists charged him with "subversive activities" and sentenced him to 5 years in prison, 10 years of house arrest, and exiled him to Con Dao. They instructed the island lords to find every way to harm him. The cruel and savage beatings of the enemy exhausted Le Hong Phong. He passed away on September 6, 1942. Before his last breath, he sent his greetings to his fellow prisoners and at the same time: "Please tell the Party that, until the last moment, Le Hong Phong still believed wholeheartedly in the glorious victory of the revolution." Those farewell words, those optimistic revolutionary greetings will forever be engraved and resonate in the hearts of the communists and the people of Vietnam.
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With forty years of age and twenty years of active and rich revolutionary activities, comrade Le Hong Phong and his life partner, his beloved comrade Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, devoted their entire lives to the glorious revolutionary cause of our Party and our people. His life is a shining example of revolutionary morality, love for the homeland and country, and his willingness to sacrifice for the Party's ideal goals, for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland, for the happiness of the people, always optimistic and confident in the victory of the revolution. Comrade Le Hong Phong is an enthusiastic international activist, making important contributions to the international communist and workers' movements.

The scientific conference on the occasion of the 110th anniversary of the birth of Comrade Le Hong Phong was solemnly held at a time when the entire Party, people and army are striving to implement the Resolution of the 11th National Party Congress and the Resolutions and Conclusions of the 11th Central Conferences, especially the 4th Central Resolution "Some urgent issues on Party building at present". The success of today's conference contributes to increasing the spiritual motivation, encouraging and motivating our cadres, party members, compatriots and soldiers to enthusiastically compete in creative labor, study and work, and successfully implement the Resolution of the 11th National Party Congress. The conference is also an opportunity for us to propagate and promote the study and following of the moral example of Ho Chi Minh and the example of previous communist soldiers; an opportunity to educate the tradition of patriotism and glorious revolutionary tradition for today's and future generations. Remembering and being grateful for the great contributions and contributions of comrade Le Hong Phong to the revolutionary cause of our Party and our nation, we are even more proud of the glorious tradition of the glorious Party and heroic nation. We vow to study and follow the example of brilliant revolutionary morality, steadfast will, and spirit of fighting and sacrificing of comrade Le Hong Phong for the ideal goals of the Party, for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland, for the happy life of the people, for the communist ideal; firmly moving forward on the revolutionary path; determined to strive to build and firmly defend our beloved Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

(*) Title by Nghe An Newspaper.