VietNamNet Bridge – The war has passed but the pain of war is still present, especially for families of martyrs who anxiously look forward to find the remains of their relatives.
The search for martyrs is a top priority of the State. Vietnam has
promoted the use of advanced technology, including DNA analysis
techniques, to identify the remains of martyrs.The Army Institute of Forensic Medicine is one of the pioneers in the application of this technique.
The remains of martyrs by DNA analysis techniques was assessed by the Institute in 2003. With
experienced technicians and modern equipment and machinery, the
institute has successfully identified the remains of hundreds of martyrs
by DNA analysis techniques.
The institute has identified dozens
of sets of remains found at the same sites or the remains of senior
revolutionists like Nguyen Duc Canh, Ho Ngoc Lan and Phung Chi Kien of
over 70 years ago.
It uses DNA identification techniques
transferred by the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory – AFDIL of
the US, and previously the Institute of Biotechnology of Vietnam.
There are two methods of DNA analysis. The
DNA samples from the remains of martyrs are compared with DNA samples
of their relatives. The samples are kept in small vases.
The samples are put into a DNA testing device, which is connected to the computer. The results of the DNA testing process are displayed on the computer.
The time to complete the assessment lasts four to six weeks.
Nguyen
Thi Hoa, a staff at the Institute, said: “This is very practical work,
especially with families of martyrs in particular as well as the entire
society. I love you, and appreciate the work that I’ve been assigned to
do.”
Dat Viet