Deputy Prime Minister Phạm Thị Thanh Trà (right) and Secretary of the Điện Biên Provincial Party Committee Trần Tiến Dũng (left) carry the remains of fallen soldiers to the burial site. — Photos courtesy of Vietnam Government Portal

ĐIỆN BIÊN — Authorities in Điện Biên Province yesterday held a memorial and burial ceremony for nine Vietnamese volunteer soldiers who died in Laos during wartime, as the country continues a nationwide effort to search for and identify missing war martyrs.

The ceremony took place at Tông Khao Martyrs’ Cemetery in Thanh Nưa Commune with the participation of senior officials, military representatives and delegations from Laos.

Among those attending was Phạm Thị Thanh Trà, member of the Party Central Committee Secretariat, Deputy Prime Minister and head of the National Steering Committee for the search, recovery and identification of martyrs’ remains.

Delegates offered incense and flowers in tribute to the fallen soldiers who sacrificed their lives for national independence and international duty.

Of the nine sets of remains recovered and reburied this time, eight have yet to be identified. One identified martyr was returned to his family for burial in Hưng Yên Province.

During the resistance wars, tens of thousands of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts fought alongside Lao revolutionary forces. Many died in remote mountainous areas of Laos and were buried far from home.

Speaking at the ceremony, Nguyễn Văn Đoạt, vice chairman of the Điện Biên People’s Committee said search and recovery teams had faced difficult terrain, harsh weather and limited information during recovery operations.

Despite the challenges, officers and soldiers of Military Region 2’s recovery team remained committed to bringing their fallen comrades home, he said.

Delegates place flowers on the soldiers’ graves.

The ceremony was also part of the ongoing '500-day campaign' to accelerate the search, recovery and identification of martyrs’ remains ahead of the 80th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs’ Day in 2027.

Launched in March, the campaign aims to recover around 7,000 sets of remains nationwide and complete DNA testing for about 18,000 unidentified samples.

Authorities are also building a database of genetic information from martyrs’ relatives to support identification efforts.

The campaign is focusing on former battlefields and key areas believed to contain martyrs’ graves, including Tuyên Quang, Lào Cai and Lạng Sơn provinces.

According to officials, recovery teams have so far located 974 sets of remains, including 182 in Laos, 550 in Cambodia, and 242 within Việt Nam. — VNS