To Hieu (1912-1944)

To Hieu was a native of Xuan Cau village, Nghia Tru commune, Van Giang district. His farther was a teacher. Although his family was poor, he started to study at the age of six and studied very hard.

During 1925-1926, as studying in the Franco-Vietnam school in Hai Duong town, he took part in the movements demanding the release of Phan Boi Chau and the mourning for Phan Chu Trinh. Therefore, he was made to fail the final examination of primary school.

In 1927, he went to Hanoi to study and work for living. During that time he participated in patriotic activities of the student movement, and then he enrolled in the Indochinese Communist Party. In 1930, he was arrested by the French colonial government, sentenced to 4 - year imprisonment and sent to Con Dao Island.  After being released and considered as a "dangerous" person by French Intelligence agency, he returned to his homeland and lived under a house arrest. 

During this period, he resumed contact with the Party and continued revolutionary activities. Besides, he mobilized all villagers to build a school for pupils. In 1935, he was assigned to go to Thai Nguyen to establish the revolutionary base. Then he moved to Hanoi to work as a member of the Northern Communist Party and was in charge of propaganda and instruction activities as well as leading the Hanoi revolutionary movement. He wrote a lot of articles in public newspaper to provide guidance for revolutionary officials and assigned the staff to coal mines for stimulating the movement of coal mine workers.

In the autumn of 1938, the Party assigned him to be in charge of northern coastal area and the Secretary of the Communist Party in Hai Phong. Under the leadership of the Communist Party, the movement reached its high peak. A number of struggles requesting for salary increase, working-hour reduction and improving living standards of workers in cement factories, electric factories, water plants and textile factories achieved good results. Typically, thanks to the struggle led by To Hieu with the participation of 3000 workers in textile factories from 16^th to 22^nd April, 1939, all workers’ requests were satisfied by the factories.

On May 30^th, 1939, To Hieu led the struggle against the tax levied on electricity and water supply. When the French police carried out repression and arrested 72 people, he managed to escape with the support of workers. However, tuberculosis made his health worse. Although the local communist party asked him to rest for recovering, he continuously involved in the movement with high enthusiasm. He was the head of “Chien dau” (Fighting) newspaper which was secretly circulated in Hai Phong with the first issue published on November 7^th, 1939 - on the occasion of the October Revolution of Russia. He also chaired the sixth central meeting of the Party.

On December 1^st, 1939, he was arrested on the way bringing materials to the printing house. Suffering from tortures, he showed the pride and braveness of a patriotic communist. Whenever recovering from these torture sessions, he propagated and encouraged his comrades in Hai Phong prison to keep the communist spirit and strong will to struggle against prison’s policies and conditions, as well as celebrated the anniversary of Communist Party on February 3^rd, 1940 in the prison. The colonial judged him in Kien An court and sentenced him to 5-year imprisonment.

In 1940, he was sent into exile in Son La. In Son La prison, as selected to be the Secretary of the Party Cell, he led his comrades to struggle for the improvement of prison’s conditions. He, together with his comrades, elaborated materials, conducted training in politics and culture for other prisoners to “change the prison into school”, trained for communist officers and tried to contact with outside communist units. The French envoy, Crusso, in Son La, increasingly suppressed the prisoners and applied strict policies. Many prisoners went on hunger-strike against these policies and many of them were placed in close confinement.

Due to the hardness of living conditions in prison and the severe torture of the enemy, his health got worse and worse. However, he was very positive and believed in the success of the Communist Party. In 1943, as hearing the good news about the victory of Russian Red Army in Leningrad, despite his bad health condition, he still reaffirmed that “Russia will win, fascism will be defeated, the war will end and the Vietnam revolution will succeed”. On March 7^th, 1944, he died in Son La. His tomb was buried in The Guava garden cemetery.

Today, when visiting Son La prison, the green peach tree planted by To Hieu will be seen to stand out from the cold and grey walls of the prison. As the spring arrives, the peach branch grafted from this tree blossoms with red petals. In his honor, many streets and schools were named To Hieu.