Regulations on State Funerals in Vietnam
Regulations governing the organization of state funerals are governed by Government Decree 105/2012/ND-CP. Some key regulations regarding the organization of state funerals are as follows:
1. Titles for which a State Funeral is held
A State Funeral will be held for officials who were or are no longer holding any of the following positions at the time of their death:
- General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party;
- President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam;
- Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam;
- Chairman of the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
The Politburo decides on the organization of a State Funeral for other high-ranking officials who have made significant contributions and rendered great services to the revolutionary cause of the Party, the State, and the people, and who have great prestige domestically and internationally.
2. Announcement regarding the State Funeral
The following bodies jointly issued the communiqué regarding the State Funeral: the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam; the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; and the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front.
3. State Funeral Committee and Funeral Organizing Committee
The Politburo decided to establish a State Funeral Committee, comprising 25 to 30 members representing the Politburo, the Central Committee, and the National Assembly.
The President, the Government, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, central organizations, the agency where the deceased worked or is currently working, and representatives of the leadership of the province or centrally-governed city where the deceased was born or was born.
The State Funeral Committee is responsible for directing the organization of State Funerals in accordance with the provisions of this Decree;
The head of the State Funeral Committee is either the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam or the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
The Politburo decided to establish a Funeral Organizing Committee, consisting of 15 to 20 members representing ministries, departments, and agencies at the central and local levels, the deceased's hometown or birthplace, and representatives of the deceased's family.
The Funeral Organizing Committee is responsible for assisting the State Funeral Committee in managing the agencies that are members of the Funeral Organizing Committee and the agencies participating in organizing the State Funeral as stipulated in this Decree; the Head of the Funeral Organizing Committee is a Deputy Prime Minister.
4. Documents concerning the State Funeral Ceremony
The Central Organizing Committee, in coordination with the Central Propaganda Department, the Central Party Office, and the deceased's governing body, drafted: the communiqué on the State Funeral; the list of the State Funeral Committee and the Funeral Organizing Committee; the deceased's biography; the announcement regarding the viewing, memorial service, and burial; and the eulogy and thank-you speech, incorporating input from the deceased's family and approved by the State Funeral Committee.
5. Reporting and publishing information about the State Funeral in the media.
a) Delivering sad news
Before the official announcement from the Funeral Organizing Committee, the media were only allowed to publish brief reports about the death. Only after the Funeral Organizing Committee was established and the funeral arrangements were officially announced could the media publish obituaries and articles introducing the deceased.
b) Posting information in the media
The Nhan Dan newspaper and other central and local media outlets reported on the State Funeral, including: the communiqué, the list of the State Funeral Committee and the Funeral Organizing Committee; the biography and photograph of the deceased; the nationwide mourning rituals; announcements about the viewing ceremony, the memorial service, the burial ceremony, and the thank-you message from the State Funeral Committee;
The Central Documentary and Scientific Film Studio filmed the memorial service, funeral ceremony, and burial. The Voice of Vietnam, Vietnam Television, and Vietnam News Agency reported and broadcast live the memorial service, funeral ceremony, and burial.
6. Duration and rituals of mourning
The State Funeral will last for two days. During this time, all agencies and offices nationwide, as well as Vietnamese representative offices abroad, will fly flags at half-mast with a black mourning band (measuring 1/10 the width of the flag, with a length equal to the length of the flag, and the flag will only be hoisted to 2/3 the height of the flagpole, secured with a black cloth band to prevent it from flying freely). No public entertainment or recreational activities will be organized.
Government Decree 105/2012/ND-CP also specifies regulations regarding the organization of memorial services and rituals during a State funeral.
