The First Ethnic Minority Congress has successfully completed its agenda as scheduled after two working days.
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung summed up the groups accomplishments at a closing ceremony attended by General Secretary Nong Duc Manh, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan, and other State leaders.
Participants strongly agreed with the Party’s viewpoints and policies on ethnic minority issues and national unity. The Congress also recognized and honoured the contribution made by ethnic minority people to the country’s achievements and provided data supporting Party.
The Congress approved a letter of determination in which ethnic people expressed their determination to remain loyal to the Party, respect and follow the Party’s policies, support national unity, and contribute to national programmes of economic development, hunger elimination and poverty alleviation in mountainous areas.
The Deputy PM said the Congress was a milestone in the development of Vietnam’s ethnic minorities. Congress participants, together with compatriots across the country, will take the initiative to uphold patriotism, strengthen national unity, implement Resolution 7 on ethnic minority issues, and Vietnam’s socio-economic development strategy for 2011-2020, preserve national independence and territorial integrity, and build a socialist country with a prosperous people, strong state, and just, democratic, and civilized society.
Local ethnic communities are resolved to mobilize children to attend school and achieve a universalization of secondary education. They also pledge to learn and widen their knowledge and follow the moral example of late President Ho Chi Minh. They will focus their investment on medical facilities and staff and strive to have 100 percent of communes meet national medical standards.
Ethnic people are committed to preserving and building on their fine traditions and cultural identities while eradicating backward customs, helping to construct a modern Vietnamese culture imbued with national identity.
They also promise to do their best to protect the environment and natural resources, especially forests, water, and ecological systems. In addition, the ethnic minority groups will make a greater effort to strengthen national solidarity while safeguarding borders and Vietnam’s national sovereignty.
They are determined to fight hostile schemes that seek to divide the national unity bloc or exploit issues of separatism, ideology or religion to cause political instability.
The Congress approved a number of Party and State honours and awards, including the Golden Star Order to the Committee to Ethnic Minorities, the Title Armed Forces Hero to Ky Son district, and the Title Labour Hero in the Renovation Era to Nam Cang commune of Lao Cai province.
