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Trainees of the Lao People’s Army Newspaper pay tribute to President Ho Chi Minh. |
For Lieutenant Colonel Khonesavanh Xayalath, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Lao People’s Army Newspaper, the visit to President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum was an opportunity for Lao military reporters to not only pay tribute to the great leader and hero of national liberation, but also learn about the Vietnam - Laos special solidarity, the foundation which was laid by President Ho Chi Minh, President Kaysone Phomvihane, and Prince Souphanouvong and has been nurtured by generations of leaders of the two parties, states, militaries, and peoples.
Col. Xayalath said that when he was alive, President Ho Chi Minh paid attention to and gave special sentiment and wholehearted support to Laos. The impartial and faithful sentiment laid foundation for the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos. President Ho Chi Minh said that leaning against the majestic Truong Son Mountain range, Vietnam and Laos have supported each other like brothers to build a new life. The close neighborliness and brotherhood between Vietnam and Laos will never fade. In a poem, President Ho Chi Minh said that the friendship is deeper than the Hong Ha (Red) and Cuu Long (Mekong) rivers. President Kaysone Phomvihane also affirmed, “Mountains may wear out; rivers may dry up, but the Vietnam - Laos friendship will forever be stronger than mountains and rivers.”
It is clear that the special relationship between Vietnam and Laos has become the invaluable and noble common asset of the two nations which was, is, and will be forever admired and honored. Like Prince Souphanouvong once said, “The friendship between Laos and Vietnam is so great that no song, no poem can depict it. The friendship is taller than the tallest mountain, deeper than the deepest ocean, and more fragrant than the most fragrant flower in the world.” He added that the good bilateral friendship is cultivated by a pure spirit that no enemy can destroy. For Prince Souphanouvong and the Lao people, President Ho Chi Minh is always a bright example and a beloved leader of not only the Vietnamese people, but also the Lao and the Khmer people.
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Lieutenant Colonel Khonesavanh Xayalath, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Lao People’s Army Newspaper, receives President Ho Chi Minh's Badge. |
Following the flow of history, events gradually fade into the past, but the deep affection that the Lao people have for President Ho Chi Minh will remain intact and last forever. He is a symbol of the solidarity and friendship between Vietnam and Laos. One of the proofs for that is the presence of many President Ho Chi Minh memorial sites which are built by the Lao people.
Captain Yomphet Vilaiphanh, Deputy Head of Defense - Security Division of the Lao People’s Army Newspaper, was touched, though this was the second time that he had visited President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. The Lao officer said that President Ho Chi Minh was a great and friendly leader with a simple lifestyle and a bright example.
Capt. Yomphet Vilaiphanh added that in spite of being born and growing up in peacetime, he and young people of Laos always bear in mind the great contribution of former generations. For President Ho Chi Minh in particular, the Lao people always give him boundless respect and love. “We promise to strive to continue to write new history chapters, preserve, and strengthen the special solidarity between the two nations,” the Lao officer said.
Col. Xayalath, who has visited President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum four times, shared that he always feels impressed when seeing a long line of not only Vietnamese cadres, party members, troops, people, but also foreign experts and visitors waiting to pay tribute to the late President.
The head of the Lao delegation said that it was the President’s love for not only the Vietnamese people, but also the humankind that makes people admire and inspire them to come to the mausoleum. He said that President Ho Chi Minh will live forever in the heart of the Vietnamese people and international friends.
Translated by Tran Hoai