Vietnamese dissident honoured
Hundreds of people have attended the funeral
of Vietnam's most prominent dissident, retired
Lieutenant-General Tran Do.
Do, a decorated war veteran and former head
of the ruling Communist Party's ideology and
culture department, died on Friday aged 78.
He had been in
hospital for more than
a month with acute
diabetes and other
ailments.
But his death was only
acknowledged officially
four days later with
identical obituaries in
two state-run
newspapers that made
no mention of his calls
for political reform,
including multi-party
elections.
Hundreds of friends, former colleagues and
supporters attended the ceremony, held at the
government's official funeral building.
Dozens of flower wreaths lined the front wall,
including ones sent by Vietnam's most famous
general, Vo Nguyen Giap, and National
Assembly Chairman Nguyen Van An.
A eulogy was read by Vu Mao, chairman of the
National Assembly secretariat, who said Do's
contribution to the Communist Party was
acknowledged by Vietnam's people and
leaders.
"However, in the last part of his life he made
some mistakes," he added.
Do's son said he rejected the eulogy,
prompting applause from among the former
general's supporters.
Disillusionment
Do held many senior government and party
positions over a career spanning 30 years
before becoming disillusioned by the
consequences of the party's monopoly on
power.
He began speaking out in 1997 against
corruption, abuse of power, and restrictions on
freedom, and was expelled from the party in
1999 and placed under surveillance.
In January, the Ministry of Culture and
Information ordered police and cultural
inspectors to confiscate and destroy books
written by Do and several other prominent
dissidents.
Correspondents say Do's calls for reform
reflected disappointment about the gap
between the country's reality and the goals of
the communist revolution and wars against
France and the United States he had helped
fight.
BBC News service - August 14, 2002.
Lieutenant general Tran Do dies
HANOI - After being sick for a period of time, Lieutenant-General Tran Do passed away at
2:15 p.m. on August 9, 2002 in Ha Noi from serious illness and old age despite the dedicated care given by
medical doctors and his family.
Tran Do was former member of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee (CPV CC) from 1960
to 1991, former Chairman of the CPV CC's Culture and Art Commission, and former Vice-Chairman of the
National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam (eighth legislature).
Tran Do, whose real name was Ta Ngoc Phach, was born in 1923, in Thu Dien village, Tay Giang commune,
Tien Hai district of Thai Binh province.
He was a CPV member from November 1940 to January 1999 and a National Assembly deputy of the
second, seventh and eighth legislatures.
Tran Do had held his posts as Chairman of the National Assembly's Culture and Education Committee,
Vice Minister of Culture, Deputy Head of the General Political Department of the Viet Nam People's Army,
and Deputy Commissar of the Command of the Southern Liberation Army. He was also a member of the Viet
Nam Writers' Association.
A funeral service ceremony for the deceased was held in the funeral house at 5, Tran Thanh Tong street of
Ha Noi, in the presence of his family members, relatives and friends.
Representatives from the National Assembly's Office made a funeral oration and expressed condolences
with his family and attended the funeral.
His body was cremated the same day in Ha Noi and his ashes were then sent to his native place in Thai
Binh province according to the deceased's and his family's wishes.
Vietnam News Agency - August 14, 2002.
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