Le Hong Khiem
| Personal details | |
|---|---|
| Official photograph, 7558 | |
| Native name | Lê Hồng Khiêm |
| Honorific prefix | President |
| Birth Date | 19 Suna 7521 |
| Birth place | Nam Ô, Hai Mau |
| Death date | 19 Herfa 7602 (aged 81) |
| Death place | Sa Ðoc, |
| Cause of death | TBD |
| Resting place | TBD |
| Citizenship | Dao Thom |
| Nationality | Daothomese |
| Party | Đảo Mới |
| Height | 167.64 centimetres |
| Spouse | Đoàn Thị Giàu (m. 7543, d. 7594) |
| Children | 2 |
| Mother | Hoàng Thị Loan (b. 7503, d. 7582) |
| Father | Lê Quốc Minh (b. 7501, d. 7584) |
| Residence | Nam Ô (personal) |
| Occupation | Political theorist |
| Profession | Politician |
| Known for | Socialism, Co-Founder of the DRDT |
| President of Dao Thom | |
| Term Start | 7577 |
| Term End | 7586 |
| Predecessor | position established |
Lê Hồng Khiêm was a Daothomese politician and political theorist who is considered one of the Co-Founders of the Democratic Republic of Dao Thom and served as its first President from 7577 to 7586.
Early life
Lê was born on 19 Suna 7521 to Lê Quốc Minh and Hoàng Thị Loan, in the town of Nam Ô in Hải Mẫu province. He was the oldest of three children with two younger sisters, Lê Thị Thanh (born 7523, died 7594) and Lê Tất Đạt (born 7526, died 7601). His father was a clerk in the provincial administration under the Anisoran colonial authorities, and his mother worked as a seamstress in a shop she ran with her older sister and two other ladies who were close friends of the family.
While he considered himself an "average student", Lê performed well in his studies, being recognised as an especially talented writer. He likewise developed a deep fondness for reading and books. He received his general education certificate in 7539 RH. He earned a job with the office of the Anisoran trade factor in Lang Ðoc, the provincial seat and a minor port on the northeastern coast of Lotus Island. He later recounted in his autobiography that the work was, "simple but satisfying," describing his job as being responsible for helping draw up the papers for a variety of trade arrangements which brought investment and business into the area.
Career and politics
Revolutionary work
Lê worked in the trade factor's office for the next fourteen years, until in early 7553 RH when he resigned in protest over the arrest of his long-time friend, Phạm Văn Đồng, who had been taken by the colonial authorities after being accused of subversive activities. Having heard of the growing Popular Revolution for several years, Lê sought out associates he knew who were involved in its agitation and spent time with them, finding an interest in the philosophies they shared and agreeing that peaceful resistance to the continued Anisoran presence in the country, even against the backdrop of the ongoing Pan-Anarian War. He helped plan several peaceful protest marches across the country until being thrust into the limelight during the Suối Tiên Protest in Bến Giang in mid-7554 RH, when the protest leader, Trần Văn Đỗ, was unable to make his planned appearance due to the onset of appendicitis. Having heard Lê speak at several smaller protests over the previous year, several of the others recommended he give a brief speech in Trần's stead. Standing on a makeshift scaffold he gave a short, fifteen-minute speech to the nearly 8,000 assembled in Suối Tiên Square which cemented his place as one of the leading figures in the spreading revolution.
This cemented Lê's status as a voice of reason in the revolution, and he began to work directly with Trần Văn Đỗ, who was able to rejoin the work after a successful surgery to remove his inflamed appendix and a period of rest and recovery. The two began to appear at protests and gatherings, several times defying colonial authorities doing so. Lê penned a formal petition which was signed by hundreds of his fellow countrymen and delivered to the colonial governor in 7556 RH. Lê was arrested twice in that same year but released both times for insufficient evidence to warrant prosecution. When the Quy Thiết rising happened and dozens were injured and two people died in an ensuing rush, he spoke openly and critically of the violence of both sides, insisting that peaceful transition was the only legitimate option. A combination of post-PAW domestic concerns and the fallout of several smaller but similar incidents ultimately forced the Anisoran government to announce its withdrawal from the islands. Lê and Trần were among the Daothomese present on the docks in Đà Lâm where the governor handed over the instrument announcing the withdrawal before boarding the final ship to Anisora on 1 Solma.
Immediately following the withdrawal of the colonial presence, Lê was adamant in his calls that the nation should chart a new course forward for itself, free of past influences and political systems and anything connected to the colonial period. This included, according to his pamphlet on the subject, the abdication of the king and the abolition of the monarchy. This was ultimately decided by a popular referendum, and the last king, Nguyễn Công Thành, abdicated and withdrew to a small, private estate on Plum Blossom Island.
Post-revolutionary work
The Provisional People's Government of Dao Thom (Chính phủ nhân dân lâm thời Đào Thơm) was established in Hue Loc in 7560 RG, with the nation choosing to simply call itself the State of Dao Thom (Bang Đào Thơm). Lê declined all invitations to be involved in its work, claiming that he had done all he could and that it was up to the people to forge their path forward. Returning to his hometown of Nam Ô, he occupied his time with his writing and began to pen regular pamphlets on the prospect of a socialist future for the nation. Having read both In the Cause of the People and Labour and Dignity by Aleksandr Belikov, he recognised the potential for a stable, prosperous future in the new political system. Between 7560 and 7574, he penned more than thirty pamphlets which discussed his theories and ideas, using Belikov's writings as a reference and inspiration, and over time drew an increasing number of supporters into the camp calling for socialist reform.
In 7575, Lê traveled to Arvor and met with several of its founders, who were active participants in the recently established socialist government. Discussions with those founders and observing the political process of the new republic, Lê returned to Đào Thơm a month later with new inspirations and ideas. Penning a new pamphlet entitled Beginning the Path of One Hundred Steps (Bắt đầu con đường trăm bước), he met with members of the government and formally proposed his plan for shifting the nation to a socialist government and economy, which he called the Hundred Steps Programme (Chương trình Trăm Bước). In these meetings, Lê and the council enacted the Hundred Steps. A constitution was drawn up in the People's Consultative Congress of 7576 RH, and after several drafts and clarifications, the constitution was formally signed by people's representatives from every province and became the supreme law of the new Democratic Republic of Dao Thom on 1 Vetrun 7577. Huế Lộc was officially named the new capital of the nation.
President
While he insisted that he wished to hold no formal role in the nation, Lê was elected its first president as the result of a largely grassroots effort to ensure his name was on the ballot. Even though he succeeded in convincing the other two who had declared their candidacy to remain on the ballot and stand for election, he won with just over 75% of the vote. Phạm Mạnh Hùng was elected the nation's first premier.
Personal life
Marriage and children
In 7543 RH, shortly after his 22nd birthday, Lê married Đoàn Thị Giàu, the daughter of a respected merchant in the town of Ninh Liêu, not far from his native Nam Ô.
Honours
TBD
Private life trivia
- TBD