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War veterans, communist leaders and diplomats gathered in Vietnam’s Dien Bien Phu yesterday to mark the 60th anniversary of the country’s seminal victory over French colonial forces.
The bloody 56-day battle ended on May 7, 1954, precipitating the collapse of France’s colonial empire and Vietnam’s emergence as an independent nation.
“Dien Bien Phu was a victory for all the people of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia,” as it ended French dominance in Indochina, said President Truong Tan Sang at a colourful ceremony featuring marching bands, flower-bedecked military floats and regiments of soldiers.
Defence Minister Phung Quang Thanh said the victory was “an historic, golden turning point,” for Vietnam.
“It was a victory that helped to end colonialism and brought Vietnam her independence,” he said after visiting the largest cemetery for Vietnamese soldiers who died in the battle.
The battle cost an estimated 13,000 lives on both sides.