Journalist Vo Nhan Ly, first Editor-in-Chief of SGGP Newspaper: An example of persistent efforts for the revolutionary journalism career

On April 30, 1975, Saigon City and the South were completely liberated. Only 5 days after that great event, on May 5, 1975, according to the Decision of the Saigon - Gia Dinh Regional Party Committee (now the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee), a large-format daily newspaper called "Saigon Giai Phong" (SGGP) was printed and distributed in large quantities, meeting the information needs and demands of the Party Committee, government, and people of the newly liberated Saigon City.

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Immediately after that, the Standing Committee of the Saigon - Gia Dinh City Party Committee decided to assign the SGGP Newspaper's Editorial Board to 4 comrades. Journalist Vo Nhan Ly was assigned as the head (Editor-in-Chief).

During more than 6 years as the head of SGGP Newspaper, comrade Vo Nhan Ly has demonstrated his steadfast political stance, sharp and sensitive theoretical thinking, and has made many important contributions in clarifying the Party's guidelines and policies and in the cause of political and ideological education, conveying guidelines and policies to the masses, contributing to creating the strength of the revolutionary movement.

He was a passionate patriot, a communist soldier who tirelessly fought for the revolutionary cause with a firm belief in socialism and the ideals chosen by the Party and Uncle Ho.

In a warm house in District 4 (HCMC), where Ms. Le Thi Nhan, the wife of comrade Vo Nhan Ly, is resting in her old age, we met Mr. Cao Xuan Dung, the adopted son of journalist Vo Nhan Ly. Mr. Dung said that when he was the Editor-in-Chief of SGGP Newspaper, a reader wrote to ask who journalist Vo Nhan Ly was. Journalist Vo Nhan Ly replied that I am a revolutionary journalist.

Despite her advanced age, Mrs. Le Thi Nhan is still lucid. When she learned that journalist Nguyen Khac Van, Deputy Editor-in-Chief in charge of SGGP Newspaper, and the newspaper's staff and reporters were coming to visit, she was very happy.

He said that during his years as Editor-in-Chief of SGGP Newspaper, journalist Vo Nhan Ly often came home very late, sometimes at 2-3 am. Family members also said that journalist Vo Nhan Ly rarely confided or revealed about his career or work to anyone. Therefore, there is very little information about journalist Vo Nhan Ly.

Comrade Vo Nhan Ly's real name is Ngo Xuan Luu, born in 1925 in Binh Ha commune, Thanh Ha district, Hai Duong province.

During more than 60 years of revolutionary activities, comrade Vo Nhan Ly held many important positions: Member of the Fourth Command of the Dong Trieu War Zone; Political Commissar of Military Zone 3; Standing member of the Military Zone Party Committee, Vice Chairman of Hai Duong Province (1946); Chief of the Office of the Northern Regional Party Committee; Standing member of the Hong Quang Inter-Provincial Party Committee; Head of the Propaganda Department of the Viet Bac Inter-Zone Party Committee; Deputy Director of Vietnam News Agency (1957); Member of the Propaganda Department of the Central Office for Southern Region; Director of the Liberation News Agency (1965); Member of the Saigon - Gia Dinh Zone Party Committee, Secretary of the Inter-District 6 Personnel Committee; Member of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Information, Deputy of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee's Propaganda Department; Editor-in-Chief of the SGGP Newspaper (1975).

He was awarded many noble prizes by the Party and State, such as the Ho Chi Minh Medal, the First Class Independence Medal, the First Class Victory Medal, the First Class Resistance Medal against America, and the 50-year Party membership badge.

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In 1965, comrade Vo Nhan Ly (Vu Linh, Bay Ly), Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Vietnam News Agency, was transferred to the South and appointed Director of the Liberation News Agency (GP). After being strengthened with human resources and technical equipment, under the leadership of comrade Vo Nhan Ly, the GP News Agency grew rapidly.

Local staff were equipped with expertise and basic knowledge, and the organizational form of a formal news agency was gradually formed and operated effectively.

Journalist Vo Nhan Ly, General Director of Giai Phong News Agency at the closing ceremony of the photography training course of the Southern School of Journalism and Communication, 1968. Photo: VNA

The late veteran journalist Vu Tien Cuong, former reporter of TTXGP, once shared: Professional meetings were held daily under the chairmanship of comrade Vo Nhan Ly, everyone was updated with domestic and foreign information, and at the same time trained to improve their professional skills. Along with the work of publishing reference news to serve the leaders of the Central Office for Southern Vietnam, TTXGP regularly sent news, photo and service reporter teams to the front lines, promptly reflecting current news on the battlefields.

In 1965, while the TTXGP agency was marching in the pouring rain, it received an urgent telegram informing that the US-puppet government would execute student Le Hong Tu in Saigon. Immediately, he ordered the march to stop and wrote the “Declaration of the TTXGP”, the official mouthpiece of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam.

The "Statement of the Vietnam News Agency" was immediately broadcast many times by the Liberation Radio and the Voice of Vietnam, moving people's hearts, creating public outrage in the country and around the world, and contributing to the suspension of the death sentence of student Le Hong Tu.

With his intelligence, modesty, diligence, and friendliness, comrade Vo Nhan Ly is a beautiful and respectable Vietnamese image in the hearts of famous foreign journalists who came to work with the News Agency in the Southern battlefield, such as Botset (Australian journalist), Madeleine Rippho (French female journalist), Monica (Polish female writer and journalist)...

In the eulogy read at the memorial service for comrade Vo Nhan Ly, comrade Pham Phuong Thao, former Standing Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee and Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council, was moved to comment: Comrade Vo Nhan Ly was also a kind person, a shining example of morality, integrity, thrift, loyalty, and humanity.

While still working, especially on the battlefield, he shared the joys and sorrows, was friendly and shared with his brothers and colleagues. When he retired, his home was always filled with the warmth of friendship and comradeship. Before he passed away, he wanted to be cremated and instructed that the funeral be simple, not causing trouble or wasting the time of his family, comrades and friends.

TRAN MINH TRUONG

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/nha-bao-vo-nhan-ly-tong-bien-tap-dau-tien-cua-bao-sggp-tam-guong-phan-dau-kien-tri-cho-su-nghiep-bao-chi-cach-mang-post800340.html