Digital technologies to accelerate identification of fallen soldiers' remains: Deputy PM

In an interview with the Government News on the occasion of the 79th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs' Day (July 27), the Deputy Prime Minister described the mission as both a particularly important political task and a sacred moral responsibility, reflecting Viet Nam's enduring tradition of honoring those who sacrificed for the nation's independence and freedom.

Despite decades of effort, around 175,000 fallen soldiers remain unaccounted for, while approximately 230,000 martyrs' graves have yet to be identified.

Pham noted that the work has become increasingly challenging due to incomplete records, changing landscapes, the dwindling number of witnesses, and difficulties in DNA analysis.

After nearly four months of implementation, the 500-Day Campaign has recorded encouraging initial results. As of July 26, authorities had recovered 1,491 sets of remains and 10 collective graves, cleared 8,462 hectares of land contaminated by unexploded ordnance, collected samples from nearly 81,000 unidentified graves, and obtained more than 250,000 biological samples from martyrs' relatives, with around 66,000 already analyzed.

The Deputy Prime Minister said the figures represent more than statistical achievements, as each identified martyr brings long-awaited closure to families who have spent decades searching for their loved ones.

She also highlighted the ongoing search at Le Thi Rieng Park in Ho Chi Minh City as a source of renewed hope, saying that the combination of declassified military records, witness testimonies, international cooperation, and modern technologies continues to create new opportunities to locate and identify fallen soldiers.

Looking ahead, the Government will accelerate the development of a comprehensive national database on fallen soldiers, martyrs' graves, and cemeteries through a synchronized and fully digitalized system integrating data from ministries, localities, the armed forces, police, and other relevant agencies.

The Government will also continue expanding the national gene bank, expand the collection of biological samples from martyrs' relatives, standardize genetic data management and matching procedures, invest in modern laboratories, and strengthen the capacity of DNA forensic experts.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, artificial intelligence (AI), big data, geographic information systems (GIS), and other advanced digital technologies will be increasingly applied to improve information review, verification, and analysis, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of search and identification efforts.

She expressed confidence that rapid advances in science and technology, together with the contributions of the scientific community, would help achieve major breakthroughs in the search, recovery, and identification of fallen soldiers' remains in the years ahead.

The campaign, scheduled to conclude on July 27, 2027, aims to recover around 7,000 sets of remains, collect samples from approximately 230,000 unidentified martyrs' graves, conduct DNA analysis on about 18,000 sets of remains, establish a national genetic database for martyrs' relatives, and complete mine clearance in key search areas.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra reaffirmed the Party and State's commitment to continuing the search for martyrs' remains, stressing that no one who sacrificed for the nation will ever be forgotten./.