In 2026, the municipal steering committee seriously implemented directives and guidance from higher-level authorities, promptly consolidated its organization, issued working regulations, and assigned tasks in line with the actual situation. The city established 15 task forces comprising 99 teams to carry out command and coordination, search and recovery, sample collection, data digitization, excavation, transportation and logistical support.
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Nguyen Manh Cuong, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee and head of the municipal Steering Committee for the Search, Recovery and Identification of Martyrs’ Remains, speaks at the conference. |
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Major General Nguyen Thanh Trung, Political Commissar of the Ho Chi Minh City Military Command and Standing Deputy Head of the municipal Steering Committee for the Search, Recovery and Identification of Martyrs’ Remains, speaks at the conference. |
According to reports delivered at the conference, as of October 28, Ho Chi Minh City had recovered 857 sets of martyrs’ remains, more than 4.2 times the assigned target. Of these, 852 sets were recovered at Le Thi Rieng Park and five at Thuong Tan commune.
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Historical witnesses attend the conference. |
The collection of biological samples from martyrs’ remains for DNA testing was carried out urgently. Following a pilot operation and review of experience at the Ho Chi Minh City War Cemetery in Long Binh ward, the city mobilized 432 personnel to collect samples simultaneously at all 18 martyrs’ cemeteries, completing the work ahead of schedule. Samples were collected from all 9,875 graves of martyrs with no identifying information, of which more than 7,000 samples were eligible for DNA testing.
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Certificates of merit from the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee are presented to individuals with outstanding achievements in the search, recovery and identification of martyrs’ remains. |
The city transported 7,113 biological samples from martyrs’ remains by military aircraft to Ha Noi and handed them over to specialized agencies for DNA testing. Meanwhile, the municipal police collected 1,843 biological samples from martyrs’ relatives and are expected to collect samples from approximately 5,000 additional cases in November 2026 to facilitate DNA matching and the identification of martyrs’ remains.
In terms of international cooperation, the municipal steering committee exchanged information and personal artifacts with Texas Tech University in the U.S.; worked with U.S. and Australian delegations; and received and processed valuable records and documents related to 16 locations.
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Ambassador Rogelio Polanco Fuentes offers flowers at the monument to General Secretary Tran Phu. |
Speaking at the conference, Nguyen Manh Cuong, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee and head of the municipal steering committee, asked relevant agencies and units to consolidate their forces, clearly assign responsibilities and thoroughly process every source of information. For locations where sufficient evidence has yet to be established, he called for continued surveys, efforts to locate historical witnesses and cross-checking of records.
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Members of the Cuban delegation offer incense at the mortuary holding the remains of martyrs. |
He asked the Viet Nam Fatherland Front and political-social organizations to coordinate with local authorities and press agencies in encouraging people to provide documents and information. Public communications should combine direct outreach in communities with digital platforms, clearly identifying the information being sought. At the same time, relevant agencies should make effective use of information and documents received through external relations channels.
Nguyen Manh Cuong emphasized that although the campaign is an effort to concentrate resources and accelerate progress, the search and recovery of martyrs’ remains must be carried out continuously and persistently. To live up to the trust of the people and martyrs’ relatives, relevant agencies must work thoroughly and leave no information that could support the search and identification of martyrs’ remains unexplored.
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Ambassador Rogelio Polanco Fuentes presents a portrait of Cuban leader Fidel Castro to Team K74 under the Ho Chi Minh City Military Command. |
In 2027 and during the second phase of the campaign, the city will continue reviewing newly-received information, conducting verification and reaching conclusions, and developing search plans for sources of information with sufficient grounds for further action. Priority will be given to exploratory excavation and searches at 16 locations. The city will also continue operations at Le Thi Rieng Park and in areas for which relevant information is available, including So Hoi and Tan Son Nhat Airport, as well as Binh Ba.
With the motto, “As long as there is information, verification will continue; as long as there is a possibility, search efforts will continue,” the city will focus on mobilizing resources and applying science and technology, while linking the search and recovery of martyrs’ remains with their identification. It will also continue collecting biological samples from martyrs’ relatives, coordinating DNA testing and matching, and completing databases and records on martyrs’ cemeteries and graves, with the goal of recovering the remains and restoring the identities of the fallen.
At the conference, collectives and individuals with outstanding achievements in the search, recovery and identification of martyrs’ remains in 2026 and during the first phase of the 500-day campaign received certificates of merit from the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee. One collective and one individual from the People’s Army Newspaper were also honored.
* On the same day, a delegation from the Embassy of Cuba in Viet Nam, led by Rogelio Polanco Fuentes, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Cuba to Viet Nam, paid tribute to fallen heroes and martyrs at Le Thi Rieng Park by offering flowers and incense.
In a solemn atmosphere, members of the delegation expressed their profound gratitude to the heroic martyrs who bravely fought and sacrificed their lives for national liberation and reunification. They also learned about the process of surveying and verifying information and organizing the search and recovery of martyrs’ remains at the park.
Translated by Song Anh