Colonel Vo Tan Tai, Political Commissar of the Gia Lai provincial Military Command (Photo: Hoang Qui/VOV-Central Highlands)
Colonel Vo Tan Tai, Political Commissar of the Gia Lai provincial Military Command (Photo: Hoang Qui/VOV-Central Highlands)

A nationwide conference to review the campaign is scheduled for next month. So far, the remains of nearly 4,000 martyrs have been recovered, achieving more than 55% of the target. Of these, more than 240 sets were recovered in Laos and more than 1,000 in Cambodia.

During the first phase, Gia Lai province recovered the remains of 85 martyrs and surveyed and excavated more than 12,000 graves at local cemeteries to collect samples.

Colonel Vo Tan Tai, Political Commissar of the Gia Lai provincial Military Command, said: “In the coming period, every locality must step up their efforts. We need to mobilize public support and draw on the witnesses who have helped search for and identify martyrs’ remains.”

Organizations and individuals with outstanding achievements during the "500-day campaign" receive Certificates of Merit from the Chairman of the Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee. (Photo: Hoang Qui/VOV-Central Highlands)
Organizations and individuals with outstanding achievements during the "500-day campaign" receive Certificates of Merit from the Chairman of the Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee. (Photo: Hoang Qui/VOV-Central Highlands)

An Giang province also reported significant achievements during the first phase, completing its assigned tasks six and a half months ahead of the National Steering Committee’s schedule and 22 days ahead of its own plan.

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Le Van Phuoc said: “The mission is a political responsibility and a gesture of our nation’s gratitude and remembrance. Every agency, unit, and locality must therefore continue to uphold its responsibility and take more resolute action.”

In Lam Dong province, authorities recovered the remains of 26 martyrs during the first phase and collected samples from 17 of 26 local graves. For the second phase, the province has set a target of recovering 100 additional sets of remains.

Verification of the digitization of information for individual martyrs' graves, conducted prior to the excavation and collection of biological samples for DNA testing (Photo: Khoa Diem/VOV-Central Highlands)
Verification of the digitization of information for individual martyrs' graves, conducted prior to the excavation and collection of biological samples for DNA testing (Photo: Khoa Diem/VOV-Central Highlands)

Major General Tran Chi Tam, Deputy Political Commissar of Military Region 7 and head of its Steering Committee for the campaign, said: “The Military Command is the coordinating hub, advising on and facilitating coordination of departments, agencies, social organisations, and local authorities. It’s essential to maintain close contact with the public, particularly veteran soldiers and others who may have valuable information.”

The 500-day campaign, being carried out until July 27 next year, aims to recover the remains of 7,000 martyrs, conduct DNA testing on 18,000 samples, complete a gene database of martyrs’ relatives, and accelerate unexploded ordnance clearance in priority areas.