The commemoration of the War Invalids and Martyrs’ Day (July 27) every year is a major policy of the Party and State in line with the national tradition of “Remembering the source when drinking water”, said the Minister of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs.

In an interview granted to the press on July 23 on the occasion of the 66 th War Invalids and Martyrs’ Day (July 27), Minister Pham Thi Hai Chuyen said the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) has collaborated with relevant ministries and agencies to conduct activities every year to care for people who rendered their contributions to the country.

Despite economic difficulties, the Party and State have paid much attention to this work, with the goal of ensuring beneficiaries’ living standards equal to or higher than the local community’s average. According to the Minister, funding to carry out the preferential treatment policy comes mainly from the State’s budget, while the community, individuals and organisations also make great contributions. In addition, the State has promulgated policies to encourage and assist people in this group in their own efforts to improve their life.

Minister Chuyen also revealed a plan to identify the remains of war martyrs using AND tests, which is being implemented in cooperation with the Defence Ministry. She said the ADN tests have been done on 1,729 sets of remains of war martyrs repatriated from Laos which have been reburied in Anh Son cemetery in the central province of Nghe An. ADN samples of war martyrs’ relatives have also been collected, with the matching results to be announced in July, the minister said.

The country estimated that more than 1.1 million soldiers laid down their lives during the national liberation war, while many went missing.

July 27 is made the War Invalids and Martyrs’ Day to mark the day President Ho Chi Minh sent a letter to the country’s war invalids. On that day in 1947, the letter was read at a public meeting in Hung Son commune, Dai Tu district, the northern mountainous province of Thai Nguyen.-VNA