Declaration of Independence – historical value

The Declaration of Independence that President Ho Chi Minh read on September 2, 1945 is the declaration on the foundation of the modern Vietnam. It is imbued with humanitarian values of the new era, because it highlights the values of democracy, freedom, justice and social equality. It is also a proclamation on the spirit of “Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom” to future generations.

   “Vietnam has the right to be a free and independent country – and in fact it is so already.”

President Ho Chi Minh left us with a grandiose heritage with many valuable works, of which the Declaration of Independence is one of the best, which reflects to the fullest and deepest extent his philosophical and political viewpoints as well as his outlook on life.

Composed more than 70 years ago, the Declaration is still relevant today both domestically and internationally. With 1,017 words, the Declaration highlighted the values of humankind, the “undeniable truths” on human rights, nations’ rights; and at the same time condemning the crimes of colonialism and fascism in Vietnam, thus affirming the rightness and justice of the Vietnamese nation’s right to independence and liberty.

Opening the Declaration of Independence, President Ho Chi Minh quoted the immortal words in the US’s Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen of the French Revolution made in 1791. He then developed them into an indisputable theoretical point on the rights of nations. “In a broader sense, this means: All the peoples on the earth are equal from birth, all the peoples have a right to live, to be happy and free.”

Large crowds gather at Ba Dinh Square to listen to President Ho Chi Minh reading the Declaration of Independence on September 2, 1945. (File photo of Vietnam News Agency)

The upgrade of human rights to nations’ rights is a creation of President Ho Chi Minh, which bears great significance for not only the Vietnamese nation but also other oppressed and exploited nations in the world. It is also a contribution in terms of theory of the President to humankind’s treasure of ideologies on human rights.

   A modern legal document

With trenchant and persuasive wording, President Ho Chi Minh’s Declaration of Independence is an eternal piece of writing, following previous significant writings of our ancestors, such as Ly Thuong Kiet’s Nam quoc son ha (Mountains and Rivers of the Southern Country), and Nguyen Trai’s Binh Ngo dai cao (Great proclamation upon the pacification of the Wu).

The declaration is a historic document, a legal document of utmost importance which laid the foundation for the establishment of a law-govern state in Vietnam with the goal of Independence-Freedom-Happiness, and lit the path for the Vietnamese revolution to move upwards in the cause of building a socialist law-governed state of the people, by the people and for the people, towards the goal of “rich people, a strong country, democratic, fair and civilized society.” With tight arguments, sharp reasoning and forceful wording, the declaration provides firm legal grounds to affirm the Vietnamese nation’s national sovereignty, opening up a new era of the nation in the path of development.

More than that, the declaration provides theoretical and practical basis for the national liberation cause, marking the start of an era of independence and freedom of oppressed colonial nations in the world. It also demonstrates that Vietnam’s revolution is an integral part of the world revolution and the Vietnamese proletarian class is an integral part of the world proletarian class, with a noble historic mission of liberating the nation and humankind.

Besides, the declaration shows that President Ho Chi Minh is a person with far-sighted vision on history’s development and outstanding forecasts on the future of the Vietnamese revolution and its deep integration into the world revolution.

   Immortal value

74 years have passed, but the viewpoints and ideologies on human rights, nations’ rights, the aspiration for and the spirit of struggle for independence and liberty penned by President Ho Chi Minh in the Declaration of Independence are still relevant to the cause of national construction and defence at present.

The ideologies of President Ho Chi Minh expressed in the declaration have turned into great spiritual strength of the entire nation. In that spirit, the Vietnamese revolution, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President Ho Chi Minh, has overcome all difficulties to reap great accomplishments in the struggle for national reunification and in socio-economic development.

At the same time, the country has been expanding its external relations and accelerating international integration. Its position and prestige in the international arena continue to be enhanced. Vietnam has set up diplomatic relations with 185 countries, joined and actively joined hands in building the ASEAN Community, and effectively participated in regional and international economic linkages at different levels.

Thoroughly understanding the ideology of “Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom,” the Party, State and people of Vietnam will persevere in their guidelines and policy of independence, self-control, and pursuing peace and friendship with other countries.

More than 70 years have passed but each word, each sentence in President Ho Chi Minh’s Declaration of Independence is still full of vitality. The Vietnamese nation’s aspiration for independence, freedom has remained ardent for thousands of years and will continue to be so.