Vietnam marks 7Oth anniversary of historic victory over France

HANOI A crowd of more than 10,000 people, including war veterans and dignitaries, gathered on May 7 in Vietnam's Dien Bien Phu to mark the 70th anniversary of the battle that ultimately brought an end to the French empire in Indochina.

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Outside the city stadium where official commemorations were held, throngs of people - many wearing traditional Vietnamese dress lined the streets to watch a huge military parade. They cheered on soldiers marching with Vietnamese flags.

Vietnam invited for the first time a government minister from the former colonial power to attend the celebrations, which featured 21 rounds of fireworks and a display by 11 helicopters carrying Communist Party of Vietnam and national flags.

French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh were among those at the event that drew huge attention from tourists and residents of northwestern Dien Bien province, which borders Laos.

As celebrations began in Dien Bien Phu city's stadium, 90-yearold veteran Pham Duc Cu spoke on behalf of his fallen comrades.

"It moves me to remember the people who died to achieve this earth-shaking victory," he said.

"The war has passed. We are so proud to have contributed to making a heroic Dien Bien." In his speech, Mr Chinh said the battle of Dien Bien Phu represented a "victory for justice", marking the collapse of colonialism.