Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith has called for the young generation to devote their efforts to the development and protection of the country, for which their Lao ancestors sacrificed their blood, as part of the heritage for succeeding generations.
The PM made the statement during a grand meeting with the youths and juniors yesterday to mark the 71st Independence Day (October12, 1945 – October12, 2016). The day was also proclaimed as the Lao National Diplomatic Day.
“May the juniors do all that you can to protect the national independence gained through the bloody sacrifices of our ancestors,” he told thousands of youths at the grand hall of the National Convention Centre in Vientiane.
He stated that October12, 1945 was the day Laos proudly declared to the world that its independence, full territorial integrity and sovereignty were owned by the entire Lao people.
The great victory was the result of the long fight led by the Lao Issara government (Free Lao government).
Since that day (October12, 1945), the Lao national flag has flown over Laos for more than seven decades. On December 2, 1975 – the day the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (the Lao PDR) was proclaimed, the flag became the official national flag of the Lao PDR.
“This flag will continue to fly across Laos forever. We can sacrifice and do all that we can to protect our flag even at the cost of our blood as our ancestors did,” PM Thongloun told the youths and juniors.
He recalled the long fighting journey the Lao ancestors struggled through, until Laos eventually gained independence and sovereignty with the proclamation of the Lao PDR.
The PM highlighted some outstanding struggles by the Lao people including the ones led by King Fa Ngum when the Lao territory was united. The other ones were led by King Saysetthathirath and King Anouvong respectively. King Anouvong fought against invading Siamese feudalists.
During the French colonial period, there were also outstanding struggles and fights carried out by the Lao people, including those led by Ongkeo Ong Kommadam, Phor Kaduad and Chaofapatchay. However, some of those finished in defeat.
The PM said the defeats were mainly due to the fact that there was no revolutionary party to lead the revolutionary battle at that time. Though defeats, those battles are still part of the valuable history for the young generation to learn from, he stated.
After the Indochinese Communist Party was founded by late President Ho Chi Minh to lead the Indochinese people fighting and the founding of its subsidiary Khaen Lao Party led by late President Kaysone Phomvihane, the events opened a new page in the fighting history of the Lao people.
Later, in 1955, the Lao People’s Party (Phak Paxaxon Lao) was founded to lead the Lao people to fight against foreign invaders.
PM Thongloun said the Party mobilised solidarity among the entire Lao multiethnic people to participate in the fight and the youths of that time provided the core manpower of the revolutionary fight.
He described the youths as the ‘Right Arm’ of the Party, which led the Lao people to gain victory in the fight for national independence and liberation that eventually saw the proclamation of the Lao PDR on December 2, 1975.
“Our Party has overcome countless difficulties and tests,” he told the grand meeting.
The PM called for the younger generations to work harder and forge ahead for self-development and carry out the traditions and noble tasks of the Party in implementing the two national strategic tasks – national development and protection.
Source: Vientiane Times
