WORLD : Vietnam Lied About Ho’s Death
BANGKOK, Thailand — Vietnam’s leadership admitted today altering the last testament of revered leader Ho Chi Minh, falsifying the date of his death and defying his wish to be cremated.
A communique signed by Communist Party leader Nguyen Van Linh said the party Politburo decided to preserve Ho’s remains instead of following his wish to be cremated so that Vietnamese from the defeated south and foreigners could pay their respects to him. Ho had requested that his ashes be placed in three urns, one each for northern, central and southern Vietnam.
Linh wrote that the Politburo also decided to announce that Ho died on Sept. 3, 1969, instead of his actual date of death, Sept. 2, because Sept. 2 is Vietnam’s national day. He said the leaders falsified the date “to prevent the date of Uncle Ho’s death from coinciding with the day of great national rejoicing.â€
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