Sixty-seven years ago on June 17, 1930, Nguyen Thai Hoc, chairman of the Viet Nam Quoc Dan Dang and his 12 comrades were guillotined at Yen Bay provincial town, about 70 miles north of Ha Noi. The French colonial authorities cracked down on the VNQDD with extreme brutality after its failed General Uprising from February 10 to 15, 1930. The fighters for Vietnam Independence attacked the French colonial forces in Yen Bay and several other towns, even harassing Ha Noi, inflicting heavy losses on some French garrisons. The fighters also got rid of many collaborators with the French.
This week, Vietnamese communities in many countries held anniversary ceremonies of the death of the heroes who were executed in Yen Bay. The 13 men represented the 37 VNQDD members who were guillotined in various places in North Vietnam before and after the Yen Bay executions, and several thousand others who were given sentences from 5 years ti life in prison, some hundreds of them were sent to Guyana to serve their terms.
Besides, the VNQDD was the first revolutionary party that asserted pluralist democracy. And also for the first time, there were many women among the party members. The famous member Nguyen Thi Giang, the fiancee of Nguyen thai Hoc, who committed suicide one day after Hoc was executed, and her sister Nguyen Thi Bac, who responded to the French judge that the French should bring down their statue of Jeanne d'Arc (French heroine), have been two of the most brilliant examples of brave women in Vietnam history.
In Vietnamese traditions , the deceased heroes and heroines are commemorated by ceremonies on the date of their deaths, not on their birthdays. Moreover, Vietnamese hold memorials to the dead heroes on June 17, not to the uprising on February 10 as it might be supposed to.
The reason is understandable. It was the emotion that shocked the nation when 13 VNQDD cadres were beheaded at one time. What has been the most powerful impact on the people's mind was the manner of the 13 heroes when they were in front of the guillotine. No one showed fears. All smiled and chanted the slogan "Long live Vietnam!" They stepped to the guillotine, showing great composure to the last moment of their lives. The 12th hero to be executed, Pho Duc Chinh, asked the headsman to let him lie on his back "so that I could see how the blade is falling down on my throat."
When the French colonial security were aggressively hunting the VNQDD members and the party was facing great difficulties, the VNQDD Central Committee decided to launch the general uprising before being wiped out completely. In so deciding, the leaders only expected defeat. But they agreed with Nguyen Thai Hoc when he said "If we do not succeed, we still make a good cause."
Apparently, the Spirit of June-17 - or the Yen Bay Spirit - has been the good cause for the struggles of the Vietnamese people against the French domination and the Communism. Millions of Vietnamese have been inspired by the spirit. It motivated them to join the various parties and movement - including the Communist Party - for the independence and freedom of Vietnam.
And it will be forever, somewhat as the Americans' Spirit of 1776.
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