Laos regards search for remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers as a sacred duty

The search is a major policy of the Parties and States of both Vietnam and Laos. It reflects the shared tradition of remembering those who came before and the profound respect and gratitude of the Vietnamese and Lao peoples for those who sacrificed their lives in the struggle for national liberation, the defence of the homeland and the fulfilment of noble international duties.

During the resistance wars against French colonial rule and later against the US, tens of thousands of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts served in Laos, fighting shoulder to shoulder with the Lao people against their common enemy. Many laid down their lives and remain in remote forests and mountains across Laos. Their sacrifice cemented the solidarity and friendship between the two neighbouring countries.

An estimated 2,300 Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts lost their lives in six northern Lao provinces -Oudomxay, Xayabouly, Luang Namtha, Luang Prabang, Bokeo and Phongsaly. Since late 1994, in line with the Party and State's policy, Military Region 2's recovery team has searched for, recovered and repatriated the remains of 1,870 fallen soldiers. During the 2025-2026 dry season, the team recovered and repatriated the remains of 19 soldiers.

Major General Nguyen Hong Thai, Deputy Political Commissar of Military Region 2, said: "We have issued very specific instructions, including deploying additional teams in different directions to gather and verify information. The information already available must now be verified more quickly. Based on the findings, we will identify locations for excavation and recovery."

Over the past 27 years, since 1999, the recovery team under the Ha Tinh provincial Military Command has searched for, recovered and repatriated the remains of 834 fallen soldiers. Despite challenges posed by rugged terrain, changing landscapes, harsh weather and the dwindling amount of information on burial sites, the team, with the close guidance of the Vietnam-Laos Special Working Committees of the two governments and close coordination with their counterparts in Bolikhamxay province and Vientiane, recovered the remains of nine soldiers during the same dry season.

Nguyen Thi Nguyet, Vice Chairwoman of the Ha Tinh provincial People's Committee and head of the province's Steering Committee 515, expressed sincere gratitude to the authorities and people of Vientiane and Bolikhamxay for their support in helping the province successfully complete its recovery mission during the 2025-2026 dry season.

"We would like to express our deepest gratitude to the Party organisation, authorities and people in villages across our brotherly Lao nation for protecting, caring for and looking after the graves of our fallen soldiers over the past decades," she said.

The search for, recovery and repatriation of the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who died in Laos has consistently received the fullest support from the Lao Party, State and military, which regard the work as an important and sacred political task demonstrating the tradition of remembering those who came before.

Each year, ceremonies to hand over, commemorate and bid farewell to the fallen before their return to Vietnam are held solemnly in Laos. Local authorities and residents also perform religious rites to express their profound respect and gratitude for those who sacrificed their lives for national liberation, national reunification and the fulfilment of noble international duties.

At a memorial and handover ceremony in Vientiane, Thavixay Mauxomphou, Deputy Secretary of the Vientiane Party Committee and head of the capital's Special Working Committee, said:

"The war has ended, the country has been fully liberated, and the people now live in peace and happiness. Yet each of us still carries the thought that many from the previous generation who gave their lives remain on former battlefields, while their families continue to wait for them to return and rest in their homeland."

Many fallen soldiers have yet to be found as search efforts become increasingly difficult, with many burial sites located in remote areas, terrain having changed over time, and information about burial sites becoming increasingly scarce.

For this reason, Lao authorities continue to attach particular importance to encouraging people from all walks of life to provide information that may assist recovery efforts.

Souvat Mahavongsanan, Vice Governor of Oudomxay province, said: "In the coming period, authorities in the six northern Lao provinces will continue promoting public awareness of the significance and importance of searching for and recovering the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who died in Laos in order to gather information for search and recovery efforts."

In response to the "500-day campaign to accelerate the search for, recovery and identification of fallen soldiers' remains," the Lao Ministry of National Defence has instructed relevant agencies, military units and local authorities to boost coordination with their Vietnamese counterparts to implement the campaign effectively.

The combined effort shows Laos' strong sense of responsibility and the special bond it holds with the Vietnamese heroes and martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the Land of a Million Elephants.

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Authorities of Sekong province in southern Laos held a ceremony on May 28 to hand over and repatriate the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who sacrificed their lives in Laos during wartime periods.

Remains of eight Vietnamese volunteer soldiers, experts brought home from Laos

VOV.VN - A handover ceremony for the remains of eight Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who sacrificed their lives in Laos was solemnly held in Laos’ Bolikhamsai province on May 23 before the martyrs were brought home for reburial in the central province of Ha Tinh.