Dong Nai Newspaper

The Dong Nai paper is the official organ of Dong Nai provinces’s party executive committee.

The Dong Nai Newspaper was founded in June 1946, and developed over the following 54 years. The paper was formed at the heroic D base and has since been integrated into a historical stream of the Vietnamese revolutionary press.

After the August Revolution, a propaganda was set up in Bien Hoa province. At first, this organization only included a few comrades, namely Huynh Van Hon, Mai Van Bo, Ngo Van Long, Hoang Tho, Luong Van Luu, Nguyen Thi Bong and Le Ngoc Lieu. During this time, Huynh Van Hon was the leader of this organization. Other comrades were also sent to join this propaganda including Luu Van, Tieu Nhu Thuy, Duong Minh Cuu, Tran Cu, Nguyen Trac etc. In the early years, there was only a radio and typewriter in the propaganda. News was printed by agar-agar in order to reflect the resistance war of Bien Hoa people.

In July of 1946, an information service in Bien Hoa province published a paper that was under the name of the Dong Nai paper. This paper was printed by roneo. Each individual issue consisted of 2 pages sized 30 centimeters width by 40 centimeters length, and each issue consisted of 300 –500 papers. As there were no long roller typewriters available for large size newsprint, Hoang Tho comrades were asked to use pens for writing across stenciled paper. Then, the paper was printed by wooden and smooth rollers. One man put the newsprint in its place and another one rolled the roller over it. At that time, the main writers consisted of Tieu Nhu Thuy, Duong Minh Cuu, Nguyen Trach, Hoang Tho. In addition, there were other collaborators coming from the provincial, civil and party service and platoon No. 10. Platoon No. 10 had just issued the Tieng Rung (the Forest Voice) paper to be conducted by Huynh Van Nghe acting as poet and soldier.

At this time, the Dong Nai paper was the voice of the party committee, the military and the people of Bien Hoa. Articles frequently appeared in the paper such as, local news and the outside province news. This information was collected from radio, the provincial committee of the party, the provincial administrative and resistance war committee and platoon No.10. Notices, directions or instructions for guiding to patriotic emulation movements and anti-French resistance war were also inserted into the Dong Nai paper. There were also poems, literatures and memoirs as composed by Pham Thieu, Huynh Van Nghe, Ly Van Sam, Bui Cat Vu authors etc.

Due to a shortage of newsprint and ink, the Dong Nai paper could only be issued every 15 days.

In May of 1948, the Information Service was changed into the Information and Propaganda service. This was managed by Hoang Tam Ky comrade who was a former commissar in regiment 310. At this time, the Eastern information and propaganda branch (which belonged to the Southern Information Service) sent Trong Truong comrade to Bien Hoa for guiding the Dong Nai paper’s newsmen on how to make and print a lead-printed newspaper. A printer with its wooden and round rollers along with 100 kilograms of lead letters were sent to the Dong Nai paper by the Eastern Information and Propaganda Branch. After that, the Bien Hoa printing house was founded and contributed effectively to the press publishing.

The paper has gone through wax, agar-agar and lead printing. The latest lead printed newspaper marked a great advance in Bien Hoa province’s press. At the end of 1948, the Dong Nai paper was changed into the Bien Hoa paper. This event took place at Dat Quoc, Tan Uyen, in the D base by the Information and Propaganda service. At the same time, another paper namely the Bien Hoa News was formed. At that time, editors included Hoang Tam Ky, Nguyen Trac, Le Minh Tien, Mac Dang Than, Le Nhu Quynh. The Bien Hoa paper published every 3 days with a quantity of 500 – 600 papers. The paper’s content reflected news of the resistance war and the national build-up of the people. Thanks to lead-printing, the paper was issued quickly and reflected the situation of the people and the military being ready for action in order to encourage the spirit for all the revolutionary cadres, soldiers and the people in Bien Hoa.

The Bien Hoa paper used to be a resistance war service of the party committee, the military and the people of Bien Hoa. Every issue contained not only leading articles written by Hoang Tam Ky comrade but also news, events, reportage, reflection and slogans in order to support to the resistance war and the national build-up movement. Poems and literatures sent from collaborators were inserted into the paper. The Bien Hoa paper was circulated not only in revolutionary bases but also in temporarily occupied areas secretly, with the aim of propagandizing and mobilizing the peoples support for the resistance war.

In May of 1951 Bien Hoa province merged with Thu Dau Mot province into Thu Bien province, because of this the Bien Hoa paper and the Bien Hoa News were renamed the Thu Bien propaganda news (under the name of the Thu Bien paper). Le Dinh Nhon (pen name Chin Le) who had just completed the Truong Chinh II training program from Dong Thap, took the responsibility of acting as the leader of the propaganda, chief of the Information and Propaganda service and editor-in-chief of the Thu Bien paper. Nguyen Dinh Thu comrade managed the printing house, which was located at the Leech Spring in D base. At the same time, other cadres and another pedal type printer was sent to the printing house along with 200 kilograms of lead letters. Every issue of the Thu Bien paper included 4 pages (30 x 40cm). The paper came out once every 3 days and each issue was 400 to 500 papers. The paper content included leading articles, commentary, local, home and world news, poems and literatures etc. There were also articles which were aimed at spiriting up the compatriots and soldiers during the resistance war. By the end of 1953, the Thu Bien paper reflected mainly victories of the military during the Winter Spring Campaign from 1953 to 1954 under the leadership of the Central Committee of the Vietnamese Communist Party. Victory news from Lower Lao, Tay Nguyen Highland, Hoa Binh, Dien Bien Phu were also inserted into the paper these heartened Thu Bien’s compatriots and soldiers. The Thu Bien paper also published news items of the victory celebrations to be held at Dat Cuoc and reflected the enthusiastic atmosphere among the military, the people and the party.

It could be said that the Dong Nai paper originated the Thu Bien paper and was developed with little or no facilities whilst gaining good results. The paper had gone from primitive printing techniques namely wax, agar-agar and finally arrived at lead printing. Non-professional newsmen acting as both soldiers and writers, overcame difficulties in order to make sure the paper was available in war zones, battlefields, liberated areas and temporarily occupied areas. The paper showed unbending spirit, freedom and the desire of the people. It also encouraged compatriots and soldiers to be ready for action against the French invaders.

The Dong Nai paper and the Bien Hoa paper, the Thu Bien paper and the Liberation paper have published frequently in unstable quantities, sometimes, reaching 5,000 papers per issue. This instability was caused by the increasingly violent war, lack of printing materials as well as the editors and correspondents acting as both soldiers and writers. Despite the above disadvantages, the press has always represented the voice of the party committee, the front, the revolutionary power and the people in the province. Although newsmen have gone through uncountable difficulties and hardships, they were always loyal to the Party and the people as well as being willing to lay down their lives for the Party’s paper.

In 1954, what remained of the revolutionary places in Bien Hoa were fiercely attacked, and the enemy caught. Hundreds of revolutionary cadres and fellows were sent to prisons and sentenced to death. During this fighting lots of newsmen were hurt and printing materials damaged. As a result, the Thu Bien paper was suspended temporarily.

In 1966, Bien Hoa merged with Ba Ria and Long Khanh into Ba Bien province because it faced a new revolutionary mission requirement. At that time, Le Dinh Nhon comrade acted as the party committee secretary in the newly formed province and decided to publish the Liberation Paper. This paper was a political struggle organization of the Bien Hoa- Ba Ria – Long Khanh people. Every issue, 500 to 5,000 papers, included 8 to 12 pages sized 30 x 40cm.

The paper’s content normally consisted of; leading articles, fighting results of the people and military in Bien Hoa - Ba Ria – Long Khanh, commentary on news from home and the world, cultural items, news on the North people and the military building up socialism and fighting against the destructive war of American Imperialists. There were also various other items in the New Year special issue of the Liberation Paper, for example, in Dinh Mui Lunar New Year of 1967, a picture of a wooden sculpture of a liberation soldier rushing forward spreaded over the colorful cover. A Happy New Year Poem as composed by Ho Chi Minh president was inserted into the same cover.

In the leading article, there was a paragraph printed: "Year 1966 is full of victories for the people and military in the North and the South of Vietnam. On the contrary, American Imperialism suffers heavy losses in the first step of the local war in the South and the climbing war in the North at the same time."

In the above mentioned issue, there were also articles that summarized some specific fighting of the people and the military in Bien Hoa- Ba Ria- Long Khanh such as the constant attacking of Long Binh base depot, the Nhon Trach Guerillas’ struggle against a raid and an attack destroying American armoured tanks on road No.1. Furthermore, the articles entitled "to determine on keeping patriotism, loyalty and adamant", "Spring flowers will be blooming eternally" and "A national salvation way" reflected the ingenuity of the people and military as well as the youth living in cities and the temporarily occupied areas, all of whom were awaking to the revolutionary ideas. The article "To defend the homeland" written by Huy Thang, highlighted the struggle of the people against American Imperialism and the puppet troops in order to stay in villages and defend the homeland and protest against herding the people into new villages.

Although facing hard printing conditions and a lack of communications, the paper always struggled on courageously and always reflected events occurring on the military, political and ideological fronts. Many leading articles and commentaries exposed the invaders’ jiggery-pockery and crimes of the American Imperialism and their puppet troops.

Although living through the extreme hardship of war, the former Dong Nai paper and the later Liberation paper took charge of their responsibilities regarding entertainment and oriented aesthetics through their notes, short stories and songs etc. This was in order to encourage the Bien Hoa people and military entering the national sacred struggle.

After the South liberation and the national unity, the Eastern Region Party Committee decided to publish the first issue in Bien Hoa in celebration. This task was done by Tran Van Luc comrade acting as the former chief of bureau of the Eastern liberation news agency and others such as Tran Trac, Doan Ngoc Giao, Vu Khanh comrades. They had to take responsibility of the writing, editing, printing and publishing and so on. This paper was the first revolutionary paper which was printed and issued in public in the liberated Bien Hoa city as well as celebrated the 30^th anniversary of the August Revolution and the National Day date of September 2^nd, 1975.

At this movement, Le Quang Thanh comrade who acting as leader of the propaganda and training section of the provincial committee of the party, proposed a plan to allow a paper to be published under the name of the Dong Nai paper. This plan was passed through the provincial standing committee of the party for approval. After publishing 32 issues, the Dong Nai paper became the organ of the Dong Nai party committee. Then from the issue No. 33 dated October 15^th, 1976, every issue included 8 pages and was published weekly. The provincial standing committee of the party also decided to found a management board of the Dong Nai paper that consisted of the following comrades: Le Quang Thanh acting as chairman, Le Tu Huyen as Editor-in- chief, Doan Ngoc Giao as assistant to Editor-in- chief and secretary. At that time, newsmen and newswomen in the newspaper office included Quach Thi Yen, Lu Si Sinh, Vu Khanh, Bui Thi Huong, Dang Thi Thanh Thuy, Nguyen Thi yen Nhan, Nguyen Van An, Nguyen Van Su, Ho Thi Kim Ngan. After that, other comrades have worked for this paper such as Nguyen Thien Nhut, Dang Minh Han, Do Trung Tien, Bui Thuan, Phan Dau, Xuan Phu, Xuan Trinh, Minh Chau, Anh Hoa, Hoai Mong.

During this period, the Dong Nai paper’s content was reflecting a hard working atmosphere in rebuilding the industry and handicrafts, reclaiming lands and expanding cultivated areas. It reported on people returning from evacuation after the date of National unity and coming to unreclaimed lands. Also on changing waste lands into cultivated areas.

In 1978, Le Tan and Le Thien comrades were appointed to assistants to Editor-in- chief of the Dong Nai paper. Then, Le Tan comrade was promoted to Editor-in- chief in replacement of Le Tu Huyen comrade. During this time, the Dong Nai paper focused on propaganda to aid tasks in overcoming difficulties on materials spares. These tasks also included holding production speeds of the industry and agriculture, building up material and technical facilities for socialism and on national security as well.

On June 1^st, 1982, as requested by the provincial standing committee of the party, the Dong Nai paper was published twice weekly, each edition included 8 pages, 30 x 40cm. On this occasion, The Dong Nai paper also won praise from the committee for their results during the 7 year period between the first issue and the liberation date. At the same time, the provincial standing committee of the party also emphasized that Dong Nai paper should enhance the revolutionary ideal and the actual situation of the fighting, improve the qualifications of its correspondents and editors as well as provide further training for correspondents and editors and publish in extensive areas.

As Le Tan comrade retired in 1984, Nguyen Nam Ngu comrade was appointed to Editor-in- chief by the provincial standing committee of the party. He held this position until 1986. During this time, news of the Dong Nai paper was changing into the aim of supporting the innovation movement under the leadership of the Party. The Dong Nai paper was working towards self-improvement.

Nguyen Thien Nhut comrade who was promoted to Editor-in-chief in 1987 by the provincial standing committee of the party, has since held this position. The Dong Nai paper is being continuously improved with better content and form. In addition, every issue of the Dong Nai paper is increasing up to 16 pages and is now published 3 times a week, on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday with an ever increasing circulation.