The value of independence and freedom
Only independence, freedom, and peace can bring a peaceful and happy life to the country, the nation, and all the people of Vietnam. This sense of independence can only exist when those entrusted with the responsibility of carrying the nation's destiny act for the genuine development of the people, so that the "Oath of Independence" remains the responsibility and honor of every Vietnamese person, for the integrity of the Fatherland, and for the right to pursue freedom and happiness for all.
Sacred Cloud• September 2, 2024
Only independence, freedom, and peace can bring a peaceful and happy life to the country, the nation, and all the people of Vietnam. This sense of independence can only exist when those entrusted with the responsibility of carrying the nation's destiny act for the genuine development of the people, so that the "Oath of Independence" remains the responsibility and honor of every Vietnamese person, for the integrity of the Fatherland, and for the right to pursue freedom and happiness for all.
COnly those who lived in slavery and misery under the yoke of colonial and feudal rule can truly understand the pride of being a free citizen of an independent nation. But independence doesn't come naturally. It is the result of a long and arduous struggle and sacrifice. In the resounding victory at Bach Dang when Ngo Quyen defeated the Southern Han army in 938, ending a thousand years of Northern domination and ushering in a period of independence and self-reliance, we feel the immense loss and sacrifice of the rebel armies from the time of the Trung Sisters, Trieu Sisters, Ly Bi, Mai Thuc Loan… before. It took enough bitterness, humiliation, and the waiting time and space for the blood of those who fell to culminate in this glorious moment.
Having experienced the pain of failure from anti-French resistance movements such as the Can Vuong, Yen The, Yen Bai, and Vietnam Restoration Movements; having absorbed the lessons of both success and loss from the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement to the Southern Uprising, Bac Son, Do Luong… and viewing them as necessary rehearsals, millions of enslaved Vietnamese people finally had the motivation to rise up in the August 1945 General Uprising, shattering the chains of slavery, winning freedom for themselves and independence for their homeland.
Therefore, at the beginning of the Declaration of Independence, President Ho Chi Minh affirmed: "All people are born equal. The Creator has endowed them with certain inalienable rights; among these are the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." At the end of this important document, he, speaking on behalf of tens of millions of his compatriots, affirmed to the world: "The entire Vietnamese nation will resolutely dedicate all its spirit and strength, its life and property, to safeguard that right to freedom and independence."
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Because independence and freedom are sacred values, inviolable rights of every nation. Having gone through 79 autumns of independence, history has proven that independence is not a gift from heaven, but a value earned with the blood and bones of over 1,146,250 martyrs, over 800,000 wounded and sick soldiers, nearly 111,000 revolutionary and resistance fighters who were captured and imprisoned by the enemy, and tens of thousands of victims suffering from the effects of Agent Orange/dioxin during the two wars of resistance against French colonialism and American imperialism, and the battles to protect the northern and southwestern borders, as well as fulfilling international obligations to Laos and Cambodia.
History is a multifaceted narrative. The development of human history is fundamentally a history of wars. Many nations have only achieved independence through war. But there are also nations that can never truly gain that sacred right, or whose independence is only fleeting before being lost, even annihilated, assimilated, or erased from the world map. Therefore, the independence we have achieved through bloodshed and sacrifice is a lasting independence, one that is continued and protected from the perilous situations of history. That is the proud value of independence and freedom. Failing to understand the value of independence and freedom is a crime against our ancestors. Without fostering a sense of independence, any nation risks losing the great legacy left by its forefathers.
But, wanting independence doesn't just mean raising a flag and fighting a decisive battle!
Throughout thousands of years of our nation's struggle for independence, it took nearly a century of research, experimentation, and immense sacrifice before we finally had that glorious autumn day in the historic Ba Dinh Square where President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence. That young independence also required another nine years of protracted resistance, filled with hardship and sacrifice – "blood mixed with mud, unwavering courage, unyielding determination." Then, after another 21 years of division, with millions of sons and daughters sacrificing their lives, their blood staining the Truong Son Mountains, we finally achieved national reunification, with North and South united as one family.
National Day is a great joyous occasion for the country. Independence is a solemn oath of the nation, inscribed in golden annals of history, a testament to Vietnam's journey in affirming its position on the world map. With the determination to "even if we have to burn down the entire Truong Son mountain range, we must achieve independence"; with the spirit of "Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom!"; and with the skillful and scientific combination of armed struggle with flexible and adaptable diplomatic strategies, using firmness and flexibility at the right time, the Party and President Ho Chi Minh led the Vietnamese revolutionary ship through all rapids and obstacles, firmly protecting the complete independence of the Fatherland to this day.
