Vietnam announces 2-day national mourning for former Party chief

Vietnam will hold the funeral of former General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Le Kha Phieu, who passed away on August 7 at the age of 89, with the national mourning etiquette.

Mr. Le Kha Phieu. Photo: Zing

He will be laid in state at the National Funeral Hall, No.5 Tran Thanh Tong street, Hanoi. The respect-paying ceremony will be held from 8am on August 14 to 12am on August 15, according to a special communiqué, announced by the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, the National Assembly, the President, the Government and the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee.

The memorial service will be held at 0:30pm on August 15 at the same location. The burial ceremony will take place at 2pm on the same day at the Mai Dich Cemetery in Hanoi, which is dedicated to high-ranking officials and people with special merits.

At the same time, the respect-paying and memorial ceremonies for Mr. Le Kha Phieu will also be held at the Thong Nhat Hall in Ho Chi Minh City and the 25B Hall on Quang Trung street, Thanh Hoa city, Thanh Hoa province, Mr. Phieu’s hometown.

A 33-member funeral board for Mr. Phieu has been set up, headed by Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong. Other members include Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, and other Politburo members and Party Central Committee members.

During the two-day national mourning on August 14-15, national flags will be flown at half-mast at offices and public places, and recreational and entertainment activities will be stopped.

Born on December 27, 1931, Mr. Phieu started participating in revolutionary activities in 1947, and joined the Communist Party of Vietnam on June 19, 1949.

He held senior positions in the army from 1964 to 1992, reaching Commissioner of the General Political Department of the People's Army of Vietnam. He held the top Party job from December 1997 to April 2001.

Over more than 70 years of career, he made great contributions to the glorious revolution cause. He was awarded with the Golden Star, the highest distinction of Vietnam, and many other noble Vietnamese and international orders and medals.