THÁI BÌNH — A ceremony was held in the northern province of Thái Bình yesterday to mark the 110th birthday of Nguyễn Đức Cảnh, one of the founders and first leaders of the Communist Party of Việt Nam, who sacrificed his life for the revolution of the Party and people.

The ceremony was attended by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) Nguyễn Phú Trọng, Chairman of the CPV Central Committee’s Inspection Commission Trần Quốc Vượng, Secretary of the Hà Nội Party Committee Hoàng Trung Hải, representatives from some central agencies and localities as well as the family of the late leader, among others.

Addressing the event, Secretary of the Thái Bình Party Committee Phạm Văn Sinh reviewed the revolutionary life of the late communist. Cảnh was born on February 2, 1908 in Diêm Điền Village, in today’s Thái Thụy District of Thái Bình. Being enlightened by the revolutionary ideology, he joined various patriotic movements in 1925-26 when he was studying in Thanh Chung Nam Dinh High School.

Then he joined the Vietnam Youth Revolution Association, which was a turning point in his revolutionary life. In 1928, he was assigned to work as Hải Phong Party Secretary. In 1929, the working class movement had developed well and Cảnh had made many contributions to Tổng Công Hội Đỏ Bắc Kỳ (the predecessor of the Việt Nam General Confederation of Labour).

In March 1929, at House No 5D, Hàm Long street of Hà Nội, the first Communist unit in Việt Nam was established with eight members including Cảnh. In June 1929, he was elected a provisional member of the Central Committee of the Indochina Communist Party.

In April 1931, he was captured by the French. Though he was tortured by the invaders, he did not reveal any secrets of the Party. He was sentenced to death by the French and was killed in 1932.

Sinh said that as part of efforts to inherit and promote patriotism tradition of the ancestors, Thái Bình has overcome various difficulties and challenges to gain outstanding achievements in all fields. He pledged that Thái Bình authorities will continue working hard to strengthen solidarity and to optimise the potentials and strengths of the province to build a locality of sustainable development, prosperity and civilisation.  — VNS