1923
Nguyen Ai Quoc (an alias of Ho Chi Minh) participated in a monthly meeting of the Intercolonial Union. The Union was established in 1921, its members were colonial expatriates living in France. Nguyen Ai Quoc was one of the Union’s founders.
Some other participants at the meeting were Phan Van Truong, Nguyen Van Ai, Tran Tien Nam and Toan Hai, who was said to be journalist Nguyen Van Vinh’s son.
1946
Nguyen Ai Quoc was President Ho Chi Minh, and was leading the revolution [against France] and defending Vietnam’s independence from the threat of colonialism.
The United Nations was holding a meeting in London, President Ho Chi Minh sent US President Truman a letter to condemn the French colonialists’ war and asked the US president to immediately get involved and take measures to help Vietnamese people escape from the war.
The letter said, ‘With great financial and technical assistance from the US, China and the UN, Vietnam will be able to make contributions to establishing world peace and prosperity.’
When the North entered a period of building socialism, the education of the people and providing a new lifestyle was Uncle Ho’s concern.
During this time, in many newspapers, he wrote small articles about real life and the news.
1960
Ten days before Tet in 1960, Uncle Ho wrote an article, ‘How to celebrate the Lunar New Year?” in Nhan Dan newspaper.
The article pointed out praiseworthy aspects and problems in celebrating Tet and called on officials to be an example to the people and guide them to celebrate Tet happily and with thrift.
The article concluded with lines of poetry:
Trăm năm trong cõi người ta
In a century of a person’s life
Cần kiệm xây dựng nước nhà mới ngoan
Being diligent and thrifty is good.
Mừng Xuân, Xuân cả thế gian
Celebrating Lunar New Year, the Lunar New Year of the whole world.
Phải đâu lãng phí cỗ bàn mới Xuân
Is it that over spending on feasts brings the Lunar New Year.
On the same day he visited Kien An Province (now a district of Hai Phong City) and met with the province’s officials and people. He reminded party members to review and maintain standards of party members.
1961
In an article, ‘Serving body and soul for the people,’ for a Party newspaper, Uncle Ho criticized officials of the state-owned commercial sector for their negative and authoritarian behavior.
The article said, ‘Our regime is a democracy. It means that people are masters. It means that officials and staff of low to high levels are all the people’s servants […]. The Party and the government teach us to respect people and serve body and soul for the people. Attitudes of looking down on and deceiving people are unforgivable.’
By Duong Trung Quoc* and co-writers
*The author is a historian and member of the National Assembly
