On the afternoon of May 15, in Hanoi, the Ministry of Ethnic Minorities and Religions organized a meeting to celebrate the 80th Anniversary of the Traditional Day of the state management agency in the field of ethnic affairs (May 3, 1946 - May 3, 2026).
Attending the ceremony were former General Secretary Nong Duc Manh, former Head of the Central Committee for Ethnic Minorities; Mr. Hau A Lenh, Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of Tuyen Quang Provincial Party Committee, former Minister, Chairman of the Committee for Ethnic Minorities; Member of the Party Central Committee, Minister of Ethnic Minorities and Religion Nguyen Dinh Khang; former leaders of the Central Committee for Ethnic Minorities Affairs, Central Committee for Religious Affairs through various periods, and the Government Committee for Religious Affairs.
The event is an opportunity to review the 80-year journey of formation and development of the state management agency in the field of ethnic affairs, an institution associated with the process of building and consolidating the great national unity bloc and implementing ethnic policies of the Party and State.
Speaking at the anniversary ceremony, Minister of Ethnic Minorities and Religions Nguyen Dinh Khang emphasized that the community of 53 ethnic minorities (DTTS) with more than 14.7 million people is an inseparable "blood and flesh" of the Vietnamese nation; investing in the development of ethnic minority and mountainous areas is investing in the sustainable development of the country, consolidating the great national unity bloc.
The Minister recalled President Ho Chi Minh's advice sent to the Congress of Southern ethnic minorities in 1946: "The Kinh or Tho, Muong or Man, Gia Rai or E De, Xe Dang or Ba Na ethnic minorities and other ethnic minorities are all children and grandchildren of Vietnam, all blood brothers...". According to the Minister, implementing Uncle Ho's teachings, the Party and State always identify ethnic issues, ethnic affairs and national unity as fundamental and long-term strategic issues of the Vietnamese revolution.
The Minister affirmed that after 80 years of formation and development, especially after nearly 40 years of renovation, the ethnic minority policy system is becoming more comprehensive, contributing to improving the material and spiritual life of ethnic minorities; infrastructure, education, health, and culture in ethnic minority areas continue to be clearly improved.
The great national unity bloc is constantly being strengthened; ethnic minority compatriots are striving to eradicate hunger and reduce poverty, gradually rising to get rich legitimately," the Minister emphasized.
May 3, 1946 is considered an important milestone for the ethnic minority affairs sector. Through many historical periods with different names such as the Department of Ethnic Minorities Affairs, the Committee for Ethnic Minorities Affairs in Mountainous Areas, the Committee for Ethnic Minorities Affairs and now the Ministry of Ethnic Minorities and Religious Affairs, the state management agency for ethnic minority affairs has been constantly consolidated, meeting the requirements of national development in each period.
In recent years, ethnic affairs work has continued to be concerned by the Party and State with many major guidelines and policies for ethnic minority and mountainous areas.
National target programs, social security policies, poverty reduction, infrastructure development, education, health... have contributed to improving the material and spiritual lives of ethnic minorities.
The 80th anniversary ceremony not only has the meaning of expressing gratitude to generations of officials who have contributed to the ethnic minority affairs sector, but also affirms the role of state management agencies in advising and organizing the implementation of ethnic minority policies, contributing to maintaining political stability, consolidating the great national unity bloc and promoting sustainable development of ethnic minority areas in the new period.
