In less than a month, the whole country will turn its attention to Dien Bien Phu for the grand celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory (May 7, 1954 - May 7, 2024), an event that "shook the world and resonated across continents," a proud milestone in the nation's history.
On this occasion, Mr. Le Tien Dung, Deputy Head of the Propaganda Department of the Dien Bien Provincial Party Committee, granted an interview to a reporter from VietnamPlus Online Newspaper regarding the organization of upcoming important events.
Focus all efforts on 20 commemorative activities.
- Could you please tell us about the preparations for the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory up to this point?
Mr. Le Tien Dung: The 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory is a momentous event for the country and also a great joy for the people of all ethnic groups and the armed forces in Dien Bien province.
Aware of the importance of this political event, since 2023, Dien Bien province has issued programs, plans, and reports to the Central Government, coordinating with ministries and agencies to develop detailed programs to seek Central Government approval and implement commemorative activities.
To date, preparations for the 20 important activities commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory are on schedule.
On April 11th, a national scientific conference themed "The Dien Bien Phu Victory and its relevance to the building and protection of the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland" will be held at the Dien Bien Provincial Cultural Conference Center.
Based on the conference theme, the Institute of Military History (General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army) developed the theme and a series of papers totaling 109 presentations and discussions. The content of these papers provided a deeper analysis of the historical context, developments, and significance of the Dien Bien Phu Victory, thereby further affirming and highlighting the immense contributions and roles of the forces participating in the campaign, which contributed to the Dien Bien Phu victory that was "renowned throughout the world and shook the earth."
On April 17th, a large-scale gathering to honor the soldiers of Dien Bien Phu will also take place, with an expected 500 delegates. In addition, there will be activities focused on the historical roots, especially the nationwide movement to contribute to building solidarity houses for poor households in Dien Bien Phu.
Some upcoming activities include the National Book Promotion Festival, exhibitions showcasing the socio-economic, security, and defense achievements of Dien Bien province, cycling and running races, art programs, a live television broadcast about the Dien Bien Phu Victory (May 5th), a military parade (May 7th), and the 70th Anniversary Celebration of the Dien Bien Phu Victory (May 7th).
- Could you highlight some of the key aspects of the aforementioned activities?
Mr. Le Tien Dung: This year marks the 70th anniversary, so the activities have many special features.
Firstly, there was a massive participation of the armed forces, police, and military in the activities. The parade alone involved four forces: the ceremonial artillery, the air force's welcoming flight, the marching and parade contingents, and over 12,000 people on the parade ground. The parade began with 21 artillery volleys set to the national anthem of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. This was followed by a performance by nine helicopters carrying the Party flag and the national flag flying over the reviewing stand, performances by the marching contingents (four ceremonial contingents, 24 contingents of the military, militia, and police), and the parade contingents (nine contingents of veterans, youth volunteers, frontline workers, workers, farmers, intellectuals, youth, women, and ethnic groups from the Northwest), and finally, an artistic performance.
Recently, the forces conducted joint training in Hanoi. In April 2024, the units will conduct joint training in Dien Bien to evaluate, learn from experience, and prepare for the upcoming anniversary celebration.
Secondly, there was a large gathering of historical witnesses who participated in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign. We know that at the 70th anniversary, these veterans may still be alive and well, but meeting and paying tribute to them at the 75th or 80th anniversary will be very difficult.
Thirdly, there is the national conference. Although we have held conferences on previous anniversaries such as the 50th and 60th anniversaries of the Dien Bien Phu Victory, this conference is of special value, affirming the significance of the Dien Bien Phu Victory in the cause of national construction and defense.
- Sir, with such a series of major events, what difficulties did Dien Bien province encounter in terms of preparing the necessary infrastructure?
Mr. Le Tien Dung: With the National Tourism Year - Dien Bien Opening Ceremony and the Hoa Ban Festival, a large number of tourists have already come to Dien Bien since March. In April and May, the number of visitors will continue to increase dramatically.
Based on the local situation, we have developed numerous plans to ensure the preparation of forces participating in the events. We have mobilized the maximum resources of military and police units, as well as units with large infrastructure such as schools in the province.
In addition, for tourists and delegates, if hotel and restaurant facilities are insufficient, we will arrange accommodation in cultural-tourism villages or in the homes of local families in a community-based setting.
Through this, we also hope to receive the understanding and support of tourists and delegates when they come to Dien Bien.
Strengthening propaganda efforts
- The propaganda work in Dien Bien province is doing a very good job of conducting mobile propaganda at the grassroots level, conveying the policies of the Party and the State, and contributing to building a cultured way of life. Could you share more about the activities of the Dien Bien propaganda sector?
Mr. Le Tien Dung: Propaganda activities always play a crucial role. When preparing to implement a policy, plan, or solution, propaganda work is always given top priority.
For Dien Bien, an area with many remote and isolated communes and a fragmented terrain making travel very difficult, we have always recognized the important role of the mobile propaganda team in conveying the spirit, policies, and guidelines of the Party and the State to the people.
Over the years, these teams have been strengthened. We place great emphasis on oral communication. This is a traditional method, but it remains very effective in today's era and is suitable for the local context. In addition, we combine information technology applications, organize online conferences, and use video clips to disseminate information. I believe that the propaganda work in the area is very effective.
- Could you please tell us about the publicity campaign being conducted during this anniversary?
Mr. Le Tien Dung: Towards the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory, communication efforts have been intensified; we've never implemented them so vigorously before. Starting in 2022-2023, the Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda Department has proactively and actively advised the province on many solutions for communication in general, and propaganda work in particular, within the province.
Following the propaganda guidelines of the Central Propaganda Department, we have developed many unique models and approaches for Dien Bien to ensure that propaganda work is accessible, easy to understand, and effectively conveys the spirit and values of the Dien Bien Phu Victory to the people, arousing pride and enthusiasm, thereby encouraging them to strive and compete in labor and production, firmly protect national sovereignty, and develop Dien Bien province into an increasingly prosperous and strong province.
Thank you very much, sir!
TN (according to Vietnam+)Source
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