NA Chairwoman visits National Archives Centre

Hanoi (VNA) – Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan on July 25 visited the National Archives Centre No.3 in Hanoi where about 72,000 old personal documents and items of those who served in the southern battlefield from 1959-1975 are being kept.

The visit was made as the country celebrates the 71st anniversary of the Vietnam War Invalids and Martyrs Day (July 27, 1947). Ngan was accompanied by Minister of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung and Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Trieu Van Cuong.

The centre is currently keeping a range of personal documents and items, such as birth certificates, identity cards, diplomas and degrees, certificates of merit, personal letters, and badges of those who rendered their service to the country between 1959 and 1975. They were soldiers, nurses, doctors, teachers, engineers, writers, reporters, performers, and more serving in the southern battlefield during the anti-US war.

The NA leader lauded staff of the National Archives Centre No.3, a member of the National Archives of Vietnam, for managing such a large amount of historic documents that record the activities of central agencies and individuals since 1945. She also spoke highly of the centre’s efforts in storing and preserving the documents and items, which have survived over time almost completely intact.

The centre has made efforts to make its archives more accessible using modern technology. Once the documents and items have been classified, they are then processed into the centre’s digital database, aiming to help those interested, such as relatives looking for information about their loved ones.

Referring to them as precious historical objects, NA Chairwoman Ngan asked the NA Office to continue coordinating with the National Archives of Vietnam in events that promote the value of the old documents and items.

However, even after several decades, these historical records have remained relatively unknown to the public. She urged news outlets, particularly those at local levels, to provide the public with more information about them so that those who served in the southern battlefield and their relatives can contact the centre to retrieve such items. – VNA