(VOVworld) - A State funeral for General Vo Nguyen Giap took place on Saturday at the National Funeral House in Hanoi. Organizers included the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the National Assembly, the President of Vietnam, the Government, and the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front.
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| A state funeral is held for General Vo Nguyen GIap. (Photo: VOV) |
In his address to begin the funeral service, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Head of the organizing board for General Vo Nguyen Giap’ funeral, said: "The General rendered great service to the revolution of the Vietnamese Party and people during his 80 years of revolutionary life. General Giap was an eminent disciple of President Ho Chi Minh and the first General and Commander-in-Chief of the Vietnamese People’s Army. He was loved and respected by the people and international friends and a pride of generations of officers and soldiers nationwide. General Giap was awarded the Party and State’s Gold Star Order, the Ho Chi Minh Order, the 70-year Party membership badge and many other noble orders. His passing is a huge loss to the Party, the State, people, and army".
Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Truong Tan Sang, National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, and Vice Chairman and Secretary General of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Vu Trong Kim led their delegations to pay tribute to General Vo Nguyen Giap. They observed a minute of silence to bid farewell to the General.
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| Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and his delegation pay tribute to General Vo Nguyen Giap. (Photo: VOV) |
Writing in the book of memory, Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong, President Truong Tan Sang, and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung expressed their regret over the death of General Giap, a prestigious leader of the party, state and people of Vietnam, a bright disciple of president Ho Chi Minh and the bid brother of the heroic Vietnam people’s army. They spoke highly of the general’s contributions to the country’s revolution. The general was a brilliant example of morality and dedication to the party, the nation, and the people. His name will forever be remembered in Vietnam’s history and a symbol of the country’s revolutionary heroism. The party and state leaders vowed before him to make a concerted effort to develop and protect the party and the socialist republic of Vietnam.
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| Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong writes in the book of memory. (Photo: VOV) |
General Vo Nguyen Giap’s family, leaders and former leaders of the Party and State, the Central Military Party Committee, the Ministry of Defense, the Central Police Party Committee, the Ministry of Public Security, Hanoi municipal Party Committee, Hanoi People’s Council, Hanoi People’s Committee, the Fatherland Front Committee of Hanoi, and the Vietnam War Veterans’ Association took turns to pay tribute to General Giap.
4 foreign delegations paid homage to General Vo Nguyen Giap this morning. They were representatives of Laos’ Party, State, and Army led by Lao Party General Secretary and State President Choummaly Sayasone, a delegation of Cambodia led by Chairman of the Cambodian People’s Party and Chairman of the Cambodian National Assembly Heng Samrin, and delegates from Mozambique and Algeria led by their Ministries of War Veterans. 100 Ambassadors and Charge d’affairs, diplomatic corps, overseas Vietnamese, and delegations from cities, provinces, ministries, central agencies and their local branches came to pay respect to the General.
The organizing board for General Vo Nguyen Giap’ funeral decided to allow individuals to pay respect to the General earlier than scheduled.
At the same time with the service held in Hanoi, funeral services were held at the headquarters of the provincial People’s Committee in General Giap’s home province of Quang Binh, the Independence Palace in Ho Chi Minh City, and several other localities like Tuyen Quang, Dien Bien, Cao Bang, Can Tho, and Truong Sa island district in Khanh Hoa.
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| People come to pay tribute to General Vo Nguyen Giap in Quang Binh province. (Photo: VOV) |
A youth from Tan Trao commune in Tuyen Quang said: "My feeling toward general Giap can’t be expressed with words. It is admiration, respect and gratitude. We could not meet the general in person but learned about his merits and contributions through our parents’ stories. We pledge to study harder to contribute more to the homeland".
To Duc Vinh is from Buon Ma Thuot district of the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak said: "My family came to pay respect to the General, praying him to rest in peace. We have taught our children about the feats of General Giap and Uncle Ho’s soldiers who liberated Vietnam".
General Vo Nguyen Giap was former Party Politburo member, former Secretary of the Central Military Party Committee, former Deputy Prime Minister, former Minister of Defense, Commander in Chief of the Vietnam People’s Army, and a National Assembly deputy from the 1st tenure to the 7th tenure.
The Funeral Committee for General Vo Nguyen Giap consists of 30 members headed by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. From 12:00 on Friday, national flags have been flown at half-mast at state agencies and public places and entertainment activities have been stopped until 12:00 on Sunday.
Before the official state funeral, from October 6th to 10th, tens of thousands of people, soldiers, overseas Vietnamese, and foreigners paid tribute to General Giap at his house at 30 Hoang Dieu street. The memorial service for General Giap will begin at 7:00 on Sunday.