Front page of Viet Thuong newspaper special issue, published on November 4, 1930 (Source: Archives Department of the Central Office of the Communist Party of Vietnam )

Honestly, even though we just heard the news, it brought us indescribable joy about Viet Thuong!

In the book History of Hue Press by author and researcher Nguyen Xuan Hoa, published by Thuan Hoa Publishing House in 2013, there is a mention of a secret newspaper also named Viet Thuong of the Viet Minh of Central Vietnam: "Revolutionary campaign newspaper, published secretly. Around before August 1945" (p.445, ibid)...

Although only estimating the time of its birth, the author also stated that, first and foremost, in Hue, there was a revolutionary newspaper named Viet Thuong. Unfortunately, the author did not show the image (or cufflink) of this newspaper to firmly prove the above information.

In the process of collecting documents related to the history of journalism as well as press artifacts published in Hue from the past to the present, we were fortunate to have access to another newspaper with the same name Viet Thuong. However, this newspaper was published in 1930.

On the cuff of the newspaper we accessed, it was clearly written: “Viet Thuong. Special issue. Published on November 4, 2030”. But it is not clear which locality it is from or who organized it. So, is it possible that there were two newspapers with the same name Viet Thuong, published by communist activists, printed and distributed in Hue?

Currently, this special issue of “Viet Thuong” is being kept at the Central Party Office Archives, located on Nguyen Canh Chan Street, Hanoi . Thanks to the enthusiastic help of many people, we have re-scanned this newspaper.

Due to its secret nature, the Viet Thuong newspaper did not list the name of the organization or the person who carried it out. However, its content was about revolutionary fighting in the communist direction. Viet Thuong had 4 pages, the size of an A4 sheet, handwritten, in purple ink on cardboard.

The content of this “Special Issue” mainly introduces the history of the Great October Revolution Anniversary and urges students to promote the organization of the October Revolution Anniversary (November 7). Unite with the proletariat to organize strikes, boycotts, and demonstrations to protest against the brutal and terrorist tactics of the French imperialist capitalists and the mandarins, villagers, landlords, and Annamese hunting dogs” (sic).

In the above original quote, there are two words (repeated in many other articles) according to the habit of some Hue people "writing as they say", instead of writing "da savage", people write "gia mang".

On page 4, Viet Thuong called for “Organizing a second demonstration”. With easy-to-understand words and clear analysis: “The French imperialists were scared when they saw our brothers and sisters doing that, so they made huge arrests and sent soldiers to patrol the countryside after the demonstrations. They did very savage harm! So our brothers and sisters, workers and farmers, please mobilize a second demonstration and strike to protest: 1. The unjust arrests; 2. Sending soldiers to suppress the countryside. Our brothers and sisters in other places should also mobilize demonstrations in response. Keep mobilizing until we get those demands and have freedom to demonstrate and freedom to strike”…

However, it is still not possible to determine which locality Viet Thuong belongs to. The cufflinks of this newspaper do not provide more information.

In early spring of Mau Tuat year 2018, when we returned to the Archives to continue looking up documents, we learned more clearly: "Viet Thuong, the secret agency of the Thua Thien Party Committee, published in Hue". According to the officer who worked here for many years, the reason this handwritten newspaper was kept at the Central Office Archives was because it was a document in the case file; by an officer of Thua Thien province who was working secretly, was arrested by French secret police in Hue, and was carrying Viet Thuong as a revolutionary propaganda document. Many years after the success of the August Revolution, feeling that it was "no longer valuable", the French returned it to the Viet Minh. According to the records (Thua Thien Hue province - Communist Party of Vietnam), Viet Thuong was a secret newspaper of the Thua Thien Hue Party Committee, published in 1930. It was a handwritten newspaper that had nearly ten issues, and this special issue is still preserved.

Thus, since April 3, 1930, the Thua Thien Hue Provincial Party Committee was officially established. Just two months later, a number of revolutionary newspapers appeared in the capital city of Hue. For example, the Con Duong Dau Tranh newspaper of the Thua Thien Provincial Party Committee, the Hoc Tro newspaper of the Thuan Hoa City Party Committee, and the Nguoi Lao Kho newspaper of the Central Region Party Committee. In addition, the provincial Party Committee also had the Viet Thuong newspaper, which was secretly published as revolutionary propaganda material.

According to Nguyen Trai's Geography, "Thuan Hoa used to be Viet Thuong Thi"*. And the land of Thuan Hoa occupied the majority of today's Hue. Perhaps that's why the secret newspaper of the Thua Thien Hue Provincial Party Committee was born in 1930 and was named Viet Thuong. It's been 95 springs with Viet Thuong filled with unforgettable memories that are not too far away...

* The Geography section is cited in Nguyen Trai Complete Works, Social Sciences Publishing House, Hanoi, 1976, p.234.

DUONG PHUOC THU