|
 General Vo Nguyen Giap is a source
of light forever shinning among the Vietnamese people, army
and communists,” said former Party General Secretary Le Khai
Phieu in a story written to celebrate General Giap’s 95th
birthday.
Comrade Vo Nguyen Giap, who is
fondly and respectfully called by Vietnamese Army as “Brother
Van”, was born in Autumn 1911.
It was just a historic coincidence
that when Brother Van was 34 years old, a resounding event
occurred in Vietnam. It was the General Insurrection in Autumn
1945. He was one of the first cadres who were led by the Party
and Uncle Ho to appeal to the whole population to rise up and
topple feudalism and capitalism, and to establish the
Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the first Workers- Peasants
State in Southeast Asia.
Vo Nguyen Giap undertook several
high positions in the Provisional government, particularly, he
was appointed Minister for National Defence and
Commander-in-Chief of Vietnam’s Armed Forces. Having undergone
the two protracted wars of resistance full of hardships and
sacrifice, Vietnamese people have won final victory, liberated
and reunited the country. The glorious victory has been the
culmination of combined strength of the army and people, the
might of great national unity, with the correct and creative
guidelines of the Party and collective wisdom of talented
cadres under direct leadership of the Party and President Ho
Chi Minh. Vo Nguyen Giap was one among those talented cadres.
Vo Nguyen Giap was a close,
outstanding disciple of Ho Chi Minh. Before and during the
1945 August Revolution, and later throughout the 9 years of
the war of resistance against the French, Vo Nguyen Giap lived
and worked side by side with Ho Chi Minh, getting direct
education and training from the great leader. Vo Nguyen Giap
saw it as a rare opportunity in his life and thus did his
utmost to study the will, thought, morality, work and life
styles of the leader of genius Ho Chi Minh . In his
revolutionary career, Vo Nguyen Giap paid special attention to
reviewing realities, amassing experiences from everyday life.
This enabled him to thoroughly understand Ho Chi Minh Thought
and morality. Later, when the Party determined to use Marxism
– Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought as ideological background
and the lodestar for the Vietnamese revolution, Vo Nguyen Giap
focused further on studying Ho Chi Minh Thought and
accomplished valuable research works.
Vo Nguyen Giap spent much time
studying Ho Chi Minh Thought and applying it to different
aspects, particularly in the military field, which he took
charge for years. He would remind us that studying Ho Chi Minh
Thought requires us to follow his thought and to act
correctly.
Nurtured by patriotism and early
revolutionary awareness and later educated and trained by the
Party and President Ho Chi Minh, plus his own endeavours,
creativity and wisdom, General Vo Nguyen Giap can be
considered as a versatile talent in both civil service and
military service that covers the military, political,
economics, cultural areas.
For a poor and backward country
with predominant agriculture to defeat colonialists and
imperialists who are powerful in economics, military, science
and technology, it’s crucial for the Vietnamese Party to work
out a relevant, creative revolutionary line that can gather
combined strength and joined wisdom of the nation and that of
the era. During the resistance against foreign aggressors,
under the leadership of the Party and Uncle Ho, General Vo
Nguyen Giap made enormous contributions to formulating an
original military doctrine of Vietnam in the era of Ho Chi
Minh, that is the People’s Warfare Line. The doctrine was the
continuity and development of forefathers’ experiences in the
history against foreign invaders to use humanism and leniency
to win over brutality; use the small to fight the big and use
a limited force to subdue massive forces. The doctrine was
built upon Vietnam’s unique cultural features: Independence
and self-reliance with ardent patriotism and the determination
to fight and win with the intelligence and tactics of the
whole nation as the core.
After the victory of Dien Bien Phu
in the air against US B.52 bombing raids in late 1972, French
historian Pierrica Feray said: “SAM missiles have been used by
a crystal ideology, by Vietnam’s culture, by the nature and
stature of Vietnamese people”. In November 1995, in reply to
former US Defence Secretary McNamara’s haunting question “Why
was the US defeated in Vietnam?” General Vo Nguyen Giap said,
“ The US fought Vietnam without knowing the country’s history,
geography, culture, customs and people in general and
Vietnamese leaders in particular. We have a sustainable
culture, a unique military doctrine that has been tested in
history. That’s why we have won”. Having heard the answer,
McNamara totally agreed, telling General Giap that he was
right.
General Vo Nguyen Giap is not only
a military strategist, but also an ideologist, a man of
culture and a scientist, who combines theory and practice. He
sets great store in history review, especially from the twists
and turns of the nation to draw valuable lessons for the
nation’s leaders and for himself. In this particular field,
General Vo Nguyen Giap has profound knowledge and a new and
reformed way of thinking.
General Vo Nguyen Giap has always
asserted that Vietnamese people’s renovation process has
obtained great, comprehensive achievements of historic
significance. Vietnam has transformed itself from lacking food
to becoming the world second largest rice exporter. But he
points out that we must look straight into the truth,
realising all deficiencies and weaknesses to avoid ailments
such as “voluntarism” and “communist self-conceit”; fully
aware of conflicts, realities in Vietnam and the world in
order to work out a relevant policy to push the country ahead,
to soon realise the goals of turning Vietnam into a powerful
nation with wealthy people, and an equitable, democratic and
civilised society.
In economic development, Vietnam
remains at a low level of production forces with backward
science and technology. In order to get the country out of
underdevelopment, General Giap stresses the need to give
priority to production forces with a relevant production
relation. The country should take education – training,
science and technology as top state policies, as both content
and motivation for national industrialisation.
In the course of national
industrialisation and modernisation, efforts must be made to
bring into full play the talent, wisdom and potential of the
population from all social strata, of different economic
sectors, making full use of inner resources, particularly the
human factor. This will lay the foundation for global
integration, to maintain national independence and heighten
Vietnam’s profile and position in international arena.
General Vo Nguyen Giap is very
keen on Party buildup and rectification, towards building a
strong all people’s national defence and safeguarding the
fatherland.
Regarding Party buildup, General
Vo Nguyen Giap has repeatedly underscored the need to make the
Party pure and powerful; stand firm on the Party’s guiding
principles; make full use of the sharp tool of self-criticism
and criticism, solidarity and unity should go along expansion
of democracy within the Party, while resolutely fighting
red-tape, standoffishness, corruption, wastefulness and social
vices, in order to make the Party worthy to be the conscience,
intelligence and honour of the working class and Vietnamese
nation. This will become a foundation from where to build and
reinforce the State of the people, by the people and for the
people; Each and every state employee or civil servant must
serve the people as advised by President Ho Chi Minh.
With regard to the obligation of
National Defence, General Vo Nguyen Giap has devoted his whole
life to the cause of the Party and nation. He would remind
people of fully grasping the strategic tasks of national
defence and construction. National construction must go hand
in hand with national defence while national defence should be
linked to economics and security to build a powerful all
people’s national defence. The task of building the people’s
army, people’s armed forces and all people’s national defence
is the responsibility of the entire Party, people and army and
the political system as a whole.
General Vo Nguyen Giap always
reminds us of highlighting revolutionary vigilance for
national independence and territorial integrity. We must get
rid of the old and backward way of thinking and behaviour such
as subjectivism, conservatism, dogmatism and banausic
approach, he would say.
We must work out concrete methods
and resolutions to fully realise the Party guidelines and
State policies.
Vietnamese people highly value
General Vo Nguyen Giap’s great merits and contributions. He’s
forever worthy to be the eldest Brother of the Vietnam’s
People’s Army. Friends, politicians, scholars and military
officials highly admire and respect General Vo Nguyen Giap and
consider him one of the most talented generals.
In the spirit of celebrating the
61st anniversary of the 1945 August Revolution and National
Day, General Vo Nguyen Giap – Brother Van – the Eldest Brother
of Vietnam People’s Army, turns 95 (August 25, 1911 – August
25, 2006). Although he’s well advanced in years, everyday,
General Giap still follows with keen interest the national and
international events. And he has dedicated his wholehearted,
profound and highly responsible ideas and comments to the
Party and State, as always.
I want to congratulate Him,
wishing Him good health and longevity; a sound mind and strong
will.
He’s like a source of light,
forever shining among the Vietnamese people, army and
communists.
By LE KHA PHIEU
Former Party General Secretary |
