The Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, the National Assembly, the President, the Government and the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front have issued a special communiqué, announcing that former General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Do Muoi passed away at 11:12pm on October 1, 2018, and his funeral will be held as a national mourning.

Former General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Do Muoi. (Photo: VNA)

The special communiqué reads:

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front inform with deep grief:

Comrade Do Muoi was born on February 2, 1917, in Dong My commune, Thanh Tri district, Hanoi; residing at No.11, Pham Dinh Ho street, Pham Dinh Ho ward, Hai Ba Trung district, Hanoi.

He started participating in revolutionary activities in 1936 and joined the Communist Party of Vietnam in June 1939. He was alternate member of the Party Central Committee of the 2^nd tenure; member of the Party Central Committee of the 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th, 6^th, 7^th and 8^th tenures; alternate Politburo member of the Party Central Committee of the 4th tenure; Politburo member of the Party Central Committee of the 5^th, 6^th, 7^th and 8^th tenures; Permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat of the 6th tenure; Chairman of the Council of Ministers (now Prime Minister) from June 1988 to June 1991; General Secretary of the Party Central Committee from June 1991 to December 1997; Adviser of the Party Central Committee from 1997 to 2000; and Deputy to the National Assembly of the 2^nd, 4^th, 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, 8^th, 9^th tenures.

After a period of illness, despite the wholehearted care by the Party, State, medical group and his family, he passed away at 11:12pm on October 1, 2018, of serious illness and old age at the Military Central Hospital 108 in Hanoi.

After more than 80 years joining revolutionary activities, comrade Do Muoi had made great contributions to the glorious revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation. He had been awarded with a Gold Star Order, an insignia of 80-year Party membership, and many other noble orders and medals.

His passing away is a great loss to our Party, State and people.

In memory of comrade Do Muoi, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front decided to hold the funeral of comrade Do Muoi with the national mourning etiquette.

THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF VIETNAM

THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM

THE PRESIDENT OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM

THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE VIETNAM FATHERLAND FRONT

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF COMRADE DO MUOI

Former General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam; former Chairman of the Council of Ministers (now Prime Minister) of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; former Adviser of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

Comrade Do Muoi (birth name is Nguyen Duy Cong) was born on February 2, 1917 in Dong My commune, Thanh Tri district, Hanoi; residing at No.11, Pham Dinh Ho street, Pham Dinh Ho ward, Hai Ba Trung district, Hanoi. He joined revolutionary activities in 1936 and became a Party member in June 1939.

In 1936, he took part in the Popular Front movement.

In 1937, he joined the friendship organisation of Hon Gai miners.

In 1938, he returned to his hometown, joined the trade union and campaigned for the Soviet Union support movement. He was admitted to the Indochinese Communist Party (now the Communist Party of Vietnam) in June 1939.

In 1941, he was arrested and sentenced to 10 years in jail. He served his sentence at Ha Dong and Hoa Lo Prisons in Hanoi.

In 1945, Japan staged a coup d’etat, he escaped from the prison and continued his revolutionary activities. He participated in the provincial Ha Dong Party Committee’s Uprising Board, overseeing revolutionary campaigns in Ung Hoa and My Duc districts and leading the uprising to seize power in the province.

After the August Revolution in 1945, he became Secretary of the Party Committee of Ha Dong province.

In early 1946, he served as Secretary of the Party Committee of Ha Nam province. In late 1946, he became Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Administration and Resistance Committee of Nam Dinh province.

From 1947 to 1949, he was a member of the regional Party Committee of the Joint Zone III, and served as Secretary of the Party Committee of Ninh Binh province and Secretary of the Party Committee of Hoa Binh province.

In 1950, he became Deputy Secretary of the regional Party Committee of the Joint Zone, Vice Chairman of the Administration and Resistance Committee, Political Commissar and Commander of the Joint Zone III.

From 1951 to 1954, he worked as Secretary of the regional Party Committee, Chairman of the Administration and Resistance Committee, and Political Commissar of the High Command of the Red River’s Left Bank Region.

In 1955, he became Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the Administration and Resistance Committee of Hai Phong city. In March 1955, he was elected as alternate member of the Party Central Committee.

In 1956, he was Deputy Minister of Trade.

In 1958, he became Minister of Domestic Trade.

At the 3^rd National Party Congress in September 1960, he was elected as member of the Party Central Committee; serving as Minister of Domestic Trade.

From 1967 to 1968, he worked as Chairman of the State Pricing Committee, Head of the Government’s inspection delegation.

From 1969 to 1973, he became Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the State Committee for Basic Construction. In 1973, he worked as Deputy Prime Minister cum Minister of Construction and vice chairman of the central council for front support and anti-blockage of Hai Phong port.

At the 4^th National Party Congress in December 1976, comrade Do Muoi was re-elected as a member of the Party Central Committee, and became an alternate member of the Political Bureau, and worked as Deputy Prime Minister in charge of basic construction, industry and materials, industrial and commercial reform, and distribution.

At the 5^th National Party Congress in March 1982, he was re-elected as a member of the Party Central Committee; elected as a member of the Political Bureau; served as Deputy Prime Minister in charge of basic construction, industry and materials.

At the 6^th National Party Congress in December 1986, he was re-elected as a member of the Party Central Committee and the Political Bureau; assigned to work as permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat.

In June 1988, the National Assembly elected comrade Do Muoi as Chairman of the Council of Ministers (now Prime Minister).

At the 7^th National Party Congress in June 1991, he was re-elected as a member of the Party Central Committee and the Political Bureau, and held the position of General Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Secretary of the Central Military Party Committee.

At the 8^th National Party Congress in June 1996, he continued to be re-elected as a member of the Party Central Committee and the Political Bureau, and held the position of General Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Secretary of the Central Military Party Committee.

In December 1997, at the 4^th meeting of the 8th Party Central Committee, he resigned from the position of a member of the Party Central Committee and General Secretary of the Party Central Committee. Comrade Do Muoi then acted as Adviser of the Party Central Committee until 2000.

Comrade Do Muoi was an alternate member of the 2^nd Party Central Committee; member of the Party Central Committee of the 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, 8^th tenures; alternate Politburo member of the 4^th Party Central Committee; Politburo member of the Party Central Committee of the 5^th, 6^th, 7^th and 8^th tenures; Permanent member of the 6th Party Central Committee’s Secretariat; Chairman of the Council of Ministers (now Prime Minister) from June 1988 to June 1991; General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee from June 1991 to December 1997; Adviser of the Party Central Committee from 1997 to 2000; and Deputy to the National Assembly of the 2^nd, 4^th, 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, 8^th, 9^th tenures.

In recognition of his great contributions to the revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation, he was presented with a Gold Star Order, an insignia of 80-year Party membership, and many other noble orders and medals of Vietnam and other countries.

The funeral board for comrade Do Muoi, former General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and former Chairman of the Council of Ministers (now Prime Minister) of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, former Advisor of the Party Central Committee, consists of 39 members. Among them are Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, head of the board; Politburo Member and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc; and Politburo Member and Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan; and other Politburo members and Party Central Committee members.

ANNOUNCEMENT on the respect-paying, memorial and burial ceremonies for comrade Do Muoi

The funeral of comrade Do Muoi will be organised in the national mourning etiquette.

He will be laid in state at the National Funeral Hall, No. 5 Tran Thanh Tong Street, Hanoi.

The respect-paying ceremony will start at 7am on October 6 at the National Funeral Hall, No. 5 Tran Thanh Tong Street, Hanoi and run until 7:30am on October 7.

The memorial service will be held at 9:00am on October 7 at the National Funeral Hall, No. 5 Tran Thanh Tong Street, Hanoi. The burial ceremony will take place from 1:00pm on the same day in his native land in Dong My commune, Thanh Tri district, Hanoi.

At the same time, the respect-paying and memorial ceremonies for comrade Do Muoi will also be held at the Thong Nhat Hall in Ho Chi Minh City.

The Vietnam Television (VTV) and Radio the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) will broadcast live the ceremonies in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

During the two-day national mourning on October 6 – 7, national flags will be flown at half-mast at State offices and public places, and recreational and entertainment activities will be stopped./.

VNF/VNA