Flag flying at half-staff at the Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi. The nation will join in mourning on May 3-4 for former President Le Duc Anh, who passed away on April 22.

HÀ NỘI – The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee, the National Assembly, the President, the Government and the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee have issued a special communiqué, announcing that former President General Lê Đức Anh passed away at 20:10 on April 22, and his funeral will be held as a national mourning.
Comrade Lê Đức Anh was born on December 1, 1920 in Lộc An commune, Phú Lộc District, the central province of Thừa Thiên – Huế. He started participating in revolutionary activities in 1937 and joined the Communist Party of Việt Nam in May 1938.
He was member of the Party Central Committee of the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th tenures; secretary of Party Central Committee of the 7th tenure; and Politburo member of the Party Central Committee of the 5th, 6th, and 7th and 8th tenures. 
He was President of the Socialist Republic of Việt Nam from September 1992 to December 1997, and adviser of the Party Central Committee from 1997 to April 2001.
He was elected to the National Assembly in the 6th, 8th and 9th tenures. 
After a period of illness, despite the wholehearted care by the Party, State, medical group and his family, he passed away at 20:10 on April 22, 2018, of serious illness and old age at his home on Hoàng Diệu street in Hà Nội.
Over more than 80 years of his revolutionary activities, comrade Lê Đức Anh made great contributions to the glorious revolution cause of the Party and the nation. He was awarded with the Golden Star, the first-class Military Exploit Order, the first-class Feat of Arms Order, an insignia of 80-year Party membership, and many other noble Vietnamese and international orders and medals.
In memory of comrade General Lê Đức Anh, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Government of the Socialist Republic of Việt Nam, and the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front decided to hold the funeral of comrade General Lê Đức Anh with the national mourning etiquette.
Following is the brief bibliography of comrade General Lê Đức Anh, former Politburo member, former President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, former Party Central Committee adviser:
Comrade Lê Đức Anh (alias Nguyen Phu Hoa; Sau Nam), was born on December 1, 1920 in Lộc An commune, Phú Lộc District, the central province of Thừa Thiên – Huế, and resided at No.5 Hoàng Diệu street, Quán Thánh ward, Ba Đình District of Hà Nội. He joined the revolution in 1937 and became a Party member in May, 1938.
In August 1945, the time of the August Revolution, he was military commander of Thủ Dầu Một Province and a member of the provincial Party committee. 
From 1948 to 1954, he served as chief of staff of the Military Zone 7, Military Zone 8, Sài Gòn-Chợ Lớn Military Zone, and deputy chief of staff of the Nam Bộ (south) Command.
From 1955 to 1962, he was deputy chief of the Department of Operations under the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA), then deputy chief and chief of the Department of Personnel.
In August 1963, he became deputy chief of the VPA’s General Staff.
In August 1965, he became chief of the staff of the Southern Command.
In 1968, he served deputy commander of the Southern Command.
In April 1974, he was promoted from Colonel to Lieutenant General of the VPA.
In 1975, he was deputy commander of the Hồ Chí Minh Campaign.
In May 1976, he was appointed as commander and of Military Zone 9. At the fourth Party National Congress in December 1976, he was elected to the Party Central Committee
In June 1978, he was appointed as commander and political commissar of Military Zone 7, and member of the Central Military Commission.
In 1981, he was promoted to Senior Lieutenant General, and then appointed as deputy minister of National Defence and commander of the Vietnamese voluntary soldier force in Cambodia. At the fifth Party National Congress in March 1982, he was elected to the Party Central Committee and member of the Politburo.
In December 1984, he was promoted to General of the VPA.
At the sixth Party National Congress in December 1986, he was elected to the Party Central Committee, and elected as Politburo member, and served as deputy defence minister and chief of the General Staff of the VPA.
In February 1987, he became defence minister and vice secretary of the Party’s Central Military Commission.
On September 23, 1992, he was elected as president of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam by the 9th National Assembly. 
From December 1997 to April 2001, he was an adviser to the Party Central Committee. 
Due to his significant contributions to the glorious revolution cause of the Party and the nation, he was awarded with the Golden Star; the first-class Military Exploit Order; first-class Feat of Arms Order; an insignia of 80-year Party membership; and many other noble Vietnamese and international orders and medals.
A 39-member funeral organising board has been set up, including Party General Secretary and President Nguyễn Phú Trọng, head of the board; Politburo member and Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc; and Politburo member and Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân; and other Politburo members and Party Central Committee members.
The funeral of comrade General Lê Đức Anh will be organised with the national mourning etiquette. 
He will be laid in state at the National Funeral Hall, No 5 Trần Thánh Tông Street, Hà Nội. 
 
The respect-paying ceremony will be held from 7am-11am on May 3 at the National Funeral Hall, No 5 Trần Thánh Tông Street, Hà Nội.
The memorial service will be held at 11am on May 3 at the National Funeral Hall, No 5 Trần Thánh Tông Street, Hà Nội. The burial ceremony will take place at 5pm on the same day at the Hồ Chí Minh City Cemetery.
At the same time, the respect-paying and memorial ceremonies for comrade General Lê Đức Anh will also be held at the Thống Nhất Hall in Hồ Chí Minh City and the hall of the People’s Committee of Thừa Thiên-Huế.
The Vietnam Television (VTV) and Radio the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) will broadcast live the ceremonies in Hà Nội and Hồ Chí Minh City.
During the two-day national mourning on May 3-4, national flags will be flown at half-staff at offices and public places, and recreational and entertainment activities will be stopped. - VNS