Illustration by Trịnh Lập

by Nguyễn Mỹ Hà

He has been the talk of not only the town but the entire country. Việt Nam Communist Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng's passing has left a deep void, not only for his family and home village in Đông Anh District, Hà Nội, but for many across Việt Nam.

He is surely missed by millions of his fellow countrymen and around the world. He is one of the rare heads of state to have received condolences from different political parties across the world.

As the leader of the ruling party of Việt Nam, he received condolences from fellow communist parties in Laos and Cuba, traditional long-term friendly countries.

Representatives from more than 100 countries visited the National Funeral Hall in Hà Nội, the Reunification Hall in Hồ Chí Minh City, or Vietnamese embassies around the world to pay their final respects for the deceased.

In countries where communist parties exist alongside other political parties, such as the United Kingdom, Japan, and the United States, representatives from these parties also paid tributes to his life and work.

It is rare to see representatives from different political systems paying tribute. UK King Charles sent his condolences, and representatives from the UK Communist Party paid tribute. Japan's Prime Minister and the Japanese Communist Party also sent condolences.

As observers, we can see from the global response the impact of a leader from Việt Nam.

A country of 100 million people, Việt Nam may not be large or wealthy, but it has the power to connect people with different viewpoints, commanding respect from all walks of life.

In the scorching sun and heat of 38-40 degrees Celsius in Hà Nội or the heavy tropical rain, thousands of people could have stayed in the shade and watched the live broadcast on TV or social media. Instead, they lined the streets from the National Funeral Hall to the Mai Dịch National Cemetery to pay their last respects. Among them were not only the elderly or ageing communist party members but also many young people.

The most moving images were of his grieving wife, children, and grandchildren, who appeared modest, bright, and composed. His son's apology for any inconvenience caused by the long tribute-paying and funeral services to the local populace garnered a level of empathy rarely seen before.

It is the end of a life, but it demonstrated how much it means for ordinary people to have hope and care for their country.

Some critics argue that Party General Secretary Trọng should not have run for a third term, given the work and pressure on his ailing health. If he hadn't taken office for the third term, he could have spent more time with his family, who would have wanted him to rest and enjoy moments like wrapping the traditional square glutinous rice cake with his wife and grandchildren, as seen in a photo from Lunar New Year 2019.

But history does not allow for "would have, could have, should have". Since he took office for a third term and died serving his country and people until the last minute, we now witness an outpouring of sentiment and respect from people we never knew existed.

Party General Secretary Trọng has left a huge void to fill. Whoever assumes the role will face a challenging task.

Critics argue that he was more familiar with theoretical communist ideology than practical experience. However, he steered a country of 100 million to overcome poverty, food shortages, and infrastructure deficits, achieving self-sufficiency and exporting agricultural produce worldwide.

During his tenure, Việt Nam focused on developing agriculture, becoming a food haven and a destination for tourism.

The Communist Party Congress set a goal to build a prosperous nation with rich citizens, a strong country, and a democratic, equal, and civilised society. The increasing turnover from agricultural exports is a testament to achieving the goal of wealth for its citizens.

Currently, 65 per cent of Việt Nam's population lives in the countryside. Achieving the goal of prosperity means more than just having a handful of billionaires to boost GDP; it requires ensuring that farmers become richer from their crops, preventing wealth disparity and potential social unrest.

During his tenures, the economy grew rapidly, but corruption was widespread, leading to his campaign of "furnace burning". Over 100,000 corrupt officials were removed from their positions, forced to step down, or even imprisoned. This campaign has won public recognition and approval, showing that corruption can be tackled and the system cleansed.

He lived by setting a good example: modest and sincere, tackling corruption as promised. He lived by his words and principles.

Last, but not least, on a personal level, his family lived modestly, quietly doing their jobs well. He proved that he could both serve his country until the last breath and be a loving husband, father and grandfather to the family.

Along the streets during his funeral, people chanted "Long live Uncle Trọng" honouring his spirit, once a popular slogan for former kings only. Today it's also used for the country. "Long live Việt Nam!", and may it continue to produce leaders of such shining brilliance in the future. VNS