Artifacts that tell the story of Mr. Huynh: Three letters that paved the way for Tiếng Dân (Voice of the People).

According to Mr. Nguyen Duc Loc, Director of the Hue City History Museum, the value of the Tieng Dan newspaper's headquarters should be recognized in its overall context, encompassing historical value, cultural and journalistic value, and value associated with the renowned figure Huynh Thuc Khang. and the architectural value of the building. Tiếng Dân (Voice of the People) was founded on August 10, 1927, by Mr. Huỳnh Thúc Kháng, who directly served as its editor-in-chief and maintained its operation until 1943. For over 16 years, the newspaper became an important forum, gathering the voices of patriotic, nationalistic, and democratic people, especially among the intellectuals of Central Vietnam.

PHOTO: SX

Notably, according to Mr. Loc, the current editorial office at 193 Huynh Thuc Khang Street (Hue City) is not only a place connected to the history of Tieng Dan in a commemorative sense, but it was also the space where Mr. Huynh organized the editorial office, printing house, managed publishing activities, and produced issues of the newspaper. Before that space existed, the newspaper started from a small address near Dap Da.

PHOTO: HOANG SON

STAYING AS A TRANSFERRED PERSON, SLEEPING ON A BOAT, WORRYING ABOUT GETTING THE NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED

On July 10, 1926, the first meeting of the Central Annam People's Assembly elected Huynh Thuc Khang as its president, with its headquarters in Hue. At that time, Mr. Nguyen Khoa Tung was one of the 38 members of the People's Assembly, and had known Mr. Huynh for many years. The house of Mr. and Mrs. Nguyen Khoa Tung and Dam Phuong Nu Su was only about 200 meters from Dap Da towards Thuan An.

PHOTO: HOANG SON

Researcher Duong Phuoc Thu, former Standing Vice Chairman of the Thua Thien-Hue Journalists Association and a dedicated researcher of Tieng Dan (People's Voice ), stated that from Dam Phuong's notes, it can be seen that whenever Mr. Huynh traveled from Quang Nam to Hue, he would often stay here for a few days to discuss the institute's work, talk about politics , literature, and human affairs. At that time, Mr. Huynh was still facing many difficulties. "There was a time when he stayed at Mr. Nguyen Khoa Tung's house, eating there, but at night he would sleep on a rented boat," Mr. Thu said. Sleeping on boats was quite common in Hue at that time due to the hot weather.

After assuming the position of President of the Central Vietnam People's Representative Assembly, Mr. Huynh established the Huynh Thuc Khang Company and intended to publish a newspaper in the Vietnamese Quốc ngữ script in Central Vietnam. He made several trips to Hue to work for the People's Representative Assembly and to discuss the newspaper's launch with the patriot Phan Boi Chau. The name Tiếng Dân ( Voice of the People) is believed to have been suggested by Phan Boi Chau.

In early October 1926, from his hometown of Quang Nam, Mr. Huynh sent a petition to the Governor-General of Indochina, P. Pasquier, requesting permission to publish a newspaper in the Vietnamese Quốc ngữ script, Tiếng Dân , with its headquarters planned in Da Nang . However, the French did not approve, citing the reason that the newspaper had to be based in Hue. The colonial government's regulations controlling the press forced Mr. Huynh to devise a plan to launch the newspaper as soon as possible, while also meeting the conditions for establishing a publishing base in Hue. It was from his house near Đập Đá that the first steps of the lobbying effort were taken.

PHOTO: HOANG SON

On October 9, 1926, Mr. Huynh wrote a letter in French to the Resident Commissioner of Central Vietnam, requesting intervention and assistance to get Tiếng Dân ( The People's Voice) published soon. From this same address, in his capacity as President of the People's Representative Assembly, he went directly to the Resident Commissioner's office several times to request their help in publishing the newspaper. According to Mr. Thu, before 1945, a newspaper had many positions such as political director, editor-in-chief, editorial secretary, and general secretary. In some newspapers, the general secretary was the main operator, and the editor-in-chief was often just a figurehead. "In Tiếng Dân , Mr. Huynh played a very significant role," Mr. Thu said.

A LETTER FROM AN ADDRESS

During his research, Mr. Duong Phuoc Thu found three handwritten letters in French from Huynh Thuc Khang to the Resident Commissioner of Central Vietnam and the Governor-General of Indochina, requesting assistance in publishing Tieng Dan (The People's Voice). All three letters are currently preserved at the National Archives Center IV ( Da Lat ), translated by Phan Thi Kim Lien, a lecturer in the French Department at Hue University of Foreign Languages.

The first letter was written in Hue on October 9, 1926, and sent to the Annam Resident in Hue. In it, Mr. Huynh requested the Resident to convey to the Governor-General of Indochina his desire to publish the newspaper Tiếng Dân (Voice of the People), and also hoped to influence the Governor-General to have an opportunity to meet with him on this matter during his stay in Hue. At the end of the letter, he clearly wrote: "Huynh Thuc Khang/President of the People's Representative Assembly/At the house of Mr. Nguyen Khoa Tung/Near Dap Da - Hue". At that time, the Governor-General of Indochina did not come to Hue, so Mr. Huynh did not have the opportunity to meet him and present his intentions.

In early 1927, through the Resident Commissioner of Central Vietnam, he learned that the Governor-General of Indochina was about to arrive in Hue. On January 14, 1927, he wrote two more letters. One was sent to the Resident Commissioner of Central Vietnam, requesting that the letter be forwarded to arrange a meeting with the Governor-General during his visit to Hue. At the end of the letter, the address remained: "At the house of Mr. Nguyen Khoa Tung, in Dap Da, Hue." The other letter was sent directly to the Governor-General of Indochina, requesting an audience to present information about the newspaper Tieng Dan (Voice of the People). At the end of the letter, he wrote: "At the house of Mr. Nguyen Khoa Tung, in Dap Da, Hue."

On February 12, 1927, the Governor-General of Indochina, P. Pasquier, signed a decree allowing the Huynh Thuc Khang Company to publish Tieng Dan (The People's Voice), with its headquarters in Hue. At this time, the editorial and printing office still did not have an official location. Mr. Huynh continued to temporarily set up his office at the house of Mr. Nguyen Khoa Tung.

According to Mr. Duong Phuoc Thu, to lobby for and expedite the procedures for obtaining permission to publish Tieng Dan (The People's Voice), Mr. Huynh used this address for several months. This was also the contact address of Huynh Thuc Khang Company and the initial Tieng Dan newspaper liaison office. From that house, the first steps of Tieng Dan were taken. The actual location of the newspaper's editorial office, printing house, and operations in the following years is another story. (to be continued)