Vietnam expands DNA sampling to identify war martyrs

Vietnam’s national "500 days night" campaign, launched in March 2026 and running until July 2027, is collecting DNA from relatives of unidentified war martyrs to match remains with families. Hanoi completed a peak phase, setting up five collection stations and fifteen mobile teams across 126 communes. In the north, Tuyen Quang province will take DNA from more than 3,900 martyrs between 22‑26 July, with mobile units covering 18 localities; the search teams have already excavated around 10 000 m³ of soil and recovered 42 sets of remains.

Huế has intensified exhumations at Phú Vang cemetery, the city’s largest site of unknown graves (1,595 plots), and recently recovered a skeleton near Hương Thủy station. Da Nẵng’s military command reported the eighth discovery of a martyr’s remains in the Hang Đá Sập cave, accompanied by personal artifacts. Quảng Ninh finished sampling all 803 unknown graves at Móng Cái cemetery. Quảng Trị reported receiving over 1,000 DNA samples from relatives. Nationwide, more than 93,000 DNA samples have been entered into a central database, while over 175,000 unidentified martyrs and 300,000 unknown graves remain.

During the DNA work, a faded family photograph was uncovered in an unmarked grave at Đức Hòa cemetery, Tây Ninh, highlighting the personal histories being restored. The campaign combines scientific methods with a humanitarian and political commitment to honour the fallen and give closure to families.