Soldiers of Team K92 under the An Giang Province Military Command search for the remains of fallen soldiers in Cambodia. — VNA/VNS Photo

AN GIANG — The southern province of An Giang is stepping up a nationwide 500-day campaign to search for, recover, and identify the remains of war martyrs, with DNA testing expected to help confirm the identities of thousands buried in unnamed graves.

The effort is one of the province’s key tasks ahead of the 80th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs Day on July 27, 2027.

On June 22, the provincial Steering Committee for the Search, Recovery and Identification of Martyrs' Remains (Steering Committee 515) held an online conference to launch the campaign and discuss the collection and transfer of samples from martyrs’ remains across the province.

The conference focused on key tasks under the campaign and a plan to collect samples for DNA testing of the remains of unidentified martyrs.

According to a report presented at the event, the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province has 20 martyrs’ cemeteries containing 35,945 graves. More than 30,000 either lack information or have yet to be identified.

The An Giang Province Steering Committee for the Search, Recovery and Identification of Martyrs' Remains holds an online conference on June 22 to launch the “500-Day Campaign to Intensify the Search, Recovery and Identification of Martyrs’ Remains” and collect samples from martyrs’ remains across the province. — VNA/VNS Photo

Alongside identification efforts, specialised teams continue to search for and recover remains.

During the 2025–26 dry season, they recovered 149 sets in the province and Cambodia, providing valuable information for identification work and helping bring fallen soldiers back to their comrades and families.

The province aims to complete sample collection from all unidentified graves and accelerate identification through DNA testing, which is expected to overcome long-standing difficulties in verifying information and give more families a chance to find their loved ones after years of waiting.

To support the work, Steering Committee 515 has established an inter-agency working group and two teams responsible for collecting samples from remains.

Under the plan to collect samples for DNA testing of the remains of unidentified martyrs, Châu Phú Martyrs’ Cemetery in Vĩnh Thạnh Trung Commune has been selected to trial sample collection and transfer before the programme is expanded across the province.

On June 30 and July 1, the teams expect to collect samples from 37 sets of remains.

Speaking at the conference, Lê Văn Phước, deputy chairman of the province People’s Committee and head of Steering Committee 515, called on departments, agencies, and local authorities to strengthen their sense of responsibility, step up public awareness efforts, review and collect information on martyrs and martyrs' graves, and closely co-ordinate search, recovery, sampling, and identification work.

He also urged the mobilisation of the entire political system and all sections of society to effectively implement the 500-day campaign, honouring fallen heroes and helping fulfil the wishes of martyrs' families. — VNS