Vietnamese people mourn Party chief on social media

The online forum Otofun has gone grey as a sign of respect for the late Party chief. VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Tributes have streamed in over social media soon after the Vietnam News Agency issued a special communiqué, announcing that Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng passed away at 1.38 pm on July 19, 2024, at the Central Military Hospital 108 in Hà Nội.

A moving eulogy by an anonymous author, which demonstrates the outpouring of grief of the Vietnamese people for the beloved leader, has gone viral on various platforms, including Facebook, Youtube, TikTok, Zalo and Viber.

The online forum Otofun, an automobile and motorbike playground in Việt Nam with over 200,000 members in 2028 just two years after its inception, has gone grey as a sign of respect for the late Party chief. Along with their sadness over his passing, the forum's members also expressed their hope that other leaders will follow the seniors’ steps and ideologies and develop their theories.

A poem by anonymous author, honouring Party General Secretary Trọng’s devotion to the nation, was also shared on the Zalo account “Yên Xuân – my homeland” established by a group of local people in Yên Xuân Commune in the central province of Nghệ An’s Hưng Nguyên District.

Through a website, students of the Từ Sơn High School in the northern province of Bắc Ninh have shown their depth of emotions over the passing of the Party chief, and promised to strive their best to develop the country.

Meanwhile, Tony Bui from Warszawa, Poland, posted a moving poem about the late leader on Facebook, expressing his gratitude towards the Party chief's contributions to the nation.

Netizens’ positive messages have affirmed that Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng’s prestige has created the power of solidarity not only for the Party but also the whole people. Besides, they have demonstrated that the transcendentals of truth, goodness and beauty are always treasured and acknowledged by the public.

As of January 2023, Việt Nam had 77.93 million internet users, or 79.1 per cent of the population. Among them, there were 70 million social network users, with 66.2 million signing up for Facebook, 63 million for YouTube, 10.35 million for Instagram, 49.86 million for TikTok, 5.2 million for LinkedIn, and 4.1 million for Twitter. — VNS