Decades after peace, Vietnam still carries a heavy historical burden. Currently, it is recorded that around 175,000 remains of war heroes have not been found, while 300,000 others have been collected but remain unidentified. As a responsive step, the National Steering Committee for the Search and Identification of Martyrs' Remains officially launched the '500-Day Campaign' running from March 15, 2026, to July 27, 2027.
Professor Dr. Chu Hoang Ha, Vice President of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, explained that the main challenge of identification is the extreme degradation of DNA due to the tropical climate for decades. Conventional methods like STR markers or mitochondrial DNA analysis are no longer adequate because the remaining bone samples found are generally fragmented into very short segments.
A breakthrough solution is now presented through collaborative research with international partners, namely the use of Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) techniques combined with more than 5,000 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. This technology enables the analysis of very short and degraded nuclear DNA, even expanding the scope of kinship matching up to the fourth generation.
In its implementation, this campaign integrates databases from various agencies, ranging from the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Public Security, to the Ministry of Home Affairs. The collection of biological samples from martyrs' relatives is a crucial key that will later be synchronized with the database of forensic test results in designated national laboratories.
Although coordination between agencies is running effectively, Professor Chu Hoang Ha emphasized the logistical and testing capacity challenges. Currently, a significant increase in laboratory capacity is needed to be able to process thousands of samples per year to achieve the major target by 2030. For scientists, the success of this mission is not just a technical task, but a profound form of dedication to restoring the identity of the heroes who sacrificed for the nation's independence.
