The 9^th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam pointed out, “Ho Chi Minh Thought was a system of profound viewpoints on fundamental issues of the Vietnamese revolution, and a result of the creative application and development of Marxism-Leninism to Vietnam’s specific conditions. These views inherited and developed the nation’s fine traditions and acquired the quintessence of human culture”. In other words, it was the doctrine for the Vietnamese revolution. By learning and following Ho Chi Minh Thought, the Vietnamese revolution obtained major successes in its past struggle for national salvation and in the current national renewal, construction and defence process.

Ho Chi Minh Thought covered many broad areas, focusing on national liberation, class liberation and human liberation; the association between national independence and socialism, and the combination between the national and the era’s strength; the people’s power, the great national unity; the people’s right to mastery, the building of a State really of the people, by the people and for the people; the people’s national defence, development of the people’s armed forces; economic and cultural development; improvement of the people’s material and spiritual lives; revolutionary virtues such as industriousness, thrift, honesty, righteousness, public-spiritedness and selflessness; training of the future revolutionary generation; building of a clean and strong Party, and required that Party officials and members were the people’s leaders and loyal servants.

Ho Chi Minh’s moral viewpoints referred to all officials and people including those at grassroots level. He taught Party officials and members and people to be “Loyal to the country and pious to the people”, “Determined to spend their whole life to struggle for the Party and the revolution”, “Fully devoted to the people. Self-sacrificing and setting a good example for the sake of the Party and people”, “Benevolent, righteous, intelligent and courageous”, and “industrious, thrifty, honest, righteous, public-spirited and selfless”. Ho Chi Minh taught, “There is nothing difficult. Only if we’re persistent, we can dig up mountains and fill the sea. Where there’s a will, there’s a way”, “Cannot be seduced by wealth, shaken by poverty and yielded by power”. He taught officials to “Improve revolutionary ethics and wipe out individualism”, and “Be firm in the struggle against red tape, corruption and wastefulness” because “corruption, wastefulness and red tape are enemies of the people, army and Government”. Ho Chi Minh called on “Each Party official and member to be really imbued with revolutionary ethics and really be industrious, thrifty, honest, righteous, public-spirited and selfless”.

The moral example of Ho Chi Minh

Ho Chi Minh’s style was distinguished itself by matching words and deeds. He was the embodiment of morality. He devoted his whole life to the country and the people. All of his thoughts and actions were for the sake of the country and the people. He said in his Testament, “All my life, I have served the Homeland, the revolution and the people with all my heart and strength. If I should now depart from this world, I would have nothing to regret, except not being able to serve longer and more.”

Ho chi Minh lived the life of a great, benevolent, ethical, intelligent, courageous, righteous and selfless person. He recommended officials and army men to “always respect and protect public and private property and never appropriate a penny or a rice seed of the State and the people”, and “Be not greedy for power, money, a life of luxury and be praised to the skies”. They should be “greedy for learning, working and making progress.”

The late Prime Minister Pham Van Dong wrote, “Ho Chi Minh was an ethicist and a symbol of revolutionary virtues. He was the vivid image of a people’s leader who was trusted and loved by the people and considered as the nation’s banner. However, he was very close to the people. He did not allow himself to stand above the people and ask for any privilege or advantage. He was hallowed by a noble-minded life and a pure soul rarely found in the past and at present”.

Learn and follow Ho Chi Minh’s moral example

“To learn and follow Ho Chi Minh’s moral example” is the subject and content of the campaign. The learning and following processes take place simultaneously.

Government officials and Party members should learn to clearly and correctly understand Ho Chi Minh’s moral teaching and follow his example to realise these ethics in real life.

Ho Chi Minh said, “Each Government official and Party member must sacrifice their whole life for the Party and the revolution and be fully devoted to the people”. His teaching was correct not only in the past struggle for national independence and freedom but also in the current socialism building process. However, criteria and specific manifestations of sacrifice and devotion are somewhat different.

Significance of the campaign

The campaign on learning and following Ho Chi Minh’s moral example is the continuation of previous campaigns with a specific subject on morality. It is aimed to stir up and promote fine traditional moral values of the Vietnamese nation, and struggle against the moral and life-style decline, red tape, corruption, wastefulness and social evils. The campaign is also targeted at forming socialist moral values, building a socialist Vietnamese people who have fine personality, firm political will, civilised lifestyle and able of developing healthy and progressive social relations.

The campaign will last for many years, beginning in 2007 and ending in 2011. In the first drive, concentrated learning courses will be held by each Party cell and committee, and State governance agency about Ho Chi Minh Thought and his moral example. On this foundation, Party organisations will develop specific moral standards for their regular practice. As from 2008, an annual review of the campaign will be held on Ho Chi Minh’s birth anniversary on May 19. The closing ceremony will be held in 2011.

The campaign’s profound significance lies in the fact that morality is the most precious and the soul of a people, a society, a regime and a civilisation. Revolutionary morality is the pre-requisite, the value of each people’s personality and the strength for revolutionaries to realise their ideal and objectives.