The will and aspiration for independence and freedom - the continuation of the nation's patriotic tradition, the core ideology in President Ho Chi Minh 's Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence drafted by President Ho Chi Minh is a high-level generalization of the aspiration to affirm national sovereignty to establish national rights and human rights in the contemporary world. “The Declaration of Independence " The Declaration of Independence is the flower and fruit of the blood shed and the lives sacrificed by the heroic Vietnamese people in prisons, in concentration camps, on remote islands, on the guillotine, on the battlefield... The Declaration of Independence is a glorious page in the history of Vietnam" (1) . It is a living proof leading the nation in the process of the Vietnamese revolution.
Uncle Ho reading the Declaration of Independence _Photo: Document
First, the Declaration of Independence - the source of the nation's will and aspiration for independence and freedom.
The Declaration of Independence is the culmination and development of the indomitable patriotic tradition and ideology of our nation. It is an immortal heroic epic, converging the spirit, strength and blood of the Vietnamese people. It is the expression of the spirit of solidarity and unanimity to assert oneself as a nation, a people with national pride and self-respect. The strength of patriotism - nationalism, whose core is the will for independence and the desire for freedom, promoted throughout the history of the nation, has created the "great driving force of the country". Thanks to the will for independence and the desire for freedom, the whole nation was mobilized to participate in the resistance war to protect the Fatherland, using the few to fight the many, turning the weak into the strong, ready to put aside all personal interests, unite the whole nation, regardless of all hardships and challenges, even sacrificing life and property for the independence of the nation, as President Ho Chi Minh summarized: "Thanks to the will for independence and the desire for freedom more than thanks to the large and powerful army, the South won" (2) .
Stemming from patriotism, from deep sympathy with oppressed compatriots, during his years abroad, President Ho Chi Minh witnessed the pain of losing his country, the suffering of being invaded, occupied and exploited not only in Vietnam, but also in many other nations in the world . He understood that independence and freedom are always the burning desire of every human being, of every oppressed nation. He wrote: "Freedom for my compatriots, independence for my Fatherland, that is all I want, that is all I understand" (3) . Fighting for independence and freedom was the lifelong goal of President Ho Chi Minh. His entire life, he had only one desire, "the ultimate desire is to make our country completely independent, our people completely free" (4) . Therefore, what he needed most in life was "my compatriots to be free, my Fatherland to be independent". The success of the August Revolution was the victory of the people's strength, the people's heart, the people's intelligence, and the aspirations of the entire people under the leadership of the Party. It was the result of the struggle "with blood and tears of patriots for more than eighty years" (5) .
The Declaration of Independence in 1945 was a milestone, a turning point in the history of the nation, the crystallization of the aspiration for national liberation throughout the process of finding a way to save the country by President Ho Chi Minh. Throughout the history of the nation's founding, sages have left behind many masterpieces of great stature and significance, such as Nam Quoc Son Ha by Ly Thuong Kiet in the 11th century, Binh Ngo Dai Cao by Nguyen Trai in the 15th century, but it was not until the Declaration of Independence in 1945 that it affirmed its legitimacy, an important legal document declaring to the Vietnamese people and the world the sovereignty and independence of the Vietnamese nation.
Second, President Ho Chi Minh condemned and denounced the crimes of colonialism and affirmed the nation's right to independence.
Imperialism carried out an aggressive policy, turning many Asian, African and American peoples into colonies. From there, it created the greatest opposition and inequality in human history between the oppressing and oppressed peoples. The imperialist countries considered themselves "superior nations", "mother countries", and civilized the backward peoples. However, in reality, they carried out a policy of brutal rule and exploitation. In the Declaration of Independence , President Ho Chi Minh exposed the crimes of the capitalists against the colonial people . Politically, they deprived them of all democratic freedoms, barbaric laws, divided and ruled, suppressed and terrorized, implemented a policy of keeping people ignorant, and poisoned the colonial people with alcohol and opium "to weaken our race". If Nguyen Trai in Binh Ngo Dai Cao clearly pointed out the crimes of the Ming army, "roasting the common people on a savage fire, burying the red children in a pit of disaster"; More than 500 years later, in the Declaration of Independence, President Ho Chi Minh more clearly described the crimes of the enemy: “They built more prisons than schools. They brutally slaughtered our patriots. They bathed our uprisings in pools of blood” (6) . Economically , the French colonialists exploited our people to the bone, making them poor, deprived, ragged, and desolate. “They robbed us of our land, forests, mines, and raw materials./ They monopolized the printing of banknotes, exports, and imports./ They imposed hundreds of unreasonable taxes, making our people, especially farmers and traders, destitute” (7) . President Ho Chi Minh exposed the cowardly and treacherous face of the French colonialists and Japanese fascists, denouncing colonialism for its brutal violations of the freedom, independence, and equality of nations. Therefore, the struggle for national independence must be closely linked to the struggle for freedom and democracy of the people, not only for the Vietnamese people, but also for all peoples in the world, especially the colonial peoples. The Declaration of Independence denounced and condemned the crimes of the French colonialists, because over the past 80 years, they had “taken advantage of the flag of freedom, equality, and fraternity to rob our country and oppress our people”, implementing extremely reactionary policies in all aspects. In the fall of 1940, the Japanese fascists invaded Indochina, “the French colonialists knelt down and surrendered, opening our country to welcome the Japanese. From then on, our people suffered two layers of chains”, “when they were defeated and fled, they also had the heart to kill the majority of political prisoners in Yen Bai and Cao Bang” (8) .
The Declaration of Independence was opened by President Ho Chi Minh by announcing to all the Vietnamese people and the world their right to self-determination by quoting the American Declaration of Independence in 1776: “All men are created equal. They are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (9) and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of the French Revolution in 1791. From the rights of each individual, President Ho Chi Minh raised them to the rights of nations, and by extension, “All peoples in the world are born equal; every people has the right to live, the right to be happy, and the right to be free” (10) . These are considered obvious, inherent, and inviolable rights of nations. Thus, with the phrase “in a broader sense”, the Declaration of Independence not only positions the independence of the Vietnamese people that they themselves won in the struggle against colonialism, but also affirms the prospect for oppressed peoples to escape from the colonial yoke of Western empires. This is a great contribution of President Ho Chi Minh to the peoples in the national liberation movement. From confirming and promoting the ideals of the times about freedom, equality, fraternity, and human rights to come to a request, a burning and extremely sacred aspiration of the people for national independence.
President Ho Chi Minh's Declaration of Independence affirmed the victory of the national democratic revolution in Vietnam, affirmed the freedom and independence of the nation. It was not only for the Vietnamese people, but also the encouragement and sacred affirmation of all peoples in the world, especially the colonial peoples. It not only has national significance, but also has contemporary significance, the contemporary value is expressed in the consistent philosophy of President Ho Chi Minh: "Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom!".
Third, affirm the will and strength of the nation in protecting independence and freedom.
President Ho Chi Minh affirmed that the value of independence and freedom is the result of a long and just struggle, which the Vietnamese people had to sacrifice their blood to regain: “A nation that has courageously fought against French slavery for more than 80 years, a nation that has courageously stood with the Allies against fascism for several years, that nation must be free! That nation must be independent!”, “Vietnam has the right to enjoy freedom and independence, and in fact has become a free and independent country. The entire Vietnamese people are determined to devote all their spirit and strength, their lives and property to maintain that freedom and independence” (11) . This is considered an obvious truth, “an undeniable right”, immutable of the Vietnamese nation. Independence and freedom are natural rights, sacred and inviolable rights of every nation and people. That is the right to true independence, complete independence, independence in all aspects, in politics, economics, culture, national sovereignty and territorial integrity, thoroughly implemented according to the principle that Vietnam belongs to the Vietnamese people, all issues relating to national sovereignty must be resolved by the Vietnamese people themselves, without foreign interference. That independence must be demonstrated by a prosperous, free and happy life for the people, "everyone has food to eat, clothes to wear, everyone can go to school".
The Declaration of Independence is an epic of the Ho Chi Minh era, reflecting the will and aspiration for independence and freedom of an entire nation since the Hung Kings founded the country. Throughout thousands of years of building and defending the country, the Vietnamese people have always fought for that right to independence and freedom. President Ho Chi Minh is the embodiment of the culture of Vietnam - a nation that always considers independence and freedom as the most important value and is willing to sacrifice itself to maintain that value.
The will and aspiration for independence and freedom are the driving force and foundation for the country's development in the new era.
President Ho Chi Minh sacrificed his whole life to fight for national independence, freedom, and people's happiness. "The 20th century is considered the century of decolonization, the eradication of colonialism - the greatest stain in the history of mankind. The Vietnamese people are a pioneer in erasing that stain" (12) .
Independence and freedom are the most sacred aspirations of the nation, the flag that guides the entire nation, arouses the strength of patriotism and the intelligence of the Vietnamese people, and contributes to the great victories of the nation. The victory of the August Revolution was the victory of raising high the flag of national independence, the victory of the aspiration for independence and freedom with the determination: "No matter how much sacrifice, even if we have to burn the entire Truong Son range, we must resolutely gain independence" (13) . The victory of the resistance war against French colonialism with the determination: "We would rather sacrifice everything than lose our country, never become slaves" (14) and the victory of the resistance war against American imperialism with the determination "Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom" (15) .
In the new context, the lesson of the aspiration for independence and freedom remains valuable. Imbued with the instructions of President Ho Chi Minh, the 13th National Party Congress affirmed: "strongly arouse the spirit of patriotism, the will of national self-reliance, the strength of great national unity and the aspiration to develop a prosperous and happy country" (16) . This is an urgent requirement of the entire Party and the political system, creating a driving force for national development in the new era, the era of national growth. To do so, it is necessary to well implement the following principled requirements:
First , firmly uphold the goals of national independence and socialism in the era of national development.
The core value of the aspiration for independence and freedom is national independence associated with socialism. Under that ideological banner, the Vietnamese revolution has steadily advanced, achieving historic victories of epochal significance. In the new context, our Party has affirmed: “In any conditions and situations, we must firmly adhere to the path and goals of innovation…, firmly adhere to the goals of national independence and socialism” (17 ) as a prerequisite for implementing socialism, building a real socialism that brings a prosperous, free, and happy life to the people. This is also the source of all victories in the innovation process in our country. The 13th National Party Congress continued to state the viewpoint: “Firmly apply and creatively develop Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh thought; firmly pursue the goals of national independence and socialism; firmly pursue the Party's renewal policy; firmly pursue the principles of Party building to firmly build and defend the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland” (18) .
In the current period, the concept of national independence and socialism must be comprehensively understood, from territorial independence, national security sovereignty, to economic, political, cultural, lifestyle and social ethics independence. It is impossible and unacceptable to have a view that human rights are higher than national sovereignty; the preaching of human rights by some Western countries is essentially a form of demagogy, using it as an excuse to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. There can be no political independence and freedom if there is economic dependence. Independence and autonomy cannot be maintained if lifestyle and social ethics are degraded, and national culture is lost and mixed. To successfully carry out the two strategic tasks of building and defending the Fatherland today, it is necessary to pay attention to a number of methodological principles: First , to successfully build socialism and firmly protect national independence, first of all, we must rely on the country's internal strength, not depend on the outside, but know how to take advantage of favorable international conditions to increase national development resources. Combine national strength with the strength of the times to successfully carry out the two strategic tasks. Second , on the basis of the perception of globalization, economic integration is an objective necessity, from which we clearly define the steps and proactively integrate in accordance with the country's capacity. Integration must increase the country's strength and enrich national identity. Third , national independence is closely linked to socialism, and must be carried out throughout the revolutionary process, in all areas of the cause of building and defending the Fatherland.
Monday, promote patriotism, self-reliance and national self-reliance - the driving force for national development in the new era
In the current context, the problem is how to maintain national independence, not lose oneself in the integration process. Put oneself in the context of international cooperation and development, but not lose national independence and sovereignty. It can be affirmed that regaining freedom and independence is the burning desire of oppressed peoples in the 20th century and President Ho Chi Minh was the pioneer in awakening his people and oppressed peoples to rise up and fight for national independence and human dignity. President Ho Chi Minh's teachings still retain their contemporary value "there are thousands of bitter things in life, the most bitter is losing freedom" and "Independence - Freedom - Happiness". That truth has ignited the aspiration of the nation not to be slaves, not to accept poverty, backwardness, to overcome many difficulties, to gradually affirm the country's position in the international arena, to stand shoulder to shoulder with the world powers.
General Secretary To Lam with people at Tan Trao National Special Relic Site, Tan Trao Commune, Tuyen Quang Province _Photo: Document
Therefore, we must constantly foster national pride, create trust in society about the country's development path, trust in the leadership of the Party and the management of the State to realize the aspiration of developing a prosperous and happy country. From there, spread inspiration and mobilize all people to participate in building and protecting the socialist Fatherland of Vietnam, build a "people's heart position" to "protect the Fatherland early and from afar". Build positive international relations, with the spirit of independence, self-reliance, actively and proactively integrate deeper and deeper into the world, ensuring the highest national interests on the basis of the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter and international law, equality, cooperation, and mutual benefit. National confidence and pride, the country's position and strength will promote positive international relations, combining domestic and international strength, the nation and the times to develop the country quickly and sustainably.
Tuesday, build conditions to maintain national independence and build a prosperous and happy country
To maintain the socialist orientation in our country today, it is necessary to first build and firmly consolidate the political system, in which the Communist Party of Vietnam is the leading nucleus, truly the vanguard, with strong political will, intelligence and leadership capacity, a spirit of independence, self-reliance, creativity, and steadfastness in the goal of national independence associated with socialism. The correct leadership of the Party is the decisive factor for the success of the Vietnamese revolution. Enhance The Party's leadership role and fighting strength, first of all, is to maintain and strengthen the Party's working class nature, making the Party truly the vanguard of the working class, the vanguard force leading the nation. In the new revolutionary period, building a Party that is clean and strong in politics, ideology, ethics, organization and cadres is an essential issue. The Party is the subject leading society and the State, the nucleus of the political system, to be strong in politics, the Party must at the same time be strong in ideology, organization, cadres and be clean and exemplary in ethics.
Enhancing the role, effectiveness and efficiency of State management is extremely important when the country is changing. This is a period with many opportunities and advantages, but also many challenges and difficulties; therefore, it is necessary to build a clean, strong, modern socialist rule-of-law State that serves and creates development. Innovating the activities of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations to continue making important contributions to building a clean and strong political system, in order to ensure and promote the people's mastery in the cause of building socialism in our country.
Wednesday, build a country that develops in all aspects, improves the material and spiritual life of the people
To develop the country in the new era requires building strong internal strength, first of all, building an independent and self-reliant economy on the basis of promoting the people's mastery, mobilizing all domestic and foreign resources. Prioritizing the development of green economy and circular economy is considered an inevitable development trend in the context of increasingly scarce fuel resources, environmental pollution and unpredictable climate change impacts today. Developing a green economy or circular economy is a means and a result for sustainable development and environmental protection.
The Party and State continue to pay attention to developing a Vietnamese culture that is “advanced and imbued with national identity”, preventing and combating cultural “invasion” in the context of globalization. Cultural development is the foundation and driving force for socio-economic development, focusing on building political culture, enhancing cultural capacity and mettle, properly resolving the relationship between tradition and modernity, between inheritance and development. Building a system of national values, a system of cultural values, a system of Vietnamese family values and standards for Vietnamese people in the new era, ensuring stability and sustainable social development.
Strengthening national defense and security and promoting foreign affairs and international integration are regular and important tasks, building a "people's heart position", building a great national unity bloc, creating a solid national strength for integration. Focusing on economic, cultural and social development with national defense and security to ensure the maintenance of national and ethnic sovereignty. Thoroughly grasping the principle of innovation is to take the highest interests of the nation - people and the happiness of the people as the top priority. Innovation must aim towards the comprehensive development and happiness of the people. That is the humane nature, the sustainable value and the strong vitality of the development era according to Ho Chi Minh's thought.
The Declaration of Independence is a lesson about the will and aspiration for independence and freedom for every person, every nation, every country in choosing the path of development and is also the aspiration that President Ho Chi Minh fought for his entire life. That will and aspiration became the goal throughout his revolutionary journey to find the way to save the country, liberate the nation, the way to bring independence to the nation, freedom and happiness to the people. Because according to him, "If the country is independent but the people do not enjoy happiness and freedom, then independence is meaningless" (19) . After 80 years, the Declaration of Independence is not only a political declaration of the Vietnamese people to the countries of the world, but also a symbol of spirit, ideology, indomitable will, aspiration for freedom - forever a source of inspiration for generations of Vietnamese people in the cause of building and defending the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland./.
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(1) Tran Dan Tien: Stories about the life and activities of President Ho Chi Minh, Tre Publishing House. Ho Chi Minh City, 2007, p. 122
(2) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, National Political Publishing House Truth, Hanoi, vol. 1, p. 98
(3) Tran Dan Tien: Stories about President Ho's life and activities, op. cit., p. 52
(4) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, op. cit., vol. 4, p. 187
(5) Tran Dan Tien: Stories about President Ho's life and activities, op. cit., p. 122
(6) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, op. cit., vol. 4, p. 2
(7) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, op. cit., vol. 4, p. 2
(8) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, op. cit., vol. 4, p. 2
(9) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, op. cit., vol. 4, p. 1
(10) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, op. cit., vol. 4, p. 1
(11) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, op. cit., vol. 4, p. 3
(12) Dang Cong Thanh: “The truth “Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom” in Ho Chi Minh's thought - theoretical value and practical orientation to build a strong, prosperous and happy country”, Communist Electronic Magazine, August 16, 2022, https://www.tapchicongsan.org.vn/en/web/guest/tieu-iem1/-/asset_publisher/s5L7xhQiJeKe/content/chan-ly-khong-co-gi-quy-hon-doc-lap-tu-do-trong-tu-tuong-ho-chi-minh-gia-tri-ly-luan-va-dinh-huong-thuc-tien-xay-dung-dat-nuoc-hung-cuong-phon-vinh-ha
(13) Ho Chi Minh Institute and Party leaders: Ho Chi Minh's biographical chronology, National Political Publishing House Truth, Hanoi, 2016, vol. 2, p. 255
(14) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, op. cit., vol. 4, p. 534
(15) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, op. cit., vol. 15, p. 131
(16) Documents of the 13th National Congress of Delegates, National Political Publishing House Truth, Hanoi, 2021, vol. I, p. 34
(17) Documents of the 11th National Congress of Delegates, National Political Publishing House - Truth, Hanoi, 2011, p. 21
(18) Documents of the 13th National Congress of Delegates, op. cit., vol. I, p. 109
(19) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, op. cit., vol. 4, p. 64
Source: https://tapchicongsan.org.vn/web/guest/chinh-tri-xay-dung-dang/-/2018/1123602/tuyen-ngon-doc-lap-va-bai-hoc-ve-y-chi%2C-khat-vong-dan-toc-trong-ky-nguyen-phat-trien-moi-cua-dat-nuoc.aspx
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