First Vietnamese-Czech Honoured for Contributions to Czech Republic's National Service

Vietnamese-Czech engineer Trinh Tan at the event. Source: VNT

Trinh Tan, a Vietnamese-Czech engineer, was among 38 citizens honoured in 2020 for his contributions to the Czech Republic's national service, VNA reported Wednesday.

A ceremony to present the award to those who made important contributions to the European country in the past two years as announced by President Milos Zeman was held in Prague on March 7 (local time).

The annual state-level honoring ceremony is usually held on the occasion of Czech National Day (October 28), but the past two years have not been possible due to the pandemic. The ceremony to honor 2020 and 2021 was held because Covid-19 has been basically controlled.

This is an event of special significance, showing the State’s recognition Czech for citizens who make important contributions to the country in all areas of social life.

This year’s event was chaired by President Zeman with the participation of Prime Minister Petr Fiala and many senior officials of the Czech Republic.

Trinh Tan (R) is honoured during the award ceremony. Photo: VNA

Tan, born in northern Thai Binh province of Vietnam, graduated from the University of Mining in Ostrava. He is currently president of the Vietnamese association in the Moravian-Silesian Region and member of the region’s Ethnic Minority Council.

The engineer was honoured for his contributions to strengthening the Czech Republic-Vietnam relations.

When Covid-19 broke out, he launched a campaign calling on the Vietnamese community to make and present tens of thousands of masks, protective gloves and financial assistance to hospitals, nursing homes and social welfare institutions in the European nation.

Trinh Tan is currently president of the Vietnamese association in the Moravian-Silesian Region and a member of the region’s Ethnic Minority Council.

Speaking to VNA, Tan said he is one of 67 Czech citizens on the list to be awarded the medals of the Czech State in 2020 and 2021 and directly attended the honoring ceremony.

He felt proud and touched when the organizing committee honored his name to receive the medal, in the long applause of the participants.

Tan was honored to receive the noble award of the State directly awarded by the President of the Czech Republic, and shares that this is the happiness and honor of individuals and families, but also the pride of the Vietnamese community throughout the Czech Republic.

The Vietnamese community in the Moravian-Silesian Region in particular and the Czech Republic at large has made practical contributions to the country and the bilateral relations over the years, he said.

He expressed his hope that the Vietnamese community will continue to join hands with the host authorities to build a community of solidarity, and the ethnic minorities councils in all Czech localities will have members of Vietnamese origin.

He hopes that the second and third generations of Vietnamese will integrate more and more deeply into all areas of the host society and Vietnamese language education will be developed equally in the provinces in terms of quantity and quality.

Trinh Tan (far right) and the Vietnamese community in North Morava and Ostrava provinces join hands with the Czech government and people in the fight against Covid-19.

Trinh Tan (left) presents masks to support the fight against Covid-19 at Ostrava. Photo: VNA

The Vietnamese community of more than 7,000 is the third largest group in Moravia. Its members actively engage in annual cultural activities of the locality and support nursing homes, orphans and people with disabilities.

In particular, the community has launched a movement to make masks, donate money, and medical equipment to help hospitals, medical facilities, local authorities, as well as frontline forces such as police, border guard and custom offices. The Vietnamese community here regularly receives support from the host government in terms of funding and location in organizing activities to preserve Vietnamese national cultures such as organizing Vietnamese language classes, the Mid-Autumn Festival and Lunar New Year gatherings.

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