PM's speech highlights prominent statesman's great contributions

Leaders of the Party, State and Vietnam Fatherland Front,

Veteran revolutionaries and Vietnamese mother heroes,

Distinguished guests,

Comrades and fellow-citizens,

Today, the Party Central Committee, the National Assembly, the State President, the Government, the Vietnam Father Front and the southern province of Vinh Long, together with comrades and fellow-citizens respectfully and solemnly celebrated the 100^th anniversary of the birthday of late Chairman of the Council of Ministers Pham Hung – a faithful and indomitable communist, an excellent follower of Great President Ho Chi Minh, a famous leader of the Party, State and people of Vietnam, an outstanding son of the Vietnamese people and Vinh Long province.  

This is a good time for us to review and understand further about the life and huge contributions of comrade Pham Hung to the glorious revolutionary cause of the Party and Vietnamese people and for the current generation to learn and follow his typical example in the cause of national construction and protection.

Distinguished guests,

Comrades and fellow-citizens,

Comrade Pham Hung, whose birth name was Pham Van Thien, was born on June 11, 1912 into a farming family in Long Phuoc Commune, Long Ho District, southern Vinh Long Province – a sacred land with extraordinary, patriotic and revolutionary people.  

As he saw the agony suffered by Vietnamese people under the colonial-imperial regime with his own eyes, the young man smouldered patriotism and revolutionary will. At the age of 16, he joined various activities of students in the South and became one of the first Party members there. At the age of 19, he undertook the role of provincial Party Secretary of My Tho.

In 1931, he was captured and sentenced to prison. Although the enemy made use of all plots from bribery, seduction to brutal torture, he still strongly believed in the Party’s revolutionary ideal. Unable to change the mettle of the young communist, on September 20, 1932, a court of the French colonialists opened a felony trial in My Tho, sentenced him to death and detained him in the Sai Gon Grand Prison. However, the prison and death penalty failed to defeat the communist. He transmitted his resilient will to other prisoners and called upon them to keep the spirits of fighting. Thanks to the strong anti-war movement of Vietnamese people and other progressive forces around the world, the French colonialists had to exile him to Con Dao.    

Living in brutal conditions in Con Dao, so-called “Hell on Earth”, the comrade always showed the spirit of communist soldiers to the enemy, being optimistic and trusting in the success of the revolutionary cause. As one of the key leader of the resistance movement in Con Dao prison and the Island Party Secretary, the comrade, in collaboration with the Party branch to turn the prison into a school to cultivate revolutionary ideal, communist theory in order to heighten the awareness of prisoners, and to enlighten soldiers, warders and supervisors. He took the lead in numerous fights for longer lives, less hard labor and improved living conditions for prisoners and sacrificed himself for other comrades. During the August Revolution in 1945, as the Island Party Secretary, he led prisoners to liberate Con Dao.           

For nearly 15 years of being detained, facing with the death-sentence, living in the “Hell on Earth” in Con Dao and being cruelly tortured by the enemy, the “iron man” never ceased his struggle. He set an example as a bold, indomitable and chivalrous communist, which became a symbol for the extraordinary will of a patriotic young generation who was ready to fight and sacrifice themselves for the national liberation and communist ideal.

Right after the successful August Revolution, he was freed from the prison and immediately partook in the resistance war against the French colonialists in the South. In early 1946, he was appointed as the Secretary of the South Vietnam Party Committee and National Self-Defense Director. During the time, he contributed to building a revolutionary police force in the South. With scientific thinking and creative talent, he succeeded in building a faithful police force which excellently fulfill the task of protecting the Party, administration, people and combating provocateurs and intelligence.       

Comrade Pham Hung and the South Sub-Region Party Committee settled numerous historic problems, nurtured will and confidence and consolidated solidarity among the Party and people in the South during the early years of the resistance war against the French colonialists.

At the 2^nd National Party Congress in 1951, he was selected to the Party Central Committee and pointed to the Central Bureau of South Vietnam. 

During nine years of the resistance war against the French colonialists in the South, he undertook different positions such as member of the 2nd Party Central Committee, Secretary of the South Sub-Region Party Committee and Vice Secretary of the Central Bureau of South Vietnam, etc, comrade Pham Hung creatively applied the Party guidelines to the reality in the South and put forth important orientations to strengthen the Party building work and expand the national united front of Vietnam; develop people’s war, etc; build and consolidate the administration, army, police force, people’s propaganda, alliance organizations, revolutionary unions, contributing to the successful resistance war against French colonialists in the South. The image of Mr. Hung - a good comrade, an easy, simple, determined, talented and virtual leader is still deep inside memories of the South’s comrades and fellow-citizens.  

At the 10^th plenary session of the 2^nd Party Central Committee held in 1956, comrade Pham Hung was selected to the Politburo, then he joined the Secretariat of the CPV Central Committee. At the 3^rd National Party Congress (in 1960), he was re-elected to the Party Central Committee and the Politburo.

Since 1956 to 1967, as working close to President Ho Chi Minh, comrade Pham Hung deeply understood the pure and great thought, approach, style, morality of the President. It helped further consolidate his belief in the victory of the resistance for national liberation, unification and construction of socialism under the leadership of our Party and Uncle Ho. Undertaking important positions like the Head of Central Reunification Committee, Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office, Deputy Prime Minister for economic affairs, Head of the Party’s Finance and Trade Committee, the comrade made significant contributions to the cause of socialism construction in the North and the struggle for national reunification.

Assigned by comrade Le Duan (late Party Secretary), comrade Pham Hung organized the compilation of the Project on Peace and reunification and the South’s revolution, which significantly contributed to the adoption of the Resolution 15 of the Party Central Committee (in 1959), creating a turning point and new force for the revolution in the South, shifting from conserving forces to active attacks and continuous victories.

As a Deputy Prime Minister in charge of economic affairs, the comrade regularly went to localities to give instructions and encourage production; ceaselessly studied and learned experiences of other socialist countries, then creatively applied them in line with the country’s reality to administer and regulate industrial and production and trade, etc. with the guiding spirit: production is the most revolutionary work in building peace, joining the production front means stepping into the forefront of the socialist revolution in the North. It is the background for the struggle for national reunification.

As a member of the Politburo, the Secretary of the Party Central Committee, and the Head of the Party’s Finance and Trade Committee, comrade Pham Hung instructed the compilation of the Project on commerce and prices during the wartime and developed the Resolution of the 10^th Plenary session of the 3^rd Party Central Committee. The comrade gave creative and sharp instructions to uphold the functions of banking, finance, domestic trade, foreign trade, price fields which efficiently served the development of production, accelerated thrift practice, anti-wastefulness, and mobilized all resources to shatter the war of sabotage in order to protect the North-the great rear and to provide huge assistance to the South-the biggest front line to fight and win. Between 1961 and 1965, the North’s economy made significant achievements: industrial and agricultural production posted the growth rate of 10% annually, big projects like the Thai Nguyen Iron and Steel Company, Thac Ba Hydropower Plant and many major others started construction.

As the struggle against American imperialists of the whole Party, people and army were taking violently and entering a decisive stage, at the end of 1967, comrade Pham Hung-member of the Politburo was assigned by the Politburo, the Party Central Committee and Uncle Ho to assume the Chairman of the Central Bureau of South Vietnam and Political Commissar of armed forces for liberation of the South. The comrade quickly and secretly prepared for the General Offensive and Uprising in the Mau Than Lunar Year (in 1968) and gained important success in terms of military, political, diplomatic aspects, vanquishing American imperialists’ invasion will and creating new complexion for the struggle for liberation of the South.

Comrade Pham Hung along with other comrades of the Central Bureau of South Vietnam closely, timely and creatively directed the organization of the Conference for people in the South (held in the War Zone D in June, 1969), during which the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam was selected. This was a great victory of the South’s revolution and political stroke in harmony with military and diplomatic strokes, creating new position and strength in battle fields and for our negotiations in Paris.

In 1970, when the US expanded the war, comrade Pham Hung, authorized by the Politburo, worked with the Central Bureau of South Vietnam to direct the Southern army and people to follow the motto: attacking while correcting forces; developing while consolidating forces; deploying short-term plans while actively preparing for grasping opportunities. Victories in early 1970 on battlefields in the Central Highlands and other areas pushed the South’s revolution to a new development stage of overcoming difficulties and regaining the position of activeness for attacks. By closely following the situation during the 1971-1973, comrade Pham Hung and the Central Bureau of South Vietnam directed the army and people of the South to step by step defeat the US strategy Vietnamization (a policy of the Richard M. Nixon Administration during the Vietnam War), especially, smashing the enemy’s plot to quell and encroach in the Southwest region, Mekong Delta provinces. With great victories across the South, the new complexion became more and more advantageous for us, forcing the US to hold talks in a lost position and accept to sign the Paris Peace Accords (in January, 1973) on ending the war and restoring peace in Vietnam.

Following the Paris Peace Accords, comrade Pham Hung convened the 12^th meeting of the Central Bureau of South Vietnam to heighten the awareness of the Resolution adopted at the 21^st Plenary session of the Party Central Committee, which analyzed the American imperialists’ plot of continued neocolonialism in South Vietnam and to identify first missions of the South’s revolution: uniting people for the struggle in three battlefields: politically, militarily and diplomatically in order to force the enemy to strictly observe the Paris Agreement, ceaselessly holding fast to and developing forces in all aspects. The Comrade and the Central Bureau of South Vietnam led the Southern army and people to gain victories across the battlefields, creating a strategic opportunity for the overall success.

In early 1975, after the successful Central Highlands and Hue-Danang campaigns, the strategic chance for liberation of entire South Vietnam appeared. The Politburo decided on gathering in the quickest manner the forces, weapons, technical and material resources for emancipating Sai Gon prior to rainy season. The comrade was entrusted to assume the Political Commissar of the Military Command for the Saigon-Gia Dinh campaign. Comrade Pham Hung along with General Van Tien Dung as its commander and other comrades of the Military Command for the Saigon-Gia Dinh campaign unanimously agreed to ask the Politburo to rename this campaign as the Ho Chi Minh campaign. During the Ho Chi Minh campaign, comrade Pham Hung closely followed the battlefields, put forth important ideas to the Politburo and the Military Command for the campaign to issue precise and timely decisions and gained glorious victories. With the spirit of not to yield an inch of ground while facing difficulties, of not to loose heart while facing hazards, and ready to sacrifice for national independence and unification, comrade  Pham Hung made important contributions, along with the army and people of the South and the whole country, overcame innumerable difficulties and challenges to  realize the whole inner wish of Uncle Ho and burning desire of the whole nation for complete liberation of the South for national unification, creating one of the most glorious and resplendent victories in our country’s history – the April 30, 1975 Victory.

Following the great victory of the historical Ho Chi Minh campaign, the 24th Plenary session of the Party Central Committee identified the strategic tasks of Vietnam’s revolution as completing national unification, advancing to socialism. Comrade Pham Hung was assigned to undertake the position of chief representative of the Party Central Committee and Government in South Vietnam. He joined hands with other leaders of the Party and Government to manage major issues regarding politics, economics, culture, national defense and security, foreign affairs, etc, and especially organized the first general election successfully (in April, 1976) and developed an apparatus for a united Vietnam.

From the 4th to the 5th and 6th National Party Congress (in 1976, 1982, and 1986 respectively), comrade Pham Hung was selected to the Party Central Committee and the Politburo. He was appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister in 1980 cum Interior Minister (now the Ministry of Public Security). As the Deputy Prime Minister, he still paid special care to specific characteristics of the South’s revolution, working with other leaders of the Party and Government to accelerate the building of socialism and improvement of production relations in the North while transforming and building socialism in the South. Under the his direct leadership as a member of the Politburo and Deputy Prime Minister cum Interior Minister, sectors like people’s procuracy, courts and police coordinated in maintaining political security and social order and safety. The people’s police force destroyed reactionaries’ schemes to overthrow the revolutionary power and to abolish the new political regime.

In June, 1987, comrade Pham Hung was selected as the Chairman of the Council of Ministers by the 8th National Assembly. Undertaking the position at the time the country was facing extreme difficulties in the early years of the renewal process, many issues seemed uneasy to overcome, he upheld the revolutionary sense, devoted his mind and heart to effectively address emerging issues. He left deep impressions because of his sense of responsibility and talent to put the guidelines of the 6th National Party Congress into reality; to renovate economic management mechanism and develop multi-sector economy; to implement three big economic programs; to closely and drastically direct the agriculture sector to ensure food for people; to renovate banking sector’s operations and make breakthroughs in distribution; to combine economic development with care for people; to maintain political security and social order; to enhance solidarity and friendship with international friends, etc. The works undertaken by comrade Pham Hung and other leaders of the Party and State were important steps to create a premise for the later achievements of our country’s Renewal process.

On March 10, 1988, comrade Pham Hung unexpectedly left this world leaving boundless pity on our Party, State, comrades and fellow-citizens.

Distinguished guests,

Comrades and fellow-citizens,

Comrade Pham Hung is among revolutionary predecessors-the country’s talented and exemplary leaders with long-term and sharp vision of the Party, State and Vietnam’s revolution. His life and revolutionary career coupled with the arduous yet glorious fight made by our Party and people.” Comrade Pham Hung is the excellent example a true communist who faithfully devoted his entire life to his country and his people.

During his uninterrupted 60 years of revolutionary career experiencing most dangerous circumstances, etc., comrade Pham Hung was always a resilient communist absolutely faithful to the Party’s revolutionary cause, ready for sacrifice for independence and freedom of the fatherland and for people’s happiness. Experiencing the revolutionary reality, with broad knowledge, scientific and keen thought, he made significant contributions to the development of the Party’s guidelines and State’s policies and creatively applied (his knowledge and experiences) in the protracted resistance as well as in the national construction and protection of the fatherland.

Assuming various important positions, comrade Pham Hung was always devoted to and tried his best at work. With a revolutionary sense, exceptional fortitude, decisive will and strong belief in the overall victory of the revolution, he always completed successfully tasks assigned by the Party, State and peopled.

Especially, he paid special care to the Party building and political system development; holding fast to centralized democracy, to sincere and frank self-criticism and criticism, preserving solidarity and consensus in the Party. Comrade Pham Hung always paid due care to the training and educating cadres, etc.

All for people’s interests, he believed in people’s power, having a strong attachment to people, striving incessantly for the national solidarity. Comrade Pham Hung always paid due attention to educating, awakening, learning and whole-heartedly serving people. He gained people’s love, trust and protection. He excellently fulfilled his missions as a National Assembly deputy of tenures 2, 3, 6, 7, and 8.

As an excellent follower of President Ho Chi Minh, the life of comrade Pham Hung is a good example of revolutionary ethics – industrious, thrifty, honest, righteous, public-spirited and selfless; he always loved working, treasured time, practiced scientific and effective working style with specific and thoughtful plans, and was always strict with himself.

Distinguished guests,

Comrades and fellow-citizens,

To be consistent with the path chosen by the Party and Uncle Ho, continuing steps of revolutionary predecessors and comrade Pham Hung, over the past 25 years of renewal process, we have gained great achievements of historic significance. Our country stepped out of least-developed status to enter the middle-income group; the overall strength of our country has been heightened; independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and socialist regime have been maintained; people’s life is increasingly improving; Vietnam’s position and prestige on the international arena have been heightened; creating foundations for higher level of development in the next stages.

Our Party and State appreciate, believe and expect that provincial Party Committee, army and people of Vinh Long Province  would continue upholding gained achievements and their fine traditions of the native land where prominent statesman Pham Hung was born, to unite and strive to develop the province comprehensively, prosperously, and civilizedly and to better care for people’s life; to effectively contribute to the country’s industrialization and modernization process; deserving to comrade Pham Hung’s sentiment and desire for Vinh Long.

We celebrate the 100th birthday anniversary of the late Chairman of the Council of Ministers while the whole Party, army and people are actively deploying the Resolutions of the 11th National Party Congress and of the 4th Plenary session of the 11th Party Central Committee on some urgent issues of Party building work and the Politburo’s Directive on continued acceleration of learning and following Ho Chi Minh’s moral example, we show our deep gratitude to the great contributions of and follow comrade Pham Hung’s example, committing to trying our best to protect the Fatherland; standing together to promote advantages and overcome difficulties to successfully realize the targets set for 2012 and the following years, pushing up the country’s reform process to attain greater and more comprehensive achievements and building a truely spotless and strong Party as Uncle Ho always wished.

On this solemn occasion, on behalf of the Party, State, Fatherland Front, I call on the whole Party, people, army and overseas Vietnamese to uphold patriotism, self-reliance, and national solidarity to comprehensively accelerate reforms and fast and sustainable development, be determined to build a prosperous, strong, democratic, equal and civilized Vietnam./.