Letter from President Ho Chi Minh to Mr. Hoang Phan Kinh and Mr. Tran Le Huu

To: Hoang Phan Kinh and Tran Le Huu

Nam-lien commune - Nam-dan district

Reply to uncle and aunt.

1. I am very grateful to you and your uncle for sending me letters. I have not been able to visit you, not because I am indifferent to my homeland, but for this reason: While the French invaders are trampling on our country, it is the duty of every Vietnamese to forget home for the sake of the country, to forget personal interests, and as a common servant of my compatriots, I must be even more so. Therefore, I have not had time to write or visit you.

2. Our people have just overthrown the feudal regime of thousands of years and broken the chains of slavery for nearly a century, to build a new Vietnam.

While we are tearing down the old walls and building the new castle, there will inevitably be shavings, broken bricks and other objectionable rubbish. We will clear it away gradually.

During the resistance war and national construction, our people had great and glorious successes; but we also had many shortcomings. We will gradually correct those shortcomings, we will definitely correct them, because we are determined to correct them.

3. My duty, the Government's duty, the local agencies and organizations, and also the duty of every citizen, is to do things that are useful for our compatriots and for the Fatherland.

Therefore, the Government and I, together with local agencies and organizations, are very pleased to receive criticisms, initiatives and suggestions from our compatriots.

At the same time, citizens have the duty to thoroughly carry out the orders of the Government.

4. I hope that my uncle and aunt, along with the elders, dignitaries, and gentlemen, will often help me and the Government by sending criticisms, initiatives, and suggestions.

I hope that you, my uncle, and the elders will urge and help the local people to volunteer to compete in patriotism, making Nam Dan a model district and Nghe An a model province, in all resistance and national construction work.

Dear uncle and aunt, please convey my warm greetings and best wishes to your relatives, elders, and fellow countrymen in the village and district; and give many kisses to the children.

Grandchildren

Ho Chi Minh

(Document stored at Kim Lien Relic Site archive, printed in: Homeland in Uncle Ho's heart - National Political Publishing House, April 1995, pp. 16, 17)