Labor production for the collective, sacrifice is recognized as martyr
According to the History of Vinh Linh District Party Committee, Volume 1 (1930-1975) published in 2020, in the period of 1967-1973, Vinh Linh became the front line, suffering many bombs and bullets from the enemy, so the Central Government carried out the K8 and K10 campaigns, evacuating people to the northern provinces. At that time, there were only more than 20,000 people left in Vinh Linh district. These were the people who both worked, produced, transported, and supplied supplies to serve the fight; and were also the forces directly holding guns to fight.
Because of this special nature, the Vinh Linh Regional Party Committee at that time proposed that the Central Committee allow Vinh Linh to implement a number of special policies. In particular, from January 1967, those who participated in collective production labor, if they sacrificed, were also recognized as martyrs. And during that period, Quyet Thang Farm and Ben Hai Farm in Vinh Linh carried out the task of both fighting and producing.
Mr. Tran Ngoc Truyen (born in 1930, residing in Ben Quan town, Vinh Linh district), former Director of Quyet Thang Farm, said that since 1967, the enemy had fiercely attacked the farm. At that time, all workers at the farm were given guns to both produce and fight. If they died during the production or fighting process, they were proposed to be considered martyrs.
However, there is the case of Ms. Mai Thi Con (born in 1937, residing in Vinh Giang commune, Vinh Linh district, Quang Tri province), a farm worker who died on February 18, 1967 but has not yet been recognized as a martyr.
Investigation showed that in the “compilation list of comrades who died and were considered martyrs” of Quyet Thang Farm kept at the farm, there was the name of Ms. Mai Thi Con. In the “cases of death” section, Ms. Con “was hit by a coordinate bomb at night, hitting the bunker at the location assigned by the production team”.
65 years old, waiting for the day to recognize mother as a martyr
Ms. Nguyen Thi Cuc (born in 1959, residing in Tan Thanh commune, Dong Xoai city, Binh Phuoc province) is the daughter of Ms. Mai Thi Con. According to Ms. Cuc, in 1966, when the war in her hometown was fierce, she was evacuated to the North. By 1973, when she returned to her hometown, her mother had passed away, her father had remarried, so she lived with her grandparents, working as a factory worker until 1980, when she went to Binh Phuoc province to get married.
Living far from home and not knowing much, it was not until 2017 that she learned that many of her mother's colleagues who died while on duty at Quyet Thang Farm were confirmed as martyrs. Therefore, she returned home and searched for documents to request confirmation of her mother's martyr status.
Upon receiving the documents, the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs (DOLISA) of Quang Tri province verified and found that after Ms. Mai Thi Con passed away, in October 1967, the People's Committee of Vinh Linh area issued a decision to settle funeral allowance and first-time allowance for Mr. Mai Van Kinh (Mrs. Mai Thi Con's father) and monthly pension for Ms. Mai Thi Con's children.
Pursuant to Point b, Clause 2, Article 17, Decree No. 31/2013/ND-CP dated April 9, 2013 of the Government stipulates: "Do not consider martyr recognition for cases of death from December 31, 1994 or earlier, the competent authority concludes that the conditions for martyr recognition are not met or the death has been reported under the martyr regime or the soldier died in a work accident". Therefore, the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs of Quang Tri province does not consider the application for martyr recognition for Ms. Mai Thi Con.
But by December 31, 2021, Decree No. 131/2021/ND-CP was issued, based on Clause 2, Article 71, stipulating: In cases of sacrifice or injury with grounds and grounds for confirmation of eligibility according to regulations, consideration and recognition will be carried out for each specific profile.
Mr. Hoang Tuan Anh - Deputy Director of the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs of Quang Tri province - said that, based on the provisions of Decree No. 131, after studying the related contents in the History of the Party Committee of Vinh Linh district (mentioned above), and meeting with witnesses, accessing the summary list of comrades who sacrificed and were considered martyrs of Quyet Thang Farm - this unit sent a document to the Department of Meritorious People, Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs to ask for opinions on the dossier requesting recognition of martyr for Ms. Mai Thi Con.
“There are many cases of workers at Quyet Thang Farm whose names are on the list of martyrs who have been recognized as martyrs. Therefore, we will review and, if there is a basis, propose to resolve the request for martyr recognition for Ms. Mai Thi Con,” said Mr. Hoang Tuan Anh.
