Vietnam defense minister Phung Quang Thanh attends art program in Hanoi

General Thanh returned from France on July 25 after recovering from surgery on a lung tumor – reportedly benign – that was performed at a French hospital on June 30.

He came back after German news agency DPA on July 19 published an article saying he had died the same day at a French hospital where he was being treated for lung cancer, citing an anonymous military source.

On July 20, Lieutenant General Vo Van Tuan, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army, rejected the DPA article, affirming that General Thanh had recovered from the surgery and was healthy.

After Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper carried a report on Saturday on Minister Thanh’s return to Hanoi on a flight operated by flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, DPA issued an apology letter to Minister Thanh for mistakenly reporting his death.

At yesterday’s event, themed “Aspiration for Reunion,” General Thanh shook hands and talked with delegates, including those who are honored as Vietnamese Heroic Mothers.

He also welcomed representatives of families whose members have done well for their country.

Vietnam’s Minister of Defense Phung Quang Thanh (C, sitting) is seen at the art exchange program. Photo: Tuoi Tre

The program was jointly organized by the National Steering Board for Search and Recovery of Remains of Martyrs, Vietnam Television and the Army Radio and Television Center.

The event aimed to show gratitude to fallen combatants, wounded and sick soldiers and families who contributed to Vietnam’s national liberation struggles in the past.

It also honored the efforts of all agencies and individuals searching for and recovering fallen soldiers’ remains.

The event was attended by State President Truong Tan Sang, National Assembly Deputy Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan, and Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, among other officials.

According to Lieutenant General Vu Van Hien, chief of the Secretariat of the Ministry of Defense, General Thanh continued his work immediately after returning to Hanoi on June 25.

He has heard a number of reports and studied material in defense and other fields, said Lt. Gen. Hien.

Before undergoing the above-mentioned surgery, Minister Thanh had suffered from a chest injury received during wartime, which has over time caused fibrosis in a part of his lungs, according to a source close to Tuoi Tre.