Introduction
Before 1945, when it had not yet won power, the Indochinese communist party – the predecessor of the Vietnamese communist party – always struggled with the French colonial government to demand freedom of the press.
In the book “Party historical events”, volume 1, compiled by the Central Party Historical Research Board, Hanoi Truth Publishing House published in 1976, there is an article “People’s newspaper“, talking about the The party published the Dan Chung newspaper by itself, without asking the permission of the French government at that time, and after that, the French government had to agree to allow the Dan Chung newspaper to be published legally.
When will Vietnamese people be free to publish newspapers, to preserve the national culture, to support the Party’s Doi Moi cause, like Dan Chung newspaper of the communist party during the French colonial period?
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On July 22, 1938, without the need to obtain a license from the French colonial rulers in Indochina, our Party published the newspaper Dan, in the name of being the agency of the labor and people of Indochina, but actually substance is the central organ of our Party.
The newspaper office was located at 51E Grimaud Street (colonel Grimaud), Saigon, then moved to 43 Hamelin Street, Saigon. (today’s Le Thi Hong Gam street).
The complete compilation includes comrades Nguyen Van Nguyen, Nguyen Van Kinh, Nguyen Thi Luu, etc. Together with other public newspapers of the Party, Dan Chung newspaper propagated the Party’s lines and policies, especially the Party’s strategic and Democratic Front policies, exposing the colonial and semi-feudal regimes, corrupt, reactionary; regularly raise the aspirations of all classes of people; calling and guiding workers, farmers and other working classes to struggle; reflect the revolutionary movement of the masses, the propaganda of Mac-Leninism, etc.
Dan Chung-Masses newspaper deserved to be a pioneer soldier on the press front of our Party at that time, actively fighting for the implementation of the Indochinese Democratic Front; demanded amnesty for political crimes, relief for the hungry people in Ca Mau, expansion of the right to suffrage, freedom of friendship and trade unions, taxation of money, and defense of Indochina.
Initially published weekly with a volume of 3,000 to 4,000 copies each, later published twice a week with a volume of 10,000 copies. On the anniversaries of the revolution, the newspaper publishes a special issue of 15,000 copies and publishes pictures of world revolutionary leaders such as Mac, Engels, Lenin, and Stalin.
Fearing the growing influence of the Dan Chung newspaper, on March 7 and April 19, 1939, falsely accused the newspaper of intending to incite the people to disturb peace and order, the French reactionary authorities gave soldiers to search, confiscate documents, and arrest newspaper employees.
The Hue court issued a decree banning the circulation of Dan Chung newspaper in the Middle Country. Indignant at the above tricks of the enemy, the people of Saigon consecutively held 28 protest rallies and organized a collection of money to support the newspaper.
In just one week, 400 VND was raised.
Persecuted by the enemy, it had to be stopped for 3 weeks.
On March 28, 1939, the newspaper continued to publish to meet the expectations readers were expecting. Campaigning for the candidates of the Democratic Front to run for the Cochinchina County Board of Directors, Dan Chung daily publishes 10,000 copies.
In more than 1 year of operation, with the spirit of efforts of officials and with the strong support of the masses, Dan Chung newspaper has published nearly 100 issues. With the correct political line of our Party, the Dan Chung newspaper persisted in performing the function of the Party’s central organ until the days when the conditions for public operation were no longer available.
Like other newspapers of the Party, the People’s Daily has really become a tool of the Party’s revolutionary struggle, in order to mobilize, educate and organize the masses, to expand the influence of the Party among the masses and to rally the masses, spread all classes of people into the Indochinese Democratic Front.
The birth of Dan Chung newspaper without permission is the beginning of the Vietnamese-language press freedom era in our country. Only 1 month later, on August 30, 1938, the French Government was forced to issue a decree on press freedom in the South.
This is a very important political victory in our Party’s public press movement.”////