Pho Duc Chinh (1907-1930)

Pho Duc Chinh was born in 1907 in a Confucian family, in Da Nguu village (Tan Tien commune), Van Giang district. He studied in Hanoi Civil Engineering College.

In December, 1927, he participated in the establishment of Vietnamese Nationalist Party and became one of its leaders in the central committee, in charge of organizational activities.

Graduating from Civil Engineering College, he was assigned to work in Laos. On  February 9^th 1929, Nguyen Van Vien, a member of Vietnamese Nationalist Party spontaneously attempted to assassinate Badand - a French official in charge of recruiting coolie labor in Hue Street, Hanoi. Therefore, Vietnamese Nationalist Party was severely suppressed by the French colonial government. Because of the leaking of information by two spies, Pho Duc Chinh was arrested and extradited to Vietnam. However, the colonial government failed to have enough evidence to convict him.

After his release, he pursued the revolutionary path and returned all keepsakes to Ms. Tham, his fiancée, in Thanh Hoa.

The French colonial government continuously reinforced its nation-wide repression on Vietnamese Nationalist Party. On September 17^th, 1929, the central committee of Vietnamese Nationalist Party held a meeting in Lac Dao commune (Van Lam district). In the meeting, participants were divided into two sides with one in favor of waiting for the prime time and favorable conditions and the other in favor of immediate uprising with Nguyen Thai Hoc’s famous quote “If it is not successful, it will be a hero dying for the country”

The preparation for the uprising was carried out in rush with a lot of mistakes. In the meeting of the central committee in Vong La village, Ha Bi commune (Thanh Thuy, Phu Tho), the participants were besieged by colonial soldiers. Nguyen Thai Hoc, Nguyen Khac Nhu and Pho Duc Chinh escaped with wounds. As no leaders of Nationalist Party were arrested, the French colonial government decided to destroy Vong La village.

After the Vong La case, the French colonialists continued to squeeze its repression on Vietnamese Nationalist Party. Nguyen Thai Hoc, Nguyen Khac Nhu and Pho Duc Chinh realized that the only way was carrying out the uprising as soon as possible. On January 26^th, 1930, a national-wide meeting of Vietnamese Nationalist Party took place in My Xa village, Nam Sach district (Hai Duong province) and they decided to take a general uprising on February 9^th, 1930, with a series of planned attacks in the towns of Yen Bai, Son Tay, Hung Hoa, Pha Lai, Hai Duong, Hai Phong, Kien An and Hanoi. Pho Duc Chinh was in charge of Son Tay’s revolt. Prior to the revolt day, because the insurgent force in Son Tay was still limited, he participated in Yen Bai’s revolt first.

In the morning of February 9^th, 1930, insurgent forces disguised as people going to market to arrive Yen Bai town and gathered in a forest near the town in the afternoon. Pho Duc Chinh, in an army uniform, addressed the insurgent force and distributed weapons.

However, with the information provided by a spy, the French army had preparation for the attack.

At 1 am of February 10^th, 1930, two soldier troops No. 5 and No. 6 opened the gate of military station to welcome insurgent forces, distributed weapons and hoisted the flag of Vietnamese Nationalist Party, attacked the French troops and killed a French military officer. However, soldiers inside the military station unceasingly opened fire at the insurgent force, putting them in a dilemma with risk of being surrounded. Without being told before, the post’s guardsmen just kept neutral attitude when the revolt broke out. Facing with this situation, Pho Duc Chinh and other leaders requested insurgent force to withdraw in the forest.

After the failure of Yen Bai’s revolt, Pho Duc Chinh actively worked with some comrades in Son Tay to prepare for the attack on the Thong military station. Although, the bomb stock of the revolt force was detected and seized by the French army on February 13^th, 1930, he was still determined to attack this military station. In the afternoon of February 15^th, 1930, as working with his comrade - Nguyen Van Khoi in Tan’s house in Nam An village (Cam Thuong commune, Tung Thien district, Son Tay), he was arrested.

After that, Nguyen Thai Hoc and other key leaders of Vietnamese Nationalist Party were also arrested. The French colonial jury sentenced 10 of them to timed imprisonment at hard labor, 34 to life imprisonment at hard labor, 50 to be sent to exile and 40 others to death penalty including Nguyen Thai Hoc and Pho Duc Chinh. After announcing the verdict, the chief jury asked if Pho Duc Chinh wanted to appeal. When responding to this offer, he smiled and said: “There is only one mission to fulfill in one’s life, if it is failed what the life is for?”  

All members of Vietnamese Nationalist Party who received death penalty were imprisoned for 3 months in Hanoi, and then escorted to Yen Bai for decapitation. At 5:30 am on June 17^th, 1930, the sentence for these revolutionary soldiers was enforced by the French colonial force. The braveness, the heroism and indomitable manner of these 13 martyrs shocked their enemies and were admired by people. Pho Duc Chinh was the twelfth person to be decapitated. Instead of lying in a conventional way, he asked to be laid face up the blade. "Long live Vietnam" was his last words heard before the fall of the guillotine's blade.  He died as a hero.