According to statistics, during the war to defend the country’s northern border, 4,267 martyrs were killed in what is now Tuyen Quang Province. To date, forces have located and recovered the remains of 3,174 martyrs, while the remains of another 1,093 are still to be searched for and recovered.

More than 40 years later, many traces of the former battlefields have changed under the impact of time, vegetation, landslides and changes in the terrain. As a result, accurately identifying the locations where martyrs fell, distinguishing between areas containing individual and mass graves, and determining the number of martyrs at each site remain challenging.

Against this backdrop, the memories of veterans and witnesses who directly participated in the fighting have become an important source of information to supplement and cross-check existing records and documents.

At the conference, veterans and historical witnesses provided extensive information about the course of battles, participating military units, troop positions, directions of attack, places where comrades fell and areas where the remains of martyrs may still be located. Much of the information focused on high points that once saw fierce fighting, including Points 1509, 1800A, 1800B, 685, 233 and 1387.

Functional forces collect samples, hand over samples and digitize information on martyrs’ remains at Quan Ba Martyrs’ Cemetery in Tuyen Quang Province on June 4. (Illustrative photo: Duc Tho/VNA)

Major General Nguyen Hong Thai, Deputy Political Commissar and Head of the Steering Committee of Military Region 2, said that given the significant changes to the battlefield terrain over more than 40 years, information, historical materials and memories provided by veterans and historical witnesses are of particular importance. These sources enable functional forces to cross-check existing records and documents, gradually narrow down areas where martyrs’ remains may still be located, and conduct surveys, verification and searches that more closely reflect actual conditions.

Concluding the conference, Tuyen Quang Provincial People’s Committee Vice Chairman Do Anh Tuan, who heads the provincial Steering Committee for the Search, Recovery and Identification of Martyrs’ Remains, affirmed that information provided by veterans and historical witnesses constitutes valuable source material. It contributes to determining the locations, areas and numbers of martyrs who fell at individual high points, caves and battle positions.

Do Anh Tuan asked the provincial Military Command to continue collecting information from multiple sources, particularly witnesses who directly participated in the fighting. It was also instructed to review, verify and cross-check the data to develop search plans appropriate to each area, ensuring that the work is scientific and safe while leaving no sites where martyrs’ remains may still be located unchecked.

Provincial departments, sectors and members of the Steering Committee for the Search, Recovery and Identification of Martyrs’ Remains were asked to continue coordinating the review of records and documents. They were also encouraged to raise public awareness and mobilize veterans, local residents, organizations and individuals to provide information about martyrs, places where they fell and burial sites, thereby creating additional grounds for search and recovery efforts in the coming period.

Previously, on August 12, the Tuyen Quang Provincial Military Command, together with veterans and historical witnesses, conducted field surveys and cross-checked information at several locations. The survey findings were combined with records, documents and memories of people who directly participated in the fighting to further identify locations requiring search and recovery efforts.

GNI Supports Housing Improvements for Five Sponsored Children in Tuyen Quang Good Neighbors International in Vietnam (GNI) has recently implemented a housing improvement initiative for five sponsored children under the Quang Binh Community Development Project (Quang Binh CDP). Through this initiative, GNI provides partial financial support to help families repair or build homes that are appropriate to their actual living conditions.

Linking People-to-People Friendship Activities with the “Three Connections” Strategy A meeting was held in Tuyen Quang on August 13 to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-Thailand diplomatic relations (August 6, 1976 - August 6, 2026). At the event, Senior Lieutenant General and Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Thanh, President of the Central Committee of the Vietnam-Thailand Friendship Association, proposed linking people-to-people friendship activities with the “Three Connections” strategy covering supply chains, businesses and localities, and sustainable development. He also suggested areas of cooperation with Thailand that align with the province’s strengths.