His series of shocking investigative articles published in the People's Army Newspaper in 1987 not only brought his pen to the rank of Minister for the first time, but also strongly fanned the flame of dedication for revolutionary journalism in the Renovation period. For him, writing was not just to report news, but he wrote to name the truth, awaken public opinion and pave the way for "immediate actions" to be implemented.
1. In the Vietnamese press in the 80s and 90s of the last century, Tran Dinh Ba emerged as a pioneer, a courageous writer in the fight against corruption and negativity. His name is associated with sharp investigative reports, which once shook a system that was thought to be inviolable.
With a glorious past as told by his predecessors, in my imagination, in real life, journalist Tran Dinh Ba must have had a different appearance. But when I met him, I had a different feeling. It turned out that a journalist who once shocked society with his sharp investigative articles, that power did not lie in his appearance. At the simple house nestled in a small alley on Doi Can Street, he welcomed me from the top of the stairs with a gentle smile, silver hair and a warm Nghe An accent.
Journalist Tran Dinh Ba was born in 1944 in the semi-mountainous hilly area of Thanh Long commune, Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An province, in a family with a rich revolutionary tradition. He proudly said that since the Soviet - Nghe Tinh period, his family had enough party members to establish a Party cell. His father was the head of the local Red Farmers' Association, and his mother had for a long time hidden cadres and organized the printing of leaflets for the Soviet - Nghe Tinh movement. Moreover, she had once held the flag and led a demonstration to destroy Thanh Chuong district during the revolutionary peak of 1930 - 1931.
In 1969, Tran Dinh Ba attended the first class of Journalism and Publishing at the Central Propaganda School (now the Academy of Journalism and Propaganda). In 1972, as a senior student, he was assigned to Quang Tri as a war correspondent, living, writing and fighting like a soldier in the "fiery summer". After the Paris Agreement, in the dry season of 1973, he continued to be present in the Southeast battlefield as a reporter for the Southern Liberation Army Newspaper, closely following the battles from Cu Chi, Trang Bang, Suoi Ngo to the outskirts of Saigon. He even went down to Ba Ria - Long Khanh, to Sac Forest to write about the special forces soldiers and the heroic feats of the army and people of the Southeast. In the spring of 1975, he accompanied a wing of the army to liberate Saigon.
After the war ended, the Southern Liberation Army Newspaper completed its historic mission, journalist Tran Dinh Ba transferred to work at the People's Army Newspaper, staying with the newspaper until his retirement in 2002 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
2. In the early years of Doi Moi, when the whole society was still wavering between the old and new thinking, the Vietnamese press also faced a major turning point. It was at that time that the first "wind" of change came from the political system. Immediately after General Secretary Nguyen Van Linh published a series of articles "Things to do immediately", the issue of fighting corruption and negativity was immediately discussed openly and fiercely. From here, many reporters of the People's Army Newspaper, including Tran Dinh Ba, embarked on a difficult and dangerous journey, the journey of fighting negativity with their pens.
The first article that journalist Tran Dinh Ba called “uncompromising” was a confrontation with a ministerial-level official about corruption in public works, a battle that he compared to “sitting on the back of a tiger, but the leash was in the hands of someone else”. When the article was blocked from publication, he found strength and courage from the Party’s own documents, especially the series of articles “Things to do immediately” by General Secretary Nguyen Van Linh. He wrote a letter directly to the General Secretary and on July 2, 1987, he received a response from the General Secretary’s Office, allowing the Editor-in-Chief full authority to decide if the article “has good content, is accurate, truthful, and has a constructive effect”.
After the article was considered the "opening shot" for the anti-corruption press front in the Doi Moi period, Tran Dinh Ba continued to devote his energy to large-scale, topical and influential cases. Headlines such as "Taking land from Hanoi Zoo to invest in business - Stop", "Thang Long Aquarium - Painful things", "Five million USD in a day", "National secrets sold"... appeared in a row in the newspapers, all signed by Tran Dinh Ba, a reporter for the People's Army Newspaper. Later on, he went deeper and "touched" the most painful layers of society at that time. Investigative reports such as "A joint venture or an octopus tentacle", "Legal land occupation", "What do you see in Vietnam Civil Aviation", "Where national public land is sold indiscriminately"... continued to be published, like strong hoe blows into the hard soil of silence, cover-up and compromise...
Even after his retirement, he did not give up his writing career. On the contrary, people still saw in Tran Dinh Ba a clear-headed spirit, a thorny, sharp and more energetic writing style than ever. He was the first person to "expose" the crime escape line of a number of high-ranking officials related to the mafia boss Nam Cam - a case that shocked the whole country at that time. Immediately after that were a series of articles with profound discovery and questioning such as: "A big crime, but cleverly taking care of it, still escapes" (about violations at the Uong Bi Power Plant Project), "SABECO - Stories like jokes", "Who assisted, condoned, covered up Vinaconex's violations"... Those articles are clear evidence of the relentless fighting spirit of a journalist - soldier, a professional conscience that does not accept to retreat.
3. To many of his contemporaries, Tran Dinh Ba was an unapproachable person. He rarely shared, and even more rarely revealed his "ways and steps". But those who had been "revealed" by him, even if it was just a few vague words, could not help but be startled and admire his strict, scientific and decisive calculations. He did not deny that writing anti-corruption articles was one of the most difficult areas of journalism. Evidence, documents, sources - everything had to start from zero and to expose the truth, journalists had to use all relationships, exploit information from many sources, but most importantly, they still had to maintain the trust of readers and maintain objectivity in their perception of the nature of the problem. "A journalist who tells lies cannot survive" - he affirmed.
He has also been "coaxed" to keep quiet, and has witnessed many colleagues weigh "what is gained - what is lost" before publishing an article. But he still sticks to his principles: "Information must be accurate, analysis must be reasonable, emotional, motivation must be constructive. If you do that, readers and authorities will support". There are officials who, after his series of articles, had to stand in court. But instead of being happy, he was sad. "There were nights when I burst into tears. I cried because I thought of their parents, their wives and children - people who were not at fault but had to bear the pain and shame"...
People often say that journalism against corruption is like walking a tightrope on a cliff. Just one wrong step can cost you your career, your honor, and even your safety and that of your family. Tran Dinh Ba understands that better than anyone. But he still goes forward, steadfastly, quietly, and persistently. Pointing out mistakes and pointing them out is not just a way of writing, but an attitude towards life. For him, the ethics of a writer do not lie in deference, not in flattery, but in honesty with the truth, objectivity with the issue, and deep down, a desire to contribute to building a better society. “Even when writing anti-corruption articles, I do not aim to overthrow anyone, and certainly not to satisfy my anger. I just want to clarify the nature of the matter - right is right, wrong is wrong - and people have the right to know that,” he once confided.
In a time when many people are easily led astray by false glory and sweet temptations, Tran Dinh Ba chose to be a lamplighter - even though he knew there was still much darkness ahead. It was not an easy choice. But it is thanks to journalists like him that society still has hope in truth, justice and the pen of conscience.
Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/viet-de-goi-ten-su-that-706103.html
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