Marcel, who has taken the name Ho Cuong Quyet in Vietnamese- was granted Vietnamese citizenship following  State President Nguyen Minh Triet’s decision. 

Speaking at the ceremony, the Vietnamese leader affirmed the respect given to Marcel. “We offer special affection to him as he has stood beside Vietnam through the toughest times”, Mr Triet said, adding that the solidarity of international friends is an important factor behind Vietnam’s victories against invaders. 

The State President showed his admiration for Marcel’s bravery and wished the new citizen would continue loving Vietnam and fighting those who still misunderstand and oppose the country. 

Speaking in quite fluent Vietnamese, Marcel expressed his happiness at becoming a Vietnamese citizen. “Now I no longer stand beside Vietnam. I am part of Vietnam,” he said. “ I have protected Vietnam with my heart. I will continue protecting the independence, sovereignty and territory of Vietnam with more power and a deeper understanding, because now I am a Vietnamese citizen”, he continued. 

Marcel said that helping the poor, school children and Vietnamese Agent Orange victims in their struggle for justice will be his top priorities in the coming time. 

Marcel came to Vietnam to teach in 1968. Two years later, on July 25, 1970, he and Jean Pierre Debris raised the flag of the National Front for Liberation of Southern Vietnam and distributed leaflets in front of the Saigon regime’s Parliament building. After two and a half years in the regime’s prison, he began traveling around the globe to promote the cause of Vietnamese communists and write books denouncing the crimes of the US invaders and the Saigon regime.