The example of steadfast fighting and heroic sacrifice of comrade Le Hong Phong lives forever in the hearts of generations of Vietnamese people (*)
(Baonghean)Excerpt from speech of Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong - General Secretary of the Party Central Committee at the Commemoration Ceremony.
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In the joyful atmosphere of the whole country celebrating the 67th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day September 2, today we gather here - in the homeland of the great President Ho Chi Minh, of the heroic Nghe Tinh Soviet, a land of outstanding people, rich in historical, cultural and revolutionary traditions - to solemnly celebrate the 110th anniversary of the birth of Comrade Le Hong Phong - General Secretary of our Party in the period 1935 - 1936, one of the outstanding students of President Ho Chi Minh, a staunch communist, a talented leader, an enthusiastic soldier of the international communist and workers' movement, who devoted his whole life to the cause of independence, freedom of the Fatherland and happiness of the people.
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Comrade Le Hong Phong's real name is Le Huy Doan, born in 1902 in Thong Lang commune (now Hung Thong commune), Hung Nguyen district, Nghe An province, in a working-class farmer family. Born and raised in a rural area rich in patriotic traditions, with many famous scholars, witnessing with his own eyes the country's misery, the oppressed and exploited working people, Le Hong Phong soon nurtured in himself the ideology of patriotism and the will to make a revolution.
General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong speaks at the Commemoration Ceremony
Delegates attending the ceremony Photo: Sy Minh
After finishing elementary school, Le Hong Phong left the village for the city, first in Vinh, then Ben Thuy, living as a hired laborer. Unable to bear the exploitation and oppression of the employers, Le Hong Phong and those with the same passion mobilized the workers to rise up and fight. For that reason, Le Hong Phong was fired. At the end of 1923, Le Hong Phong and his close friend Pham Hong Thai secretly went to Siam (Thailand) to meet Vietnamese patriots. In 1924, Le Hong Phong went to Guangzhou (China) to join the Tam Tam Xa group and later met leader Nguyen Ai Quoc, who enlightened him about the Marxist-Leninist revolution. From then on, Le Hong Phong was determined to follow leader Nguyen Ai Quoc's path to save the country.
In 1925, Le Hong Phong joined the Vietnam Revolutionary Youth Association and attended a cadre training course organized by leader Nguyen Ai Quoc, becoming one of the first generation of leaders of our country's revolution. He received comprehensive military and political training at the Whampoa Military School, the Air Force School in Guangzhou (China), the Military Theory School of the Soviet Air Force in Leningrad, and the Military Pilot Training School in Boritz (Soviet Union). After graduating, Le Hong Phong worked in the Soviet Red Army and was responsible for liaison between the Indochinese Communist Party and the Communist International. During this time, he systematically studied revolutionary theory at the Communist International's Oriental University in Moscow, graduating from the third course (1928 - 1931), then continued his first year of graduate studies.
At this time in Vietnam, after the peak of the Nghe-Tinh Soviet movement (1930-1931), due to the savage and brutal terror of the French colonialists, the Vietnamese revolution encountered numerous difficulties and suffered heavy losses. Most of the Central Committee members and Regional Committee members were arrested or murdered; hundreds of cadres and thousands of party members were arrested and imprisoned. Party organizations from the Central to the grassroots level were mostly disintegrated or paralyzed. In that situation, in November 1931, following the directive of the Communist International, Le Hong Phong returned to the country to lead the restoration and development of the Party organization, leading the Indochina revolution through a difficult and dangerous period.
In early 1932, when arriving in Nanning City, Guangxi (China), Le Hong Phong established contact with loyal comrades, together outlining the Party's Action Program, which was approved by the Communist International. The Party's Action Program is an important political document, affirming the correctness and consistency with the revolutionary line outlined by our Party since 1930, highly appreciating the victory of the revolutionary masses in the 1930-1931 climax, at the same time strictly pointing out the mistakes in the Party and proposing the requirement to resolutely overcome mistakes, moving the revolution forward.
In March 1934, Le Hong Phong and a number of comrades held a conference to establish the Party's leadership committee abroad (at that time called the Party's overseas command committee). The overseas command committee functioned as a provisional Central Executive Committee with comrade Le Hong Phong as Secretary and comrade Ha Huy Tap as member in charge of propaganda work. The overseas command committee prepared and decided to convene the Party's first Congress in Macau (China) from March 27 to 31, 1935. The congress passed the Political Resolution, the Party Charter, a number of other important documents and elected a Central Executive Committee of 13 members headed by comrade Le Hong Phong.
At the end of 1934, Le Hong Phong led the Party delegation to attend the 7th Congress of the Communist International held in Moscow (Soviet Union) from July 25 to August 25, 1935. He presented an important report on the struggle of the peoples in Indochina and was highly appreciated by the Congress. The Congress passed a resolution recognizing the Indochinese Communist Party as an independent branch of the Communist International and elected comrade Le Hong Phong as a member of the Executive Committee of the Communist International.
In July 1936, in Shanghai, he convened and chaired the Central Conference to supplement the Resolution of the First Congress, directed the change of the Party's organizational and strategic direction, and advocated the establishment of a broad People's Anti-Imperialist United Front, including various forms of struggle and activities from secret, illegal to public, semi-public, legal, semi-legal, with the aim of "preparing conditions for the national liberation movement to develop", preparing in all aspects to bring the revolutionary movement to its climax from 1936 to 1939.
In November 1937, Le Hong Phong secretly returned to Saigon and, together with the Central Committee, actively directed the implementation of the Party's new strategic policy.
On June 22, 1939, Le Hong Phong was arrested for the first time by the French colonialists in Cho Lon and sentenced to 6 months in prison. On December 23, 1939, they brought him back to his hometown in Nghe An under house arrest. On January 20, 1940, he was arrested for the second time by the French colonialists and imprisoned in the Big Prison, Saigon; at the end of 1940, they exiled him to Con Dao. Here, knowing that Le Hong Phong was an important figure of the Party, the French colonialists tried every way to torture and brutally mistreat him, and at the same time tried every way to bribe him, but he still upheld his revolutionary spirit, did not confess a word, and actively mobilized and directed his fellow prisoners to fight against the enemy's beatings and against the harsh prison rules. His health gradually weakened by revenge and illness, he breathed his last at noon on September 6, 1942 after leaving a message: "Please report to the Party that, until the last moment, Le Hong Phong still firmly believed in the glorious victory of the revolution."
Forty years old, twenty years of continuous, heroic and enthusiastic revolutionary activities, comrade Le Hong Phong devoted his whole life to the glorious revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation. He left behind a shining example of revolutionary ethics, love for family, homeland and country, lifelong sacrifice for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland, happiness of the people, loyalty to the Party, filial piety to the people, steadfast loyalty to comrades and friends, always optimistic and confident in the victory of the revolution.
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Comrade Le Hong Phong's revolutionary life and dedication have left us with extremely valuable lessons: As the person who presided over the Party's work during the revolutionary recession in the early 1930s, when the whole country was submerged in a wave of white terror from the enemy, seemingly insurmountable, Comrade Le Hong Phong, together with the Central Committee, carried out a series of meticulous, persistent, and creative tasks to restore the Party, restore the revolutionary movement, maintain the fighting will of the people, and foster faith in the inevitable victory of the revolution. Among them, the proposal of the Action Program and the establishment of the Party's External Command Committee were two events of primary importance. He skillfully combined two basic requirements in the work of a leader: paying attention to strategic, general issues and directing specific, practical, and effective tasks. During the years 1933 - 1934, along with proposing the Party's action program, he also translated a number of documents and wrote the book "World situation and Indochina revolution" to propagate and mobilize the revolution; At the same time, he and his comrades directed the establishment of party executive committees in Cao Bang, Lang Son, and sent people to rebuild party bases in Hanoi, Hai Phong, and Hon Gai...
After restoring the revolutionary movement, comrade Le Hong Phong contributed to the Party Central Committee in preparing the ideological, political and organizational premises for the formation of the Indochinese Democratic Front. He made great contributions in changing the strategy and tactics of the struggle to rally the masses around the Party. During the time he was imprisoned and housed by the enemy, he still participated in the theoretical front. Dozens of his articles were secretly sent and published in the Party's newspapers, especially the People's Newspaper, demonstrating the tenacious fighting spirit of a communist soldier without a moment's rest.
To have such maturity, an important part is that Le Hong Phong was directly educated, trained, practiced and regularly guided by leader Nguyen Ai Quoc. From a patriotic youth seeking a revolutionary path, Le Hong Phong soon met leader Nguyen Ai Quoc, joined the Vietnam Revolutionary Youth Association and became an excellent student of his.
In Le Hong Phong, one of the outstanding qualities is the example of learning and training. Not having had a full education when he was young, growing up and participating in revolutionary activities, he was even more eager to improve his knowledge, taking advantage of all conditions, anytime, anywhere to study. During his time in China and the Soviet Union, Le Hong Phong went through many schools and classes; sometimes the old class was not finished, circumstances forced him to move to a new class; military studies, political studies, theory studies... It can be said that, among the revolutionary cadres at that time, Le Hong Phong was the one who was equipped with the most knowledge at school. That helped him a lot in his work, especially when he had to preside over important work of the Party.
He always linked studying with revolutionary activities, training in organization and practical direction. The connection and communication to restore grassroots party organizations in the country and the policy of bringing the area of operation back to the country instead of directing from afar demonstrated that. Le Hong Phong is an exemplary model in combining study and practice, theory and practice. Comrade Le Hong Phong is also an enthusiastic international activist. He deeply expressed patriotism combined with international spirit, the Vietnamese revolution combined with the world revolution. He found in friendly countries a place to operate when domestic conditions were still difficult; a favorable environment for studying and training; a place to coordinate, connect, and support each other in revolutionary activities. Thanks to that international connection, his political perspective and understanding were broader and deeper, helping to solve more effectively the revolutionary tasks of our country during that period. During his years of study in China and the Soviet Union, he was admitted to the Communist Party of China and the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, becoming a member of the Communist Party of China and the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Later, as a member of the Executive Committee of the Communist International, he had more opportunities to join leader Nguyen Ai Quoc and our Party in linking the Vietnamese revolutionary movement with the world revolutionary movement, helping the international communist movement better understand the Vietnamese revolution and the Communist Party of Vietnam.
Comrade Le Hong Phong was an example of lifelong dedication to the revolutionary cause of the Party and the people. From the time he grew up until his death, he always put the interests of the revolution above the interests of his own life and family happiness. His enthusiasm and communist heart were always for the Party and the people. For the Party and the people, Le Hong Phong accepted all hardships and sacrifices, saying goodbye to his family to travel to find a revolutionary path. And also for the Party and the people, Le Hong Phong returned to the country many times to work and build the revolutionary movement, even though he knew that the enemy was always lurking, threatening his life; and he sacrificed both his personal feelings and himself. His comrade, his beloved life partner - Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh Khai - was also captured by the enemy and sentenced to death in 1941. Our two beloved leaders sacrificed for a great cause, leaving behind a young child who was only 2 years old.
The life of comrade Le Hong Phong is as clear as a drop of morning dew, as beautiful as the morning sunshine. Comrade Le Hong Phong's example of steadfast fighting and heroic sacrifice for national independence and communist ideals lives forever in the hearts of generations of Vietnamese people.
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On the occasion of the 110th anniversary of Comrade Le Hong Phong's birth, we are moved and moved to review his glorious revolutionary activities to learn and strive to follow his example. His life and career always remind every cadre and party member today to uphold revolutionary will, strive to cultivate and practice communist ethics, persevere in studying to improve all aspects, actively participate in practical activities, put the interests of the Party, the revolution and the people above personal interests, be ready to fight and sacrifice for the glorious cause of the Party and the nation.
Learning from and following comrade Le Hong Phong and other revolutionary predecessors, we continue to do well in building and rectifying the Party in the spirit of the Central Resolution (4th term XI), actively fight against signs of degradation in political ideology, lifestyle ethics, individualism, bureaucracy, corruption and all other negative manifestations; build our Party to be increasingly clean, strong, closely attached to the people, lead the entire people to strive to successfully implement the Resolution of the 11th Party Congress, step by step build a socialist Vietnam with rich people, strong country, democracy, fairness and civilization.
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(*) Title by Nghe An Newspaper.
