70 years have passed, but the lines Uncle Ho wrote and the words he advised in the letter he sent to the people and cadres of Lai Chau on December 12, 1953 still retain their value and have the power to transcend time. The letter only has 233 words, but from beginning to end, it exudes the spirit of humanity and radical action that Uncle Ho wanted to convey to the people and cadres of Lai Chau.
Uncle Ho's letter contains practical instructions, urging the people and cadres of Lai Chau to act. In the letter, Uncle Ho advised a few very brief things, but they are very necessary, both in the short term and in the long term. They are practical instructions, urging the people and cadres of Lai Chau to act.
Leaders of Tam Duong district visited the ginseng growing model of Lai Chau Ginseng Cooperative in Khun Ha commune.
First: “Solidarity, love and mutual assistance”. Great solidarity, according to him, is a matter of strategic significance, deciding the success of the revolutionary cause. At the same time, it is the top goal and task of the entire Party and the entire nation. It is a strategy to gather forces to form the great strength of the nation against the enemies of the nation and the class, and is a factor ensuring the victory of the Vietnamese revolution. The core of the great solidarity of the entire nation is the working people, first of all the peasants and workers. He affirmed: “Great solidarity means first of all uniting the great majority of the people, and the great majority of our people are the workers, peasants and other working classes. That is the foundation of great solidarity. It is like the foundation of a house, the root of a tree. But having a solid foundation, a good root, we must also unite with other working classes.
Second: “Help the army destroy bandits and traitors, maintain order”. Bandits are very dangerous henchmen equipped with weapons, food, and provisions, hiding in deep forests and borders, and carrying out anti-revolutionary activities. Uncle Ho advised cadres and people of all ethnic groups to actively practice militia and self-defense, establish guerrilla teams... to maintain security and order, protect the villagers, help the army destroy bandits and traitors, so that the main force can concentrate its forces to fight the enemy in Dien Bien Phu. He wrote: “The militia, self-defense and guerrillas are the forces of the entire nation, an invincible force, an iron wall of the Fatherland. No matter how brutal the enemy is, if they come into contact with that force, that wall, any enemy will have to disintegrate”[1]. Uncle Ho also advised “for those who have previously gone astray following the enemy, if they return to the Fatherland, the Government will show leniency”. This is Uncle Ho’s humane thought, the humaneness of our regime. In the new conditions, the targets of sabotage against the Vietnamese revolution are not bandits but hostile forces and political opportunists at home and abroad who are madly sabotaging our Party, State and regime. At this time, every Vietnamese citizen and every social network user has enough awareness and intelligence to identify and refute the arguments and distorted views of hostile forces... in order to protect the Fatherland, the Party, the State and the regime in the new situation.
Third: “Strive to increase production so that everyone can be well-fed”. In all historical circumstances, including difficult revolutionary situations, challenges like “hanging by a thread”, President Ho Chi Minh always identified ensuring people’s lives as a top priority task. He called for efforts to relieve hunger and fight famine, “considering the fight against hunger as the fight against foreign invasion”. He paid special attention to promoting the movement to increase production and save to fight hunger. He suggested that the Government Council launch a campaign to increase production and open a fundraiser to relieve hunger. He urgently called for: “Increase production! Increase production now! Increase production again... That is our practical way to maintain freedom and independence”[2]. While increasing production has not yet reached the harvest date, the urgent task is to promote the tradition of mutual love and mutual support. He initiated the “Rice jar to relieve hunger” movement and set an example in implementing it. With deep sympathy for his compatriots, he aroused the nation's tradition of humanity and mutual love, encouraging everyone to participate in fighting famine.
Fourth: “Extremely loyal to the Fatherland and the Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam” (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam). Ho Chi Minh affirmed that anyone who is Vietnamese will more or less love the country, so loyalty to the country is the morality of all components and individuals in society. President Ho Chi Minh also advised: “Apart from the interests of the people, the Party has no other interests”[3]. The interests of the country are independence, freedom for the Fatherland and happiness for the people; they are the common interests of all classes, religions, ethnic groups and components in society. Loyalty to the Party means “thoroughly implementing the Party and State’s guidelines and policies, enthusiastically competing for patriotism, and excellently completing tasks in all situations”[4]. Not only loyal to the country, according to him, each cadre and party member must also be filial to the people. That means respecting the people, being polite to the people, believing in the people, listening to their opinions, being close to the people, uniting with the people into one, loving the people, caring for the people's interests, and serving the people wholeheartedly. Caring for the people's lives means enabling the people to fulfill their obligations and enjoy their rights in a progressive and fair society, with a complete and increasingly perfect legal framework, so that the people are truly the masters of the new society and increasingly enjoy material and spiritual benefits.
Fifth: “Cadres must be truly close to and help the people, putting the people’s interests above all else.” This is what Uncle Ho specifically advised Lai Chau cadres in his letter. Above all in thought and action, the starting point and ultimate goal that Uncle Ho aimed for was people with their needs, interests, and aspirations for life. According to him, “Socialism is how to make sure that people have enough to eat and wear, are increasingly happy, everyone can go to school, have medicine when they are sick, retire when they are old, and bad customs and habits are gradually eliminated… In short, society is increasingly progressive, material things are increasingly increasing, and spirit is increasingly improving, that is socialism”[5]. Independence for the nation is closely linked to freedom, prosperity, and happiness for the people. He said: “The policy of the Party and Government is to take utmost care of the people's lives. If the people are hungry, the Party and Government are at fault; if the people are cold, the Party and Government are at fault; if the people are ignorant, the Party and Government are at fault; if the people are sick, the Party and Government are at fault”[6].
Uncle Ho's advice teaches us lessons: About "solidarity (solidarity within the Party, the blood relationship between the Party and the People, solidarity among the People); "living together with meaning and affection", "the healthy leaves cover the torn leaves". The lesson of wholeheartedly serving the People, "all for the people", the interests of the People are supreme, the nature of the regime. "Whatever is beneficial to the people must be done with all our might, whatever is harmful to the people must be avoided with all our might". About "loyalty to the Fatherland", thoroughly implementing the Party and State's guidelines and policies, enthusiastically competing in patriotism, excellently completing tasks in all situations and assigned tasks. About "people's hearts", "people's strength", "closely connecting with the people", must love the people, be close to the people, understand the people, respect the people and learn from the people - the source of strength. About "cadres and Party members are servants of the People, not people's mandarins", truly being diligent, frugal, honest, upright, fair, impartial. On “lenient, tolerant, and magnanimous treatment of those who have gone astray,” those who are gullible, instigated by hostile forces, and political opportunists.
Those values and lessons have more than ever aroused the thoughts, feelings, spirit, will, determination, and aspirations of each cadre, party member, and Lai Chau people. All are to protect and build Lai Chau province to develop more and more, the people to be prosperous and happy. Together with the people of the whole country, we create an unparalleled strength to firmly protect the Fatherland and build a strong, prosperous country, on par with the great powers of the world in the modern, civilized era. Those things Uncle Ho advised also have a general meaning for the people of the whole country. There are specific points for Lai Chau but also common points that are common nationwide. Natural and smooth harmony is also a unique and outstanding feature in Ho Chi Minh's way of thinking and acting, ideology and career.
Lai Chau people and cadres follow Uncle Ho's teachings of self-reliance and self-strengthening to firmly protect Lai Chau and build a prosperous and happy life.
Over the past 70 years, implementing Uncle Ho's advice, the Party Committee and people of all ethnic groups in Lai Chau have always promoted the tradition of patriotism, solidarity, self-reliance, absolute trust in the leadership of the Party, closely following reality, well implementing the policies of the Party and the State and have achieved important achievements in the cause of building and defending the Fatherland, realizing the aspiration to build Lai Chau to develop more and more.
During the resistance war against French colonialism, the Party Executive Committee mobilized all classes of people to actively participate in fighting and serving the fight, both fighting the resistance war, building bases, fighting the enemy to protect the rear, mobilizing human and material resources for the battlefield, contributing significantly and directly with the army and people of the whole country to create the Dien Bien Phu victory that "resounded throughout the five continents and shook the world". In the first years after liberation, Lai Chau was in very difficult conditions, a sensitive area, having to deal with bandit activities, plots to divide the territory under the guise of "autonomous Thai land", "autonomous Meo land", and had to fight against American commando infiltrations. Imbued with the leadership of the Party and Uncle Ho, Lai Chau determined that although it received great help from the lowland provinces in terms of human and material resources, the most important factor was still itself. Therefore, the Lai Chau Party Committee and government both propagated and mobilized the masses to settle down, build villages, maintain hygiene, increase production (agricultural cooperativization, democratic reform, etc.) to effectively implement policies, create all conditions for people from the lowlands to come up to build and develop the economy and culture of the mountainous areas, improve the material and spiritual life of ethnic groups, and not listen to and believe in bad people. Thanks to that, it "created profound changes in the social life of ethnic groups, creating new strength for the revolutionary movement in Lai Chau in the next period" [7].
During the resistance war against the US to save the country, the Party Committee, government and people of Lai Chau both promoted production and fought, contributing to the victory of the first and second destructive wars of the US imperialists and fulfilling international obligations to the friendly country of Laos, ready to sacrifice for the revolutionary cause of the brotherly Laos. Continuing to restore the economy, culture and society (concentrating all forces to promote production, shifting the direction of agricultural development, carrying out the cultural and ideological revolution, building new people, developing industry and small-scale industry...). Therefore, in the period of 1970-1975, "The Party Committee and people of all ethnic groups in the province have won many victories on the economic, cultural, military and security fronts; have accumulated some appropriate production experiences; sectors and localities in the province are increasingly making progress, gradually moving forward" [8]. In particular, mobilizing human and material resources to support the great frontline in the South, contributing with the army and people of the whole country to gain the historic victory in the Spring of 1975.
In the battle to protect the northern border in 1979, the army and people of Lai Chau turned their homeland into a solid outpost to stop the invaders, contributing to the glorious victory of the entire Party, army and people. “In the battle, 3,480 young people, children of Lai Chau ethnic groups, participated in the task of protecting the Fatherland. The armed forces and the people of all ethnic groups in the province heroically stopped the enemy right at the border, eliminating 12,275 enemy soldiers and many weapons and means of war from combat, firmly protecting the northern border of the Fatherland in the province”[9].
Entering a new revolutionary stage, especially since the separation and establishment of the new Lai Chau province (January 1, 2004), the Party Committee and the people of all ethnic groups in Lai Chau have successfully carried out the task of firmly protecting the sovereignty of the national border; implementing the renovation and construction of the province, achieving many important achievements. The economy continues to grow; the socio-economic infrastructure is developed. The poverty rate has decreased rapidly, the lives of the people of all ethnic groups have been constantly improved; social policies have been implemented promptly, fully and effectively. The political security situation, social order and safety have been basically stable, national defense, security and national border sovereignty have been maintained. Foreign relations and international cooperation have continued to be expanded and developed in depth. The organization of the cadre apparatus has been streamlined, operating effectively and efficiently; cadre work has been carried out synchronously at all stages, the quality of the cadres, civil servants and public employees has been improved. The leadership capacity and fighting strength of the Party Committee are constantly improved; the leadership methods of Party committees at all levels are gradually innovated, ensuring the comprehensive leadership of the Party in all areas of social life...
The above achievements affirm the will of self-reliance and self-improvement of Lai Chau cadres and people, and the aspiration to firmly protect the province, build a prosperous and happy life on the border land of the Fatherland. In the current period, Lai Chau has basically escaped from underdevelopment, narrowing the gap in all aspects with other localities in the country.
Especially in the 2020-2025 term, although only half of the term has passed, cadres, party members and people of all ethnic groups in the province have achieved many outstanding results in all sectors and fields; some groups of targets and component targets have been achieved and exceeded the targets set out in the Resolution, specifically:
(1) Party committees at all levels have focused on thoroughly grasping, studying and widely propagating the Resolutions of Party Congresses at all levels and the Resolution of the 14th Provincial Party Congress, creating a clear and unified change in the awareness and actions of Party committees, Party organizations, cadres, Party members and the People. Timely concretizing and assigning specific responsibilities, arranging resources to resolutely, promptly, seriously and qualitatively implement the identified goals and tasks.
(2) The economy continues to grow; the average economic growth rate in the period 2005-2022 reaches 14.1%/year, the economic structure shifts in a positive direction, the annual budget revenue in the area meets and exceeds the set plan (in 2023 it reaches 2,247 billion VND, an increase of 666 times compared to 2005), the average income per capita in 2022 reaches 48.3 million VND/person/year, an increase of 14.6 times compared to 2004, an increase of 06 times compared to 2010; the poverty rate in the province is 28.54% (a decrease of 32.03% compared to 2004). Concentrated commodity agricultural production and energy industry have shown clear effectiveness; the agricultural product processing industry has gradually taken shape. Socio-economic infrastructure, especially infrastructure in agricultural production areas, and the transportation system are developed and provide good support for production, business and people's lives. Administrative reform indicators and the business investment environment have been improved, and investment attraction in a number of fields has increased rapidly[10].
(3) The quality of education, healthcare, and public health care has been improved. The work of preventing and fighting the Covid-19 epidemic has been carried out very proactively, drastically, creatively, and effectively, ensuring absolute safety for the people, contributing to the rapid recovery of production. Social policies have been implemented promptly, fully, and effectively; labor export activities have been actively deployed. Cultural activities have taken place vigorously, successfully organizing many national and regional sports, cultural, and tourism events; the fine traditional cultural identities of ethnic groups have been preserved and restored, initially serving well for tourism development. The poverty rate has decreased rapidly, and the material and spiritual life of the people has been improved.
(4) National defense and security are consolidated and enhanced, national border sovereignty is maintained; issues arising on the border are promptly detected and effectively coordinated, contributing to maintaining a peaceful, stable, cooperative and developed border area. The all-people national defense posture associated with the security posture is firmly built. Political security and social order and safety are ensured. Foreign relations and international cooperation continue to be expanded and developed in depth; foreign affairs activities are promoted in accordance with the Project on expanding foreign relations, proactively integrating and cooperating internationally for the period 2021-2025 of the Provincial Party Committee.
(5) Party building and political system building work has been implemented synchronously; 100% of villages, schools and medical stations have Party cells. The study, dissemination and dissemination of policies, resolutions, conclusions and regulations of the Central and the province have many innovations, suitable to the practical situation. The organization of the cadre apparatus has been streamlined, operating effectively and efficiently (the whole province has reduced 276 organizations, 300 leaders and managers at all levels, 1,860 positions, reduced 02 commune-level administrative units, 213 villages, neighborhoods and over 2,000 part-time workers at the commune, village and neighborhood levels, ensuring compliance with the leadership policies of the Central Government); Personnel work is carried out synchronously at all stages, the quality of cadres, civil servants and public employees has been improved (Up to now, the whole province has 1,575 cadres, civil servants and 9,653 public employees with university degrees or higher, accounting for 96.44% of cadres, civil servants and 66.89% of public employees in the whole province; commune-level cadres and civil servants have 8,082 people, of which: 1,141 cadres; 941 civil servants). Mass mobilization, inspection, supervision, internal affairs and anti-corruption and anti-negativity work have been strengthened; violations have been promptly detected and strictly handled, and Party discipline and State laws have been strictly maintained. The election of National Assembly deputies and People's Council deputies at all levels for the 2021-2026 term has been successfully organized; the quality and effectiveness of People's Council operations have been improved. People's Committees at all levels promote their roles in management, operation, and effective direction in implementing the province's political tasks.
(6) The activities of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and mass organizations have many innovations, the work of supervision and social criticism has increasingly gone into depth, demonstrating the role of representing and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of union members, association members and the People; patriotic emulation movements and campaigns have increasingly brought about practical results, propagating and mobilizing the People to promote their mastery, actively participating in Party building and building a clean and strong government.
(7) Regularly monitor, urge, inspect, supervise and evaluate the implementation of the Resolution from the province to the grassroots level; promote potentials and advantages and make the most of resources and development opportunities; promptly remove difficulties and obstacles, creating favorable conditions for all levels, sectors and localities to implement the Resolution. Since the first year of the term, Party committees, Party organizations and Inspection Commissions at all levels have inspected 3,151 Party organizations and 3,922 Party members; supervised 1,580 Party organizations and 4,421 Party members; disciplined 02 Party organizations and 565 Party members for violations.
In recognition of the outstanding achievements of the Party Committee, government, and people of all ethnic groups in the province over the years, Lai Chau province has been awarded many noble prizes by the Party and State, such as: Gold Star Medal in 1985, Ho Chi Minh Medal in 2009, First-class Independence Medal in 2014, 2019, First-class Labor Medal (2015, 2016), Third-class Labor Medal (2019, 2020), Certificates of Merit from the Prime Minister (2011, 2016, 2019, 2021), 03 Emulation Flags of the Government (2009, 2013, 2020) and many other noble prizes; The province was awarded the title "Hero of the People's Armed Forces" during the resistance war against France...
Lai Chau people and cadres vow to continue to follow his teachings; to be self-reliant, self-reliant, vow to build and protect a prosperous, prosperous, civilized and happy homeland, contributing with the whole country to build, protect and preserve the eternal Vietnamese mountains and rivers; promote the spirit of solidarity, overcome difficulties and challenges, synchronously and resolutely implement the goals, tasks and solutions of the Congress Resolution and Action Program No. 09-CT/TU, thematic resolutions, projects and conclusions of the Provincial Party Committee have identified, in which it is necessary to focus on the following key tasks and solutions:
Firstly, continue to strengthen the great solidarity of ethnic groups - the factor ensuring all victories of Lai Chau on all revolutionary stages. Promote the spirit of mutual love, mutual assistance in the community; continue to implement the campaign "All people unite to build cultural life in residential areas", preserve and promote the cultural traditions of ethnic groups; fully exercise democratic rights.
Second, Concentrate all potential strengths, all resources, especially human resources, to reorganize production, restructure the economy to innovate the growth model; promptly concretize and implement the goals, tasks and solutions of the Provincial Planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050. Prioritize investment resources for key targets, focusing on accelerating the implementation of short-term goals. Direct the drastic implementation of budget collection in the area to ensure the principles of correct, sufficient and timely collection; continue to accelerate the progress of implementation and disbursement of public investment capital, National Target Programs; pay attention to the development of socio-economic infrastructure, focusing on a number of large projects with spillover effects... to achieve high growth rates along with sustainable growth quality, improve people's living standards, especially those in remote areas...
Third, Create a clear change in cultural and social development, improve the spiritual life of the people. Focus on comprehensive and synchronous development of cultural fields, ensuring harmonious connection between economic development and cultural and social development. Focus on improving the quality of cultural and artistic forms, preserving and promoting the values and good cultural identities of ethnic groups. Fully and promptly implement social security policies. Strongly innovate teaching and learning methods. Promote the development of science, technology and innovation to create breakthroughs in productivity, quality, efficiency and competitiveness of products. Improve the effectiveness of medical examination and treatment activities, especially at the grassroots level; ensure adequate supply of medicines, medical supplies and equipment; ensure food hygiene and safety. Continue to expand the subjects participating in social insurance and unemployment insurance; Pay attention to job creation and sustainable poverty reduction, not only eliminating economic poverty but also cultural "poverty".
Fourth, firmly ensure national defense and security, maintain national border sovereignty, expand and improve the effectiveness of foreign affairs. Consolidate and strengthen national defense potential; closely monitor the border situation, promptly resolve issues related to national borders and territories in the province. Ensure political security, social order and safety; effectively carry out the movement "all people protect national security"; fight and suppress all types of crimes. Strengthen, expand and improve foreign affairs and international integration activities. Raise the spirit of revolutionary vigilance, fight to defeat the "Peaceful Evolution" strategy of hostile forces, ... create conditions to promote socio-economic development of the province.
Fifth, Strengthen the building and rectification of the Party and the political system to be clean, strong and comprehensive; build a streamlined, effective and efficient organizational structure of the political system from the provincial to grassroots levels. Synchronously implement all stages of personnel work; pay attention to creating a source of cadres, especially young cadres, female cadres, and cadres from ethnic minorities. Prepare well the personnel for the new Party Committee, the personnel for the election of National Assembly deputies, People's Council deputies and government leadership positions for the 2026-2031 term. The Fatherland Front and mass organizations at all levels perform well their representative role, care for and protect the legitimate and legal rights and interests of union members, association members and the people, improve the quality of supervision and social criticism. Actively consolidate and promote the strength of the great national unity bloc; effectively implement campaigns and patriotic emulation movements launched by all levels and sectors; promote the role of village elders, clan leaders and prestigious people in residential areas.
Sixth, Party committees, Party organizations, and Inspection Commissions at all levels strengthen leadership and direction in comprehensively implementing inspection and supervision work according to the provisions of the Party Charter to ensure seriousness, quality, and effectiveness. Focus on inspecting and supervising Party organizations and Party members in conjunction with the responsibilities of heads of Party committees, Party organizations, authorities, Party committee members at all levels, and cadres under the management of Party committees in implementing Party guidelines and policies and laws of the State. Identify key areas and areas to focus on inspection and supervision; focus on implementing the principles of organizing Party activities, working regulations, personnel work, and stages, areas, and activities that are prone to violations and negativity. Step up inspection of Party organizations and Party members when there are signs of violations, expand supervision, and prevent shortcomings and violations. Strengthen self-inspection, detection, and handling of violations by Party committees and Party organizations; Review and handle disciplinary actions against party members who violate the authority, in line with administrative and union discipline.
Inscribing the gratitude and advice of President Ho Chi Minh, on the basis of the close leadership, direction and attention of the Party and State; the Party Committee and People of Lai Chau province continue to promote the tradition of solidarity, revolution, self-reliance, and self-strengthening, determined to well implement the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress and the Resolution of the 14th Provincial Party Congress, contributing to building a rich, beautiful, democratic, equitable and civilized homeland and country.
[ 1] Letter of President Ho Chi Minh "To the men and women of the militia, self-defense forces and guerrillas nationwide" at the National Militia, Self-defense Forces and Guerrillas Conference held in Viet Bac, May 27, 1947.
[2] Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, vol. 4, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2002, p. 115.
[3] Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, vol. 13, ibid., p. 210.
[4] Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, vol. 15, ibid., p. 111.
[5] Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, op. cit., vol. 13, p. 5.
[6] Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, op. cit., vol. 9, p. 518..
[7] History of Lai Chau Provincial Party Committee (1945-2009), National Political Publishing House, 2009, p.237.
[8] History of Lai Chau Provincial Party Committee (1945-2009), National Political Publishing House, 2009, p.326.
[9] Lai Chau Provincial Party Committee - Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, presentation at the Scientific Conference on Lai Chau Provincial Party Committee 70 years of construction and growth - Practical and theoretical issues, p.47.
[10] In 2022, Lai Chau province's administrative reform index (PAR INDEX) ranked 24th out of 63 provinces and cities, up 7 places compared to 2021; Satisfaction index of administrative services (SIPAS) ranked 35th out of 63 provinces and cities, up 2 places compared to 2021; Public administration performance index (PAPI) ranked 27th out of 63 provinces and cities, among the provinces with high average scores nationwide, the highest in the Northwestern provinces, up 3 places compared to 2021.
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