Tens of thousands of people in the south and
across the country mourned the death last week of veteran revolutionary Tran Van
Giau, a leader of the southern resistance against the French Colony, during
funeral services in HCM City yesterday, Dec 23.

President Nguyen Minh Triet, other leaders, students and city residents attended
the State-level memorial service held at the city hall.

For the
service, which will last through tomorrow, the Party Central Committee, National
Assembly, President, Government and the Central Fatherland Front Committee sent
funeral wreaths to honour the former secretary of the Viet Nam Communist Party’s
Southern Region and chairman of the South Viet Nam’s Resistance Committee.

Party
General Secretary Nong Duc Manh, former Party General Secretaries Do Muoi and Le
Kha Phieu, former Presidents Vo Chi Cong, Le Duc Anh and Tran Duc Luong, Prime
Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, National
Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong, General Vo Nguyen Giap and other leaders
sent wreaths to show respect to the renowned educator and revolutionary, who
passed away at 100 years old last Thursday.

The
Party Committee, People’s Committee and residents from southern Long An, Tien
Giang, Hau Giang and Tay Ninh provinces also visited and brought wreaths to
attend the services.

In the
funeral memorial book, President Nguyen Minh Triet praised the revolutionary as
an elite child of Viet Nam’s southern region, a talented leader, an erudite
scientist, and a faithful Communist Party member. He is a bright example for
generations of Vietnamese.

The HCM
City’s Party Committee, Secretary Le Thanh Hai, who chaired the three-day
mourning service, called the professor a great personality and described his
death as a big loss for the State, and the country’s scientific community.

A
statement by Russian General Consul in HCM City Anatoli Vasilievich Borovik said
Russia would always remember excellent elite son of the Vietnamese people, Tran
Van Giau, who had made important contributions to Russian and had helped to
developing relations between the two countries.

Professor Tran Van Giau, who has made great contributions to the country’s
southern resistance and liberation, is widely known among social science circles
for his knowledge.

Born on
September 11, 1911 in the southern province of Long An, he was recognised as a
Labour Hero and People’s Teacher.

He was
former secretary of the Viet Nam Communist Party’s Southern Region and chairman
of the South Viet Nam’s Resistance Committee.

When he
was 20, he went to France to study. In 1930, he was expelled from France after
taking part in a protest in front of the French President’s palace to demand the
removal of the death penalty for Vietnamese revolutionary soldiers in Viet Nam.

He later
joined the Vietnamese revolutionary forces to fight against the French
colonialists.

After
the August Revolution, he was assigned to several key positions in the State.

He was
honorary chairman of the Viet Nam Historical Science Association and chairman of
the HCM City Social Science Association.

The
teacher of many leading researchers and historians in Viet Nam received many
awards and titles, including Ho Chi Minh Order, First-class; Independence Order;
Labour Hero; People’s Teacher and Ho Chi Minh Award.

The
memorial service will be held tomorrow before the burial ceremony, which will
take place in his home province’s An Luc Long Commune in Chau Thanh District.

VietNamNet/Viet
Nam News