The remains of 14 Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts discovered in Laos were handed over to the Vietnamese side during a repatriation ceremony held in Vientiane on January 19.

Remains of 14 Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts discovered
in Laos are handed over to the Vietnamese side (Photo: VNA)

The effort to return the remains marks the first repatriation of Vietnamese martyrs in the 2020 to 2021 dry season across six northern provinces of Laos.

This comes after a special working committee of Military Region 2 High Command successfully located 14 sets of remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who had lost their lives whilst supporting previous struggles in Laos for the cause of independence across six northern Laotian provinces.

During the course of the ceremony, representatives of the Vietnamese Consulate General in northern Laos, the six northern provinces of Laos, in addition to the Vietnamese community in Oudomxay province, offered incense whilst expressing their gratitude for the martyrs' sacrifice, thanking them for the peaceful and prosperous life of people today.

In line with the schedule, the memorial service and burial ceremony for 13 unidentified martyrs is due to take place on January 20 at Tong Khao cemetery in Dien Bien Phu city in the northern province of Dien Bien.

In addition, the delegation will continue to hand over the remains of the final martyr named Lo Van Phieu to the northern Lai Chau province on January 20.