Lao Cai: Continuing to accelerate the search for, collection of remains of fallen soldiers and identification of their remains
On the afternoon of August 13th, Mr. Giàng Quốc Hưng, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Lào Cai province and Head of the Steering Committee for the search, collection, and identification of the remains of martyrs in the province, chaired a meeting of the Steering Committee to evaluate the results of phase 1 of the "500-day campaign to intensify the search, collection, and identification of the remains of martyrs" in the province.
According to the report, in the first seven months of 2026, the work of searching for, collecting, and identifying the remains of martyrs was carried out seriously and synchronously, initially achieving many positive results. The Provincial Steering Committee has reorganized its structure, issued leadership and guidance documents, and implemented the "500-Day Campaign to Intensify the Search, Collection, and Identification of Martyrs' Remains" in the province.
In the search and recovery efforts, functional forces surveyed and verified 35 out of 55 pieces of information about martyrs and their graves; mobilized more than 4,500 man-days, organizing excavation and search operations over an area of approximately 741 hectares. From March 15, 2026 to the present, the entire province has searched for and recovered 22 remains of martyrs, of which 14 have been handed over, and memorial services and burials have been held; 8 remains remain unburied.
Regarding the identification of the remains of fallen soldiers, the entire province has completed sample collection at all 16 cemeteries, covering 1,250 graves. 820 samples have been collected, completing the task 12 months ahead of schedule as assigned by the National Steering Committee. Simultaneously, over 3,100 DNA samples from relatives of fallen soldiers have been collected, providing an important basis for the identification of soldiers whose identities are unknown.
At the meeting, delegates discussed and clarified the achievements, difficulties, and obstacles encountered; and proposed solutions for implementation in the coming period.
Concluding the meeting, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Giang Quoc Hung emphasized: Phase 2 of the "500-Day Campaign" still has a very large volume of work to be done. During this phase, all levels and sectors need to focus intensely and decisively on implementing tasks, striving to achieve the set goals in the best possible way.
Regarding propaganda work, the Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee assigned the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to coordinate with the Provincial Youth Union to research, build, and manage a separate Facebook page/Fanpage for the "500 Days and Nights Campaign of Lao Cai Province".
All activities, information, and implementation results of the Steering Committee need to be regularly updated on this platform, thereby creating a convenient channel for connection and information exchange, especially promoting the role of veterans and the people in providing information about fallen soldiers.
Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Giàng Quốc Hưng, also requested the temporary search force to accelerate the search and collection of the remains of martyrs in key areas, especially in areas with a lot of information about martyrs who died but have not yet been collected; striving to complete 100% of the campaign's target.
All levels and sectors must consider this a sacred, noble, and extremely important task, demonstrating the principle of "drinking water and remembering the source," and expressing gratitude to the generations of ancestors who sacrificed their lives and blood for the independence, peace, and development of the country.
The Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee instructed the Provincial Military Command to continue advising on the effective implementation of the Campaign; strengthen guidance, supervision, inspection, and monitoring of search teams, promptly resolving difficulties and obstacles; coordinate with Military Region 2 to accelerate the work of bomb and mine clearance in key areas and core zones serving the search and collection of martyrs' remains; ensure adequate means, allowances, and policies for the task force; continue to collect samples of martyrs' remains at cemeteries as directed by the Central Government; and coordinate the meticulous and solemn organization of memorial services and burials for the collected martyrs' remains.
The Department of Internal Affairs is tasked with closely coordinating with the Provincial Military Command in searching for, collecting, and identifying the remains of fallen soldiers; updating information after DNA matching results are available; and advising on investment, renovation, and beautification of martyrs' cemeteries.
The provincial police continue to coordinate with forensic units to receive DNA test results, perform comparisons and matching, and notify the Department of Interior Affairs of the results; and to implement the collection of DNA samples from relatives of martyrs to serve in identifying the remains of martyrs in phase 2.
Relevant departments and agencies should strengthen coordination, ensure funding, digitize records, and promote awareness campaigns to help veterans and the public understand and grasp information about the campaign to readily provide information about fallen soldiers and their graves.
