Strengthening cooperation in searching and collecting martyrs' remains in Laos

Representatives of the two provinces signed a cooperation agreement to carry out the task of searching for and collecting martyrs' remains.

Comrade Dau Thanh Tung, member of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Head of the Steering Committee 515 of Thanh Hoa province and Colonel Phan Sy Xon My Say, former Political Commissar of the Provincial Military Command, Head of the Special Task Force of Hua Phan province, co-chaired the meeting. Attending the meeting were comrades: Phut Phan Keo Vong Xay, member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee, Deputy Provincial Governor, Permanent Deputy Chairman of the Border Committee of Hua Phan province; Colonel Vu Van Tung, member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee, Commander of the Thanh Hoa Provincial Military Command, and representatives of the departments, branches, agencies and functional units of the two provinces of Thanh Hoa - Hua Phan.

Before entering the meeting, the delegations of the two provinces came to offer incense and flowers to 21 graves of martyrs' remains searched and recovered by the Thanh Hoa Provincial Military Command's Remains Collection Team during the 2024-2025 dry season.

This is an annual activity of great significance, demonstrating the special solidarity, comprehensive cooperation, and close ties between Thanh Hoa and Hua Phan provinces in particular and Vietnam and Laos in general. At the same time, it is an opportunity to evaluate the results of coordination in the search and collection of remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who died in Laos, during the 2024-2025 dry season, and to unify the direction and tasks of collection in the 2025-2026 dry season.

Hua Phan Province awarded Certificates of Merit to the collective and individuals of the Thanh Hoa Provincial Military Command's Collection Team.

In the dry season of 2024-2025, despite the fact that information about the burial places of martyrs is increasingly scarce, the accuracy is not high, and the weather and climate are complicated. However, with the direction of the Steering Committee 515 at all levels, especially the help of the Special Working Group of Hua Phan province and the people of Lao ethnic groups, the Collection Team, the Military Command of Thanh Hoa province overcame all difficulties, organized surveys, searches, collections, received and brought back to the country for burial 21 graves of remains (identity not yet determined), reaching 130% of the planned target.

Regarding the direction of coordination in the dry season of 2025-2026, the Steering Committee 515 of Thanh Hoa province and the Special Working Group of Hua Phan province agreed: Continue to coordinate and direct the work of surveying, searching, collecting, and repatriating martyrs' remains until the conclusion that the area no longer has information about the burial place of martyrs. The Military Command of Hua Phan province continues to promote propaganda and mobilize people from all walks of life to provide information, participate in surveys, guide the way, and indicate grave locations for the Collection Team in the dry season of 2025-2026. Regularly exchange, learn from experience, strengthen coordination in inspection, evaluate results, and promptly commend and reward organizations and individuals of each side with outstanding achievements in performing their tasks.

Actively advise and propose contents and solutions to promote the search and collection of martyrs' remains; strengthen exchanges, coordinate the review, collection and provision of information on martyrs and martyrs' graves; inspect and evaluate the coordination in performing tasks of the search and collection forces in Hua Phan province. Organize conferences and talks, perform ceremonies to welcome, receive and pay respect to martyrs in accordance with regulations, solemnly and dignifiedly in Laos and Vietnam.

Organize widespread communication to Party committees, authorities, Fatherland Front and organizations at all levels and people of the two provinces to know the places of worship of martyrs, proactively advise working delegations, visit relatives, offer incense, and pay tribute to martyrs. Coordinate and propose to the Hua Phan provincial government to pay attention and create conditions for the Thanh Hoa Provincial Military Command to borrow a suitable land to build barracks, meeting the living requirements and long-term tasks of the officers and employees of the Gathering Team.

The Working Group offered incense at 21 graves of martyrs.

Speaking at the meeting, Comrade Dau Thanh Tung, Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Head of the Steering Committee 515 of Thanh Hoa province emphasized that the search and collection of remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts in Laos is a particularly important task, demonstrating the Vietnamese people's morality of "When drinking water, remember its source", and at the same time, it is a vivid manifestation of the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, two States and people of the two brotherly countries of Vietnam and Laos. He expressed his deep gratitude to the Party Committee, authorities and people of Lao ethnic groups living in Hua Phan province, especially the Special Working Group of Hua Phan province, for their wholehearted support so that the Steering Committee 515 of Thanh Hoa province and the Collection Team have always successfully completed their tasks in recent years, especially in the dry season of 2024-2025.

On this occasion, Hua Phan province awarded Certificates of Merit to the collective and 5 individuals; Hua Phan Provincial Military Command awarded certificates of merit to 9 individuals of the Collection Team of Thanh Hoa Provincial Military Command.

Nguyen Thanh Hai (Contributor)

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/tang-cuong-hop-tac-tim-kiem-quy-tap-hai-cot-liet-sy-tai-lao-nbsp-nbsp-249598.htm