The example of comrade Nguyen Thi Minh Khai lives forever in the hearts of generations of Vietnamese people.

At the ceremony to celebrate the 110th anniversary of the birth of comrade Nguyen Thi Minh Khai (September 30, 1910 - September 30, 2020), comrade Thai Thanh Quy - Alternate member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee presented a speech reviewing the revolutionary life and noble moral example of comrade Nguyen Thi Minh Khai; at the same time, expressing the determination of the Party Committee and the people of Nghe An in the cause of building and developing the province to be worthy of the homeland's tradition, the great dedication and sacrifice of the revolutionary predecessors.

Nghe An Newspaper respectfully introduces the speech:

-Dear Comrade Nguyen Xuan Thang, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council;
- Dear leaders of Central Committees, Ministries, Branches, and Agencies; leaders of Military Region 4; leaders of Ha Tinh Province, leaders of Nghe An Province through the periods; representatives of the clan and family of comrade Nguyen Thi Minh Khai and comrade Le Hong Phong.

- Dear comrades!

Comrade Thai Thanh Quy - Alternate member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee delivered a speech at the Commemoration Ceremony. Photo: Pham Bang

With infinite respect and gratitude, today, the Party Committee and People of Nghe An province solemnly organize the 110th anniversary of the birth of comrade Nguyen Thi Minh Khai - Former member of the Southern Regional Party Committee, former Secretary of the Saigon - Cho Lon City Party Committee, a loyal and indomitable female communist soldier, an outstanding daughter of her homeland Nghe An.

On behalf of the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee, and Provincial Fatherland Front Committee, I respectfully send my best wishes to the Party and State leaders, representatives of the clan and family of comrade Nguyen Thi Minh Khai and comrade Le Hong Phong, and all delegates and distinguished guests.

Dear comrades!

Comrade Nguyen Thi Minh Khai's real name is Nguyen Thi Vinh, born in 1910, in a family of civil servants in Vinh city, Nghe An province. Inheriting the good cultural values ​​of her family and the tradition of heroic struggle against foreign invaders of her homeland Nghe An, from a young age, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai was deeply concerned with the suffering of the poor workers, especially the women who worked at Ben Thuy Match Factory, not far from Cao Xuan Duc Primary School where she studied as a child.

In 1927, when she was only 17 years old, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai joined the Vietnam Revolutionary Party and was assigned by the organization to do propaganda and mobilize women in Vinh. Overcoming social prejudices, she participated in propaganda, enlightenment, and organizing activities among women; actively went to villages and communes around Vinh city to learn about the lives, aspirations and wishes of farmers, and mobilized the organization of Farmers' Associations. The enthusiastic activities of Nguyen Thi Minh Khai and other comrades promoted the revolutionary struggle movement in Vinh to become stronger, creating a very important preparation for the birth of communist party cells.

In early 1930, the Communist Party of Vietnam was born, she was admitted, became a member of the first class of the Party and was assigned to be in charge of propaganda work, mobilizing women, training party members in the Truong Thi and Ben Thuy areas of Nghe An province and organizing the Women's Liberation Association. Thanks to scientific propaganda methods, both flexible and thorough, she mobilized many women to enthusiastically participate in building the patriotic movement, becoming red seeds, excellent party members of the Party. In addition, she also participated in organizing many training courses, training cadres for the Party, creating the core force of the Nghe - Tinh Soviet movement.

Central leaders attend the Anniversary Ceremony. Photo: Pham Bang

In March 1930, she was sent to Hong Kong, China, to work at the Eastern Branch Office of the Communist International, tasked with liaising with Vietnamese revolutionary organisations in the country. During this time, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai was directly trained in revolutionary theory and experience by leader Nguyen Ai Quoc. To complete the assigned tasks, she persevered in self-study and became fluent in English, Chinese and French. Although working abroad, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai always followed and contributed to directing the women's movement in the country, especially the revolutionary movement in the two provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh.

After the revolutionary climax of 1930 - 1931, the Vietnamese revolution fell into recession due to the white terror of French colonialism. Comrade Nguyen Thi Minh Khai and her comrades persisted in their activities, maintained their spirit to rekindle the revolutionary flame, overcame difficulties and hardships, and sacrificed to fulfill the important responsibility assigned by the Vietnamese revolution and the Communist International, which was to restore the Vietnamese revolutionary movement and re-establish the Party's leadership agencies.

In April 1931, she was arrested by the British police in Hong Kong and handed over to the Kuomintang government in Guangzhou. In front of the enemy, despite being brutally tortured, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai still maintained the integrity of a loyal communist soldier, not revealing anything or exposing the organization. In a short letter to leader Nguyen Ai Quoc, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai wrote: "Even though I am tortured and shackled, I will not reveal anything. You can rest assured." Thanks to the efforts of the Red International, in 1933, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai was released.

After leaving prison, he went to Shanghai to find a way to contact the Party organization. After much effort and travel, he was able to contact comrades: Ha Huy Tap, Le Hong Phong, Hoang Van Non... From here, the beautiful love between two young communists from the same hometown of Nghe An blossomed. The wedding ceremony of Le Hong Phong and Nguyen Thi Minh Khai was held simply, warmly with comradely love in China.

In August 1935, she was an official delegate to attend and deliver a speech at the 7th Congress of the Communist International in Moscow. She then attended and delivered a speech at the 6th Congress of the Communist Youth International. From 1935 to 1936, she attended a short-term course at the Oriental University. Nguyen Thi Minh Khai's selection by the External Command to join the delegation of the Indochinese Communist Party to attend the 7th Congress of the Communist International - the largest forum of the international communist and workers' movement at that time - was not only a great honor, but also a recognition and appreciation by the Indochinese communists for the activities and contributions of the female communist soldier during the Party's revolutionary struggle.

Delegate card of comrade Nguyen Thi Minh Khai attending the 7th International Communist Congress in 1935. Photo: Archive

In 1937, comrade Nguyen Thi Minh Khai was assigned to work in Saigon, participating in the Southern Regional Party Committee and becoming Secretary of the Saigon - Cho Lon City Party Committee. Taking on the new task, operating in extremely difficult conditions due to the enemy's pursuit and arrest, the female City Party Secretary always stayed close to the base, led the movement to develop strongly and always received the trust and help of comrades and compatriots. During the days of fighting to establish the Democratic Front against war and fascism in Saigon, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai fought side by side with her husband, comrade Le Hong Phong, and many other comrades to lead the People's movement to fight against reactionaries, demanding freedom, democracy, people's livelihood and peace..., participating in the establishment of the Indochina Democratic Front, participating in polemics in the Dan Chung Newspaper. She was an excellent speaker at many large conferences and rallies in Saigon - Cho Lon.

Faced with the close surveillance and pursuit of French spies, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai had to retreat into secret activities. On July 30, 1940, after attending the Southern Regional Party Committee meeting to discuss the uprising policy, comrade Nguyen Thi Minh Khai was arrested by the French colonialists. They detained her at the Big Prison - Saigon and tortured her brutally. Undaunted by the enemy's brutality, in prison she continued to mobilize women to fight. As a member of the Southern Regional Party Committee and Secretary of the Saigon - Cho Lon City Party Committee, comrade Nguyen Thi Minh Khai sought every way to contact the outside world and continued to participate in directing the Southern Uprising in Saigon - Cho Lon.

Unable to subdue the young communist soldier, on the morning of August 26, 1941, the French colonialists murdered comrade Nguyen Thi Minh Khai along with a number of other loyal comrades of our Party in Hoc Mon district. Before the execution ground, comrade Nguyen Thi Minh Khai still turned to her compatriots and said with all her heart: “What we did was just. We made the revolution because we wanted our Fatherland to be independent and our people to be prosperous. We are not guilty of anything… We must destroy imperialism and feudalism so that life can be happy.”

Comrade Nguyen Thi Minh Khai and comrade NKCrupxskaya at the 7th Congress of the Communist International, July 1935. Photo: Archive

Dear comrades!

Born, raised, and engaged in patriotic activities in her hometown of Nghe An, she actively and excellently participated in revolutionary activities in China and the Soviet Union; became an outstanding leader of the South, of Saigon - Cho Lon and fell heroically on this land with her beloved husband. Nguyen Thi Minh Khai was respected and honored by President Ho Chi Minh as a revolutionary "pioneer", and he affirmed that "the blood and bones of the pioneers have permeated the roots of our Party, making its tree stronger, its branches bigger and its blossoming fruits more and more brilliant".

At the age of 31, with 15 years of continuous, heroic and enthusiastic revolutionary activities, comrade Nguyen Thi Minh Khai made great contributions to the revolutionary cause of our Party and People, namely: Actively propagating and mobilizing all classes of people to follow the revolutionary path under the banner of the Vietnamese working class in the period before the founding of the Party, participating in the restoration of the Party organization and leading the development of the revolutionary movement; actively participating in the activities of the Communist International, aiming to gain the support of international friends for the Vietnamese revolution. Through Nguyen Thi Minh Khai's sharp speeches at international conferences, the Communist International has helped the Communist International better understand the situation in the colonies and the situation of the colonial people, especially the youth and women, setting the task for communist parties to pay more attention to the colonial issue. He was one of the key leaders of the democratic movement in the period of 1937 - 1939 in Saigon and Cochinchina, contributing to the success of the second General Rehearsal for the August Revolution in 1945; he was always an active fighter for the cause of women's liberation associated with class liberation and national liberation...

The life and revolutionary career of Comrade Nguyen Thi Minh Khai left us with extremely valuable lessons about an example of lifelong dedication to the revolutionary cause of the Party and the People. From the time she grew up until her death, she always put the interests of the revolution above the interests of her own life and family happiness. Her enthusiasm and communist heart were always for the Party and the People.

Representatives of the young generation of Nghe An province attended the Anniversary Ceremony. Photo: Pham Bang

For the Party and the People, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai accepted all hardships and sacrifices, said goodbye to her family, and traveled to participate in revolutionary activities since she was young. She struggled and often stayed at the base to work and build the revolutionary movement, even though she knew that the enemy was always lurking and threatening her life.

For the Party, for the People, for the organization, she had to hold back her tears, part with her first-born daughter who had just started breastfeeding to work and lead the revolutionary movement that was urgently needed; had to suppress her pain, bury her love and longing to deal with the enemy's evil plot when they deliberately imprisoned her with her beloved husband, comrade Le Hong Phong, in prison, in order to try to sentence them both more severely.

And also for the Party, for the People, for the organization, he decided not to reveal a word, standing tall, indomitable, calmly facing death and the brutality of the enemy:

Whether beaten or hung, the more determined

No matter how much you clamp, you will never be wrong

Sacrifice and strive for the mission

Practice death thoroughly.

One year after Nguyen Thi Minh Khai's sacrifice, her comrade and beloved husband Le Hong Phong also breathed his last in a French imperial prison, leaving behind a young child just over two years old.

As a member of the Southern Regional Party Committee and directly leading the revolutionary movement in Saigon - Cho Lon city, with the responsibility of Secretary, comrade Nguyen Thi Minh Khai left us many extremely valuable lessons in directing and flexibly organizing the implementation of tasks and works such as: strengthening the Party in terms of politics, ideology and organization; strongly and extensively developing the working class's struggle movement; constantly expanding the Party's influence among the masses, implementing a broad democratic alliance, building mass forces and organizing the United Front; persistently and thoroughly fighting against reactionary ideological tendencies...

She left behind an example of a talented female Secretary of the Saigon - Gia Dinh Party Committee, with a broad understanding, always linking theory with practice, closely following the grassroots, always deeply believing in the great force and glorious future victory of the class and the nation; an example of the spirit of self-study and persistent training; an enthusiastic international activist, skillfully combining true patriotism with pure internationalism.

Dear comrades!

Continuing the revolutionary tradition of the homeland, learning from the example of comrade Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, the Party Committee and people of Nghe An have been persistent, tenacious, overcoming many difficulties and challenges and made many important contributions, contributing with the people of the whole country to gain glorious victories in the revolution to liberate the nation, unify the Fatherland and fulfill noble international obligations.

In the process of innovation, especially recently, implementing Resolution No. 26 of the Politburo and Resolution of the 18th Provincial Party Congress, Nghe An has achieved many important and quite comprehensive results in all fields.

The economy maintained a fairly high growth rate, averaging 8.47% in the 2016-2019 period, and 9.03% in 2019 alone. The economic structure continued to shift in the right direction. Annual budget revenue always met and exceeded the assigned estimate, about 1.7 times higher than at the beginning of 2016. The infrastructure system was invested in construction and upgraded more and more synchronously. The appearance of urban and rural areas is increasingly civilized and modern, a bright spot in the country in building new rural areas.

Culture and society have many progressive changes, cultural values ​​are preserved and promoted. Administrative reform is promoted. Policies, employment, and public welfare projects are invested in. National defense, security, and social order and safety are ensured; foreign affairs are strengthened and expanded. Party building has achieved many important results, the great national unity bloc has been consolidated, the people's trust in the Party and the State has been enhanced, creating a solid foundation for the province to continue to develop rapidly and comprehensively in the new period.

Dear comrades!

On the occasion of the 110th anniversary of the birth of Comrade Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, we are moved and moved to review her glorious revolutionary activities, and at the same time remind every cadre and party member today to always uphold the revolutionary will, strive to cultivate and practice communist ethics, persevere in studying, improve all aspects of qualifications, actively participate in practical activities, put the interests of the Party, the revolution and the People above personal interests, and be ready to fight and sacrifice for the glorious revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation.

Learning from and following the example of comrade Nguyen Thi Minh Khai and other revolutionary predecessors, we continue to seriously, practically and effectively carry out Party building and rectification in the spirit of Resolution 4 of the 12th Central Committee, associated with studying and following Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality and lifestyle; actively fight, prevent and defeat all plots and activities of sabotage and division by hostile forces, firmly protect the territorial integrity, peace and independence of the nation, protect the Party and the achievements of the revolution. Enhance the role, leadership capacity and fighting strength of the Party, build a clean, strong, streamlined, effective and efficient political system, in which cadre work is the key link and breakthrough point.

Constantly promote the will and aspiration to rise up strongly, overcome difficulties and obstacles, create new breakthroughs in socio-economic development; Take care of the comprehensive development of Nghe An culture and people, ensure social security; promote the strength of the great national unity bloc; Strengthen national defense and security, proactively integrate and cooperate internationally, and soon make Nghe An a prosperous province in the North.

In the immediate future, focus on successfully organizing the 19th Provincial Party Congress, term 2020-2025, towards the 13th National Party Congress; continue to work with the whole country to successfully implement the dual goal of both promoting economic development and preventing, combating and overcoming the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Delegates attending the Anniversary Ceremony. Photo: Thanh Duy

Dear comrades!

To forever commemorate the contributions of the loyal female revolutionary soldier, in Nghe An province and many other localities across the country, the name of comrade Nguyen Thi Minh Khai has been given to schools and solemn streets. Nghe An province has built and inaugurated the Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Memorial House on the land where her family used to live, becoming an important red address to educate patriotism and revolutionary ideals for generations of cadres, party members and people today and tomorrow, a place to honor and spread the noble traditions of Vietnamese women.

Time has passed, but the example of steadfast fighting and sacrifice of comrade Nguyen Thi Minh Khai for national independence and communist ideals will last forever with the country, living forever in the hearts of generations of Vietnamese people, forever as youthful as the age of her death, adding to the heroic revolutionary tradition of the land and people of Nghe An.

I wish all comrades and delegates good health, happiness and success.

Thank you very much!

(Title by Nghe An Newspaper)