June 16, 2026_ A roundtable discussion on the search, recovery, and identification of fallen soldiers' remains, described as "a heartfelt...
June 16, 2026_ A roundtable discussion on the search, recovery, and identification of fallen soldiers' remains, described as "a heartfelt order," was held in Hanoi at the headquarters of the Báo Nhân Dân newspaper. In Vietnam, more than 50 years after the war, approximately 175,000 fallen soldiers remain whose remains have not been found, and approximately 300,000 remains have already been recovered but are still unidentified. The "500 Days and Nights Campaign" (March 15, 2026-July 27, 2027) was launched in preparation for the 80th anniversary of the Day of Remembrance of the Wounded and Fallen Soldiers (July 27, 1947-July 27, 2027), with a broad mobilization of central and local forces and extensive use of science and technology, including a genetic database of family members. The objectives indicated include the recovery of approximately 7,000 remains, the collection of samples from approximately 230,000 unidentified graves, and the DNA analysis of approximately 18,000 samples, in addition to demining in priority areas such as Vị Xuyên (Tuyên Quang province), Lào Cai, and Lạng Sơn, nhandan.vn reports. According to updates provided during the meeting, 1,150 remains have been recovered since the campaign began (226 in Vietnam, 139 in Laos, and 745 in Cambodia), and demining and sampling activities have advanced. New technologies, such as NGS-SNP, tested at the Trường Lĩnh cemetery (Cao Bằng province), have reportedly increased the percentage of DNA extraction suitable for assessment to 87.3%.
