Ho Chi Minh: Letter To The Compatriots In The Thai-Meo Autonomous Region

First Published: May 7th, 1955

Source: Selected Works of Ho Chi Minh Vol. 4

Publisher: Foreign Languages Publishing House

Transcription/Markup: Christian Liebl

Online Version: Ho Chi Minh Internet Archive (marxists.org) 2005

Dear compatriots in the Thai-Meo Autonomous Region,

For one year now, the North-West area has been completely liberated. This is owing to the close unity among all nationalities and their enthusiastic participation in the Resistance war, to the valiant struggle of our army, and to the clearsighted leadership of the Party and Government.

Now, upon the proposal of the Party and the decision of the Government, the Thai-Meo Autonomous Region is established.

The aim of the founding of the Thai-Meo Autonomous Region is to enable the brother nationalities gradually to run all their own activities so as rapidly to develop their economy and culture, and realize equality among nationalities in all respects.

The Thai-Meo Autonomous Region is an integral part of the great family of Viet Nam, making with other brother nationalities a monolithic bloc of unity. It will always enjoy the education and leadership of the Party and Government and the assistance of other brother nationalities.

The Thai-Meo Autonomous Region is at present under a democratic regime, with the people as masters. It is completely different from the faked “Thai Autonomy” previously founded by the enemy with a view to dividing and repressing the nationalities.

Today we celebrate the anniversary of the great victory won by our army and people in Dien Bien Phu; at the same time we officially found the Thai-Meo Autonomous Region. Therefore this is a very glorious historical day for the compatriots in the North West and for the whole Democratic Republic of Viet Nam as well.

The compatriots in the North West have the particular honour of having their autonomous region established first. Hence, they have the particular task of striving to set an example to other autonomous regions which will be founded one after the other.

To deserve that great honour and to fulfil that lofty task, the compatriots in the Thai-Meo Autonomous Region should:

— Ensure close unity among all nationalities, love and help one another as brothers and sisters.

— Emulate in increasing production so that everybody will be provided with enough cloth and food.

— Keep constant vigilance and be ready to help the army and the security service in frustrating the enemy's plots of sowing dissension and of sabotage.

As regards the cadres, there should be sincere unity between old and new cadres, between cadres of the locality and those coming on duty from other places, between army cadres and cadres of the Party and Government; they should all wholeheartedly serve the people and resolutely fight against bureaucracy, commandism, corruption and waste.

On this occasion, the Government again earnestly calls on those North Westerners who have gone astray, to right their wrong without delay and to return to their honest life among the people. The Government and the people are always lenient with those who have repented.

The Party and the Government have confidence in the patriotic spirit and the struggle of the compatriots in the Thai-Meo Autonomous Region and hope that all of them will remain single-minded and unite their efforts to develop and improve the autonomous region day by day so as to make valuable contributions to the struggle for peace, national unity, independence and democracy in the whole of our beloved country.

My greetings of affection and of determination to win.

May 7, 1955