Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra chaired a meeting on June 17 of the steering committee overseeing activities marking the 80th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs Day.

Minister of Home Affairs Do Thanh Binh, standing deputy head of the committee, said that 1,080 sets of martyrs’ remains have so far been recovered in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Authorities have also organized solemn ceremonies to receive and rebury the remains.

The Ministry of Public Security has reviewed, updated and cross-checked information on hundreds of thousands of unidentified martyrs, collected DNA samples in multiple localities and successfully identified 23 fallen soldiers.

Regarding memorial sites and care centers for people who rendered service to the nation, local authorities have been instructed to review conditions and develop plans for renovation, repair and upgrading nationwide. The Ministry of Home Affairs is also coordinating with Hanoi authorities on plans for a memorial complex dedicated to heroic martyrs and national contributors, a project carrying deep symbolic significance.

On the occasion of this year’s July 27 commemoration, the State President has approved gifts for more than 1.5 million beneficiaries of preferential policies, with total funding exceeding VND475 billion ($18.2 million).

These achievements reflect the deep attention paid by the Party and State, as well as the responsible engagement of ministries, agencies and local authorities in honoring those who sacrificed for the nation and caring for people who rendered service to the revolution.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra praised the positive progress achieved across multiple tasks, highlighting the “500-day campaign” to search for, recover and identify the remains of martyrs whose identities remain unknown.

She said the campaign has not only generated positive momentum but also spread profound humanitarian values, reaffirming Vietnam’s tradition of gratitude and remembrance.

Emphasizing the significance of the upcoming 80th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs Day, the deputy prime minister described it as a major national political, historical and humanitarian event, providing an opportunity for the Party, people and armed forces to honor the sacrifices and contributions of heroic martyrs, wounded soldiers, sick veterans and others who served the nation.

Regarding key tasks ahead, she called for continued improvements to policies, regulations and legal frameworks related to people with meritorious service, including plans to implement major activities marking the anniversary.

Tra also urged authorities to promptly finalize documents for submission to the National Assembly Standing Committee concerning amendments to the Ordinance on Preferential Treatment for People with Meritorious Service to the Revolution and related decrees, ensuring policies are implemented consistently and effectively.

She stressed the need to accelerate the “500-day campaign,” describing it as a particularly important political mission that must be carried out decisively, scientifically and in a coordinated manner.

The campaign aims to recover approximately 7,000 sets of martyrs’ remains, focus on identification efforts and complete unexploded ordnance clearance in key areas.

For Ho Chi Minh City, the deputy prime minister instructed authorities to continue reviewing and researching locations associated with mass graves based on declassified documents, while carefully verifying information against testimony from historical witnesses in key areas.

Vietnam is expected to receive around 30 keepsakes belonging to martyrs together with roughly 30 research and analytical dossiers compiled from declassified US records before July 27.

The keepsakes and documents will be connected with existing collections preserved at the National Archives Centers and later presented to martyrs’ relatives during commemorative events, helping to spread the humanitarian value and profound significance of remembrance activities.

Tran Thuong