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General Luong Cuong shakes hands with a POW. |
The event also saw the attendance of former State President Truong Tan Sang, former permanent member of the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee General Le Hong Anh, Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen, former Vice State President Truong My Hoa, other delegates and more than 1,200 Phu Quoc Prison’s former prisoners of war (POWs).
Phu Quoc Prison was used by the French colonialists, the U.S. imperialists, and the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) to detain Vietnamese troops, officials, and people. Covering nearly 400 hectares, that was the biggest prison in the South. From 1967 to 1972, more than 40,000 people were confined there. Among them, 4,000 prisoners, who were revolutionaries and civilian people, were killed.
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Participants at the event |
Addressing the ceremony on behalf of the Party and State leaders, General Luong Cuong sent deep sentiments and gratitude to revolutionaries, civilian people and other troops imprisoned at prisons run by French imperialists, U.S. imperialists and the Republic of Vietnam in general and at Phu Quoc Prison in particular.
The general emphasized that the event was a reminder of the national patriotism, national pride, and responsibility to live, work, study and defend the Fatherland to deserve the great sacrifice of the forebear.
In order to promote the traditional historical values and revolutionary achievements, General Luong Cuong asked ministries, central and local departments, and the whole political system to continue to embrace and effectively implement the Secretariat’s Directive No.14 signed on July 19, 2017 on enhancing the Party’s leadership over the national contributors affairs. He urged them to bring into play the tradition “When drinking water, remember its source,” and “Gratitude paying” with practical activities and action plans to support and take care of national contributors, sick and wounded soldiers, martyrs’ families, and POWs, especially those in need.
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Gen. Luong Cuong presents gifts to former prisoners and needy students. |
General Cuong also asked for further dissemination of information about Phu Quoc Prison special national relic site, promotion of the relic’s values, more investment in and upgrading of the relic’s facilities, more collection of historical photos, exhibits, and documents on the site and from its prisoners, and organization of activities to make the relic site a fixed “red address” in the “returning to the roots” programs of domestic and international visitors.
On the occasion, former prisoners and disadvantaged students with good academic records received gifts from the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defense, the Party Committee of Military Region 9, and the National Liaison Board.
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General Luong Cuong and other delegates offer flowers and incense to fallen troops. |
Earlier, General Luong Cuong, leaders and former leaders of the Party, State, Ho Chi Minh City, Kien Giang province and representatives of former Phu Quoc prisoners offered flowers and incense at Phu Quoc War Cemetery and Phu Quoc city Fallen Soldiers’ Temple.
Translated by Mai Huong