Memorial services for former Party General Secretary Do Muoi held in Hanoi, HCM City

• Former Party leader Do Muoi makes mark on Vietnam’s renewal
• Foreign leaders send condolences over former Party chief Do Muoi’s passing
• Foreign delegations pay last respect to former Party chief Do Muoi

The memorial services started on 9:00am with the participation of CPV Central Committee General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Acting President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh, and President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Tran Thanh Man, and a number of former national leaders, among others.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong delivers the funeral oration.

The Lao delegation to the event was headed by Thongloun Sisoulith, member of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party’s Politburo and Prime Minister of Laos

Meanwhile in Ho Chi Minh City, the memorial service for former Party General Secretary Do Muoi was attended by Nguyen Thien Nhan, Politburo member and Secretary of the HCM City Party Committee, leaders of the city and representatives of ministries, sectors, organisations and southern localities as well as a large number of locals.

Delivering the eulogy at the ceremony in Hanoi, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, head of the funeral board, highlighted that Comrade Do Muoi was an excellent and prestigious leader of the Vietnamese Party, State and people who devoted his whole life to the national liberation and socialism goals of the country.

His passing is a great loss to the Party, State and people of Vietnam, his family and international friends, said Trong.

Comrade Do Muoi, (birth name is Nguyen Duy Cong) was born on February 2, 1917 into a poor family in Dong My commune, Thanh Tri district, Hanoi. He joined revolutionary activities in 1936 and became a Party member in June 1939. In 1940, he was arrested and sentenced to 10 years in jail. He served his sentence at Ha Dong and Hoa Lo Prisons in Hanoi. Despite being brutally tortured by the enemy, he was resolutely loyal to the Party, then escaped from the prison and resumed his operation.

In the two resistance wars against French and US enemies, Comrade Do Muoi held many positions, including the Secretary of the Party Committees of Ha Dong, Ha Nam, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh and Hoa Binh provinces, and Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the Administration and Resistance Committee; Political Commissar and Commander of the Joint Zone III; Political Commissar of the High Command of the Red River’s Left Bank Region; Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the Administration and Resistance Committee of Hai Phong city; head of the 300-day regional steering committee; vice chairman of the central council for front support and anti-blockage of Hai Phong port. He directly directed the building of a secret oil pipe system from Lang Son to southern battlefields, which served as a key system contributing greatly to the Spring Victory in 1975 that led to the south liberation and national reunification. 

he hearse carrying the coffin of late Former Party chief Do Muoi leaves the National Funeral Hall and parades through Hanoi Opera House, Hoan Kiem Lake, Uncle Ho's Mausoleum and his residential place in Pham Dinh Ho Street before heading to his hometown.

After peace resumed, Comrade Do Muoi held many important positions such as Deputy Minister, then Minister of Domestic Trade; Chairman of the State Pricing Committee; Minister of Construction; Chairman of the Basic Construction Committee; Deputy Prime Minister in charge of basic construction, industry and materials, industrial and commercial reform, and distribution in many tenures; Chairman of the Council of Ministers (now Prime Minister) from 1988 to 1991; Permanent member of the CPV Central Committee Secretariat; and National Assembly Deputy for the 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th tenures.

In tough days of the 90s, he and leaders of the Party and State designed and directed the implementation of comprehensive reform policies, making a breakthrough of historical significance of the country, while proposing socio-economic development programmes to switch from a centralised, bureaucratic and subsidy economy to a market and socialism-oriented economy, along with effective solutions to control inflation.

He proposed the presentation of the title of Vietnam Heroic Mothers, and the local democracy regulations. Amidst the situation when the country suffered from surrounding and embargos, Comrade Do Muoi made significant contributions to the normalisation of diplomatic relations with other countries in the region and the world, making Vietnam a member of ASEAN, while actively expanding the foreign relations and international integration.

As the Chairman of the Council of Ministers, he strictly and promptly realised policies and orientations of the Party, especially those on national industrialisation, heading to an independent and self-reliant economy.

From June 1991 to December 1997, as the Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and Secretary of the Central Military Commission, with his diverse practical experience, Comrade Do Muoi and other leaders of the Party led the country through many challenges to continue reform policies as well as national construction and defence, and complete all tasks assigned by the Party, State and people.

As a veteran revolutionary official who grew up through the wars and national construction and defence, he upheld the spirit and characteristics of a communist and sacrificed the whole life for the nation and people, while continuously improving his knowledge and showing his great resolution in all jobs, said General Secretary Trong.

As one of the key leader of the Party, in any position, he gave many important ideas for major issues of the country, while always paying attention to Party building and corruption fighting, he added.
His life is a mirror for people, officials and soldiers to follow, he stressed.

Through his 101 years of life and 80 years of Party membership, he devoted the whole life to the Party and people. He was presented with many noble orders, including a Gold Star Order, an insignia of 80-year Party membership, and many other noble orders and medals of Vietnam and other countries.

Showing deep sentiments towards Comrade Do Muoi, Party General Secretary Trong promised, together with the whole Party, people and armed forces, to continue following the revolutionary path chosen by the Party, President Ho Chi Minh and elder generations, including Comrade Do Muoi, while being persistent to the Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh thoughts, the ideal of national independence and socialism, stepping up the comprehensive reform for the target of building a Vietnam with rich people, strong country, and democratic, fair and civilised society.
The Party General Secretary also extended his deep sympathy to the family of Comrade Do Muoi over the great loss.

On behalf of Comrade Do Muoi’s family, his son Nguyen Duy Trung expressed his gratitude for incumbent and former leaders of the Party, State, Government, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, officials of agencies, organisations, local administrations, foreign officials, the people as well as relatives for their sympathy. 
With their great grief, incumbent and former leaders of the Party, State, Government, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, officials of agencies, organisations, local administrations, and the people went around the late Party leader’s coffin for the last time to bid farewell to the leader, who devoted his life to the struggle for national liberation and the national building, safeguarding and renewal cause.

The burial ceremony will take place from 1pm the same day in his native hometown in Dong My commune, Thanh Tri district, Hanoi.