The Party’s Line in the Period of the Democratic Front (1936-1939)

 This is an excerpt from the report made by Hồ Chí Minh to the Communist International in July 1939.

Translation: Hồ Chí Minh, Selected Works, Vol. II, Foreign Languages Publishing House, Hanoi, 1961, pp. 149-150.

1— For the time being the Party cannot put forth too high a demand (national independence, parliament, etc.) To do so is to enter the Japanese fascists’ scheme.

It should only claim for democratic rights, freedom of organization, freedom of assembly, freedom of press and freedom of speech, general amnesty for all political detainees, and struggle for the legalization of the Party.

2— To reach this goal, the Party must strive to organize a broad Democratic National Front.

This Front does not embrace only Indochinese people but also progressive French residing in Indochina, not only toiling people but also the national bourgeoisie.

3— The Party must assume a wise, flexible attitude with the bourgeoisie, strive to draw it into the Front, win over the elements that can be won over and neutralize those who can be neutralized. We must by all means avoid leaving them outside the Front, lest they should fall into the hands of the enemy of the revolution and increase the strength of the reactionaries.

4— There cannot be any alliance with or any concession to the Trotskyite group. We must do everything possible to lay bare their faces as hench-men of the fascists and annihilate them politically.

5— To increase and consolidate its forces, to widen its influence and to work effectively, the Indochinese Democratic Front must keep close contact with the French Popular Front because the latter also struggles for free-dom, democracy and can give us great help.

6— The Party cannot demand that the Front recognizes its leadership. It must instead show itself as the organ which makes the greatest sacrifices, the most active and loyal organ. It is only through daily struggle and work that the masses of the people acknowledge the correct policies and leading capacity of the Party, that it can win the leading position.

7— To be able to carry out this task the Party must uncompromisingly fight sectarianism, narrow-mindedness and organize systematic study of Marxism-Leninism in order to raise the cultural and political level of the Party members and help the non-Party cadres raise their level. We must maintain close contact with the French Communist Party.

8— The Central Executive Committee must supervise the Party press to avoid technical and political mistakes (e.g. in publishing comrade R’s biography, the Lao Động306 revealed his address and his origin, etc. It also published without comment his letter saying that Trotskyism is a product of boastfulness, etc.)