Over 2,200 martyrs’ remains reburied in 2016

January 11, 2017 - 16:00

In 2016, as many as 2,223 martyrs’ remains and three mass martyrs’ graves were found, the National Steering Committee for Search and Collection of Martyrs’ Remains said on Tuesday.

The remains of Vietnamese martyrs who died in Cambodia were found and reburied in Long An Province’s Vĩnh Hưng District cemetery. — VNA/VNS Photo
Viet Nam News

HÀ NỘI — In 2016, as many as 2,223 martyrs’ remains and three mass martyrs’ graves were found, the National Steering Committee for Search and Collection of Martyrs’ Remains said on Tuesday.

The figures met 74 per cent of last year’s target, the committee said at a conference in Hà Nội. Of the remains recovered, 767 were tested and 256 martyrs identified.

At the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam praised the efforts of the defence ministry, the steering committee and other concerned agencies, especially officials and soldiers directly involved in the search and collection of the remains.

Đam has asked the defence ministry to be the coordinator and closely work with agencies and localities to direct and supervise the implementation of tasks for 2017.

The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs has been instructed to complete the database of martyrs’ graves in cemeteries and transfer it to the steering committee so that it could prepare the profiles of the martyrs.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will coordinate with the Ministry of Defence to make plans for repatriating martyrs’ remains that are abroad.

Đam urged agencies and localities to improve coordination in the search and collection of martyrs’ remains, as well as spread awareness on the importance of the work so that there is more public engagement.

A pilot model of a search map from communal to provincial levels will be launched in several major localities, while the Military Forensic Institute’s DNA test centre will be upgraded, the Deputy PM said, even as he emphasised the need for more funds for search teams so that the collection of remains can be speeded up.  VNS

 

 

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