Vietnam is moving to accelerate the use of next-generation DNA technology to identify the remains of fallen soldiers, offering new hope to families who have waited decades for answers.
Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra has called for the rapid application of next-generation DNA technology to help identify the remains of Vietnam's fallen soldiers, saying the breakthrough could create new opportunities to restore the identities of those who have remained unknown for decades.
According to the Government News Portal (VGP), the deputy prime minister met with representatives from ministries, agencies and research institutions on July 19 to review advances in DNA forensic technology and discuss ways to improve the identification of unidentified military remains.
New technology shows promising results
General Secretary and State President To Lam visits personnel involved in the search and recovery of fallen soldiers' remains at Le Thi Rieng Park in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Organizing Committee.
New technology shows promising results
At the meeting, Prof. Chu Hoang Ha, Vice President of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, said the academy is leading an Official Development Assistance (ODA) project titled Enhancing the Capacity for Wartime Human Remains Identification through Development Cooperation, Technology Transfer, and the Provision of Equipment, Chemicals and Consumables.
The project, covering 2024-2026 and extended through March 2027, is funded by the US government with technical support from the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP).
Under the project, the academy's Institute of Biotechnology has been tasked with developing next-generation DNA identification technology by combining Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) with Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) analysis.
Researchers have successfully optimized two DNA extraction procedures specifically designed for severely degraded human remains commonly found in Vietnam, increasing nuclear DNA recovery rates to as much as 80%.
A next-generation gene sequencing system has also been established and tested, enabling simultaneous analysis of multiple samples while generating more than 5,000 SNP markers for identification through both paternal and maternal family lines.
Scientists have also developed data analysis systems and matching algorithms capable of identifying biological relationships extending up to four generations.
Successful pilot projects
In 2025, the NGS-SNP technology was applied in a pilot project at Tra Linh Martyrs' Cemetery in Cao Bang Province.
Of the 58 remains that met sampling requirements, 54 produced sufficient SNP data for comparison with DNA samples provided by relatives, representing a 93% success rate.
Using the resulting genetic data, scientists compared the samples with biological relatives from 14 families and successfully identified the remains of five fallen soldiers.
This year, the technology is being expanded through a larger pilot project at Giong Rieng Martyrs' Cemetery in An Giang Province.
The trial is expected to provide a broader assessment of the technology's effectiveness before wider implementation.
Identifying the fallen remains the ultimate goal
Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra commends agencies involved in DNA identification of fallen soldiers' remains. Photo: VGP.
Concluding the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra said efforts to locate and recover the remains of Vietnam's fallen soldiers have never received greater attention or public expectation from the Party, the State and the Vietnamese people.
While the search and recovery of remains carry profound political and humanitarian significance, she emphasized that restoring each fallen soldier's identity remains the ultimate objective.
She said existing results demonstrate that the NGS-SNP approach is an advanced and highly suitable technology for Vietnam's conditions.
The deputy prime minister urged ministries and agencies to accelerate the practical application of next-generation DNA testing while mobilizing resources to invest in laboratories, equipment and technical infrastructure needed for nationwide implementation.
She also instructed relevant agencies to rapidly expand training, technology transfer and practical deployment at martyrs' cemeteries so that personnel can master the new techniques.
National database remains a priority
The deputy prime minister noted that Vietnam faces unique challenges because many martyrs' remains have deteriorated severely over time, with some cases lacking sufficient bone material for conventional DNA sampling.
She stressed that continued research and refinement of technologies suited to Vietnam's conditions remain essential.
Alongside the new NGS-SNP technology, mitochondrial DNA testing currently in use will continue to operate in parallel to improve overall identification efforts.
Pham Thi Thanh Tra also emphasized the importance of completing a national database covering fallen soldiers and their relatives.
According to the Ministry of Public Security, authorities have yet to identify relatives for approximately 145,000 fallen soldiers, making it impossible to collect DNA reference samples for comparison and presenting one of the greatest remaining challenges in the identification process.
Vietnamnet.vn
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