PANO – First circulated on October 20^th, 1950, the People’s Army Newspaper has closely grown with the development of the Vietnamese Revolution, of the People’s Army and of the Armed Forces of Vietnam.

The history of the People’s Army Newspaper (PAN) is part of the history of the leadership and organisation of the Communist Party of Vietnam in the cause of resistance wars for the national liberation, as well as the history of building, fighting and working of the People’s Army, armed forces and Vietnamese people, which clearly demonstrated the precise and successful leadership and guidance of the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of Defence and the General Department of Politics.

As an organ of the Central Military Commission and the Defence Ministry, the voice of the armed forces and people of Vietnam, the People’s Army Newspaper has been a reliable and sharp-worded weapon of the Party and the Army in politics, ideology and culture for 60 years now. The Newspaper has also been the voice of the Party, the Army, armed forces and Vietnamese people on important issues of the country and of people.

Moreover, the Newspaper has seen as a mental and political bridge between the Party with the Army and Vietnamese people and an essentially and closely mental food for troops and various readers.

The People’s Army Newspaper has greatly contributed to the revolutionary and developmental cause of the country.

Established during the war against the French colonists, at the same time with the Victory of the Border Campaign in October 1950 and in the new development of the resistance war and the People’s Army of Vietnam, the People’s Army Newspaper became a new effective weapon.

During the historical Dien Bien Phu Campaign, the People’s Army Newspaper made public a special publication, encouraging soldiers and civilians in each battle. The presence of the People’s Army Newspaper on the Dien Bien Phu Front was a success for the Newspaper, particularly speaking, and for the Vietnam Revolutionary Press, generally speaking.

During the period of building the army since peace was set, the Newspaper had a lot of articles to encourage a patriotic emulation movement, “Ba Nhất” (Three Leadings, Leading in military and technical practice, Leading in discipline and model, Leading in work and production), demonstrating movements of “Sóng Duyên Hải” (Coastal Wave) in the industry and among workers, “Gió Đại Phong” (Huge Typhoon) in agriculture and farmers in the North.

In addition, the Newspaper’s articles also actively helped promote patriotism, revolutionary spirit, close sentiments of the North and the South among the Vietnamese people, as well as affirm the armed struggle for the South liberation and national unification.  

As the American imperialists waged a fierce war against North Vietnam, the whole nation of Vietnam was in danger.

Doan Cong Tinh, a newspaper photographer of PAN in Quang Tri  (3-1972)

In late 1964 and early 1965, the Newspaper highlighted the brave, determined example of Battalion 14’s commissar, Nguyen Viet Xuan, whose order was “Look straight at the enemy and shoot”. The order was soon turned into a big propaganda on the Newspaper, praising the strong will and attitude of Vietnamese troops when facing American ruthlessness and weapons.

In fact, the order also reflected the PAN’s will and attitude in the war against the American imperialists for national salvation.

During that time, PAN reporters were assigned to cover activities in fronts and battle-fields. Big movements, emerging examples, daringly political and military comments were featured on the PAN, partly promoting revolutionary heroism and strong determination among the whole soldiers and civilians, step-by-step approaching to the last victory of the sacred resistance war. Movements included “Double work for the South”, “Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom”, “Three Readinesses”, “One wins over 20”, “Life is best at the front against the enemy”, “Going through Truong Son range to save the country” and so on.

Covering the war against the American imperialists for national salvation, PAN developed into a new comprehensive and brilliant height, and became a reliable address of the army and people as well as an international prestigious newspaper in the world. It deserved to be a leading political newspaper of the Press of Vietnam.

Since 1977, when wars were launched on the Southwestern border and in the Northern border, PAN followed Vietnamese volunteers in the neighboring country, Cambodia. Many PAN’s articles deeply featured sacrifices and bright examples of the Vietnam People’s Army, who was determined to protect the nation and to show solidarity and pure and impartial friendship.

During the “Doi Moi” process, PAN was among leading newspapers to analyse and make clear the Party’s Doi Moi viewpoint that Doi Moi was to firmly protect the national independence and socialism; Doi Moi so as to stabilise and develop the country; Doi Moi from the Party to the whole society, in thought and in action.

PAN highly spoke of good examples in the army and localities during this process.

During the fall of Soviet Union and several socialist republics, PAN actively helped brighten the Party’s policies to follow the way that President Ho Chi Minh, the Party, the whole army and people selected.

Besides, PAN reflected initial achievements during the Doi Moi process, greatly contributing to erasing any doubts, fluctuating opinions and wrong points of view among readers and laying a firm foundation for them to strongly believe in the cause of constructing and developing the country.

PAN’s weekly, “PAN at Weekends”, and monthly publications, “Events and Witnesses”, were debuted in 1990 and March 1994 respectively, to meet demand of a large number of readers inside and outside the army.

In early the 21^st century, PAN has renovated itself along with strong and deep development of the press. Since December 22^nd, 2002, PAN has doubled its daily publication to eight pages, supplying readers more updated news with diversity of contents, featuring all fields in the army and throughout the country.

Also, the Online People’s Army Newspaper was introduced later for domestic and international readers.

Attentively, PAN’s articles have featured big movements among the Party, Army and People including “Studying and Following Ho Chi Minh’s Thoughts”, “Studying and Following the Moral Example of Ho Chi Minh”; highly spoken of the national industrialisation and modernisation and international integration, the cause of constructing the whole people’s national defence closely linking with people’s security and building a regular, elite, modern and revolutionary army.

PAN has lively and directly reflected army units readiness for newly and urgent-assigned tasks, daring to sacrifice to save the lives of people in floods, assisting local citizens in poverty and hunger elimination and preventing social evils.

PAN has proved the tradition of Uncle Ho’s Soldiers in the new period.

Furthermore, a lot of articles printed and posted on PAN have criticised wrong and hostile viewpoints with tricks aimed at separating the great national solidarity bloc, the Party and the Government from people.

For 60 years now, PAN has greatly contributed to the revolutionary war and the national construction and defence. Its great achievements have been recognised by the Party, the State and the Army as well. In 2000, PAN received the title of “Hero of the People’s Armed Forces”. In 2005, PAN was honorably conferred the “Yellow Star Medal”, the most noble of the nation.

This year, on its 60^th birth anniversary, PAN received the title “Labor Hero” recognising its outstanding achievements during the Doi Moi process and the cause of the national construction and defence.

With various noble titles, PAN is deserved to its name which was named by Uncle Ho and be the newspaper of Heroic People’s Army of Vietnam forever.

Compiled by Manh Hung

Translated by Mai Huong