The militia, self-defence, and guerrilla force made significant contributions to the victory of the 1975 Spring General Offensive and Uprising, enabling our people and Military to completely liberate the South and reunify the country. Bringing into play that victory, currently, the militia and self-defence force should be made strong, extensive and qualified, closely organised, and provided with training and combat readiness courses in an effective manner so that it could devote itself to building solid defensive zones right at grass-roots level.

In the resistance war against the U.S., for national salvation, the Southern militia, self-defence and guerrilla force bravely combated the enemy with weapons of all types, flexibly and creatively employed various methods of fighting the enemy in all three strategic regions, closely combined political struggle with armed struggle by means of 3 attacking fronts (military, political, and agitprop), developed combat bases, resolutely held on to their positions, and established military postures and guerrilla belts to annihilate the enemy. In addition, the militia, self-defence and guerrilla force cooperated with the people in the fight against the enemy’s campaign aimed at herding the population into “concentration zones” and “strategic hamlets” and with the local and main military forces in defeating the enemy’s “helicopter and armoured personnel carrier” tactics, thereby greatly contributing to destroying the enemy’s strategies, namely “Pacification,” “Special War,” “Local War” and “Vietnamisation of War.” After the signing of the Paris Accords of 1973, under the Party’s leadership, we conducted an all-people, all-round war and closely combined guerrilla warfare with conventional warfare. In the 1975 Spring General Offensive and Uprising, the militia, self-defence and guerrilla force cooperated with the South’s people and troops in rising up to attack the enemy, destroy their artillery sites, control many routes, transport personnel and materials, and protect facilities inside cities. At the same time, the force guided our main units so that they could attack the enemy’s bases, hunt down and annihilate a large number of enemy troops, liberate many communes, districts, and provinces under the motto of “fighting to drive the US troops away and then overthrow the US-backed Saigon regime.” On April 30^th, 1975, at 11.30 am, the flag of the Liberation Army flew on the rooftop of the Independence Palace, marking the success of the South liberation and national reunification.

In the national construction and protection, the militia and self-defence force has been made strong and extensive, with its great synergy and high-level combat readiness. It has actively, proactively cooperated with other forces in the maintenance of political security and social safety, epidemic and natural disaster prevention and mitigation, search and rescue, and execution of campaigns and movements launched by the State and localities, thereby becoming a reliable political force of local party committees, authorities, and people.

Head of the Department of Militia and Self-Defence inspecting a training course for members of the militia and self-defence force

In the upcoming years, the situation in the region and the world will continue to be complex and unpredictable. Strategic competition between major powers will be more intense and govern international relations. Ethnic and religious conflicts, terrorist attacks, local wars, cyber wars, trade wars, interventions, conversions, and disputes over territory, seas, islands, and natural resources will occur in various forms. Meanwhile, the situation in the East Sea will witness complex developments threatening regional security and stability as well as legitimate benefits of many countries, including Vietnam. Moreover, the hostile forces will employ various strategies together with their absurd demands in a bid to undermine our political security. Against that backdrop, we need to bring into play the spirit of the 1975 Spring General Offensive and Uprising to realise the guidelines on building and making a strong, extensive militia and self-defence force capable of meeting the task requirements in the new situation, with a focus on the following.

First, continue to thoroughly grasp and effectively implement directives and resolutions by the Party and legal normative documents on the militia and self-defence force. To that end, local party committees and authorities, organisations, and sectors should frequently disseminate directives and resolutions by the Party and legal normative documents on the militia and self-defence force. Emphasis should be placed on introducing the 9^th Party Central Secretariat’s Directive 16-CT/TW on enhancing the Party’s leadership over the militia and self-defence force and the reserve force in the new situation, the 11^th Party Central Committee’s Resolution No.8 on the Strategy for the Homeland Protection in the new situation, Vietnam’s National Defence Strategy, Vietnam’s Military Strategy, the National Border Protection Strategy, and the Law on the Militia and Self-Defence Force (2019) to all people and especially key cadres of authorities, commune-level military commands, offices, organisations, militia and self-defence units in order to raise their responsibility for the building of this force. At the same time, due attention should be paid to enhancing the state management of the militia and self-defence force and issuing documents on the building of this force, ensuring that all provinces and municipalities will have their own project and plan on the building, training, and operation of this force. Moreover, it is important to step up the inspection work and draw lessons on leadership over the building of the militia and self-defence force.

Second, build a politically strong militia and self-defence force with the proper structure and increasingly great synergy. Military offices at all levels should strictly conduct the work of militia and self-defence force management and registration, carefully select and initiate new members into the force, and deal with the imbalance in the force between regions and areas. Besides, great value should be attached to building on-the-spot, mobile, coastal, specialised, and standing militia and self-defence units in the key areas and self-defence units within enterprises of all types, particularly the foreign-invested ones. Competent offices under the Ministry of National Defence should continue cooperating with localities in building and multiplying new militia and self-defence models, such as standing coastal militia squadron, standing border militia, standing inland militia associated with residential areas. At the same time, it is essential to improve commune-level military party cells’ structure and operation and initiate new members into the Party and the Youth Union within the militia and self-defence force.

Third, raise the quality of training the militia and self-defence force and heads of commune-level military commands. Localities should concentrate on improving the quality of refresher courses on training programme, organisation, and command before training cadres in charge of the military work, commanders of militia and self-defence units, and particularly cadres in charge of the training work. More specifically, due regard should be paid to rendering the militia and self-defence force fully aware of the hostile forces’ “peaceful evolution” strategy and training the force to gradually master weapons, equipment, self-manufactured weapons, and supporting tools as well as grasp and flexibly apply tactical principles to combat, combat support, natural disaster prevention and control, search and rescue. At the same time, consideration should be given to practising situations and on-the-spot projects and training technical command and standing coastal militia squadrons effectively. In addition, importance should be attached to organising competitions and exercises at all levels to make accurate assessments, draw lessons, and raise the quality of training. The Department of Militia and Self-Defence should continue giving advice on completing the system of legal normative documents related to the training work under the Law on the Militia and Self-Defence Force (2019). Sectors, authorities, offices, units, and schools should be fully aware of the training task and enhance the quality of training so as to make contributions to improving the quality of commune-level political system. Emphasis should be placed on selecting and sending cadres and members of the force for further education, using them under the regulations and according to their specialities, frequently drawing lessons, supplementing and adjusting the training programme in line with reality, and raising the quality of instructors. Besides, it is necessary to step up study bridge programmes at all degrees of education in military schools of military regions, the Hanoi Capital City Military Command, and the Ho Chi Minh City Military Command.

Fourth, improve the quality and effectiveness of coordination between the militia and self-defence force and other forces. To that end, it is important to encourage the role of military offices at all levels and military commands within offices and organisations in propagating and maintaining the militia and self-defence force’s coordination. The use and deployment of the militia and self-defence force must be in accordance with the law and the Directive 20/CT-TM, dated August 22^nd, 2012 by the Chief of the General Staff on raising the quality and effectiveness of the Militia and Self-Defence Force’s operation. Localities should direct and instruct the militia and self-defence force to cooperate with the Public Security and other relevant forces in maintaining national security and border, political security and social safety, preventing and combating crime, and opportunely dealing with situations to avoid falling into passivity. The militia and self-defence force must play a vanguard role in natural disaster and incident prevention and mitigation, search and rescue, civilian defensive exercises, and construction of new-style countryside and civilised urban areas.

Fifth, opportunely, sufficiently ensure entitlements and policies for the militia and self-defence force. Over the years, localities, offices, and organisations have seriously implemented policies for the militia and self-defence force under the law on this force, with many creative, effective approaches. Promoting the recorded results, localities should proactively allocate budget and mobilise social resources to provide timely, sufficient entitlements and policies for the militia and self-defence force. Moreover, due attention should be paid to implementing policies for militia and self-defence cadres and soldiers who are in difficulty, sick, wounded, or pass away. Localities should provide sufficient weapons, equipment, supporting tools and facilities for commune-level military commands and the militia and self-defence force to well perform their task.

Building a strong, extensive militia and self-defence force to contribute to making the all-people national defence, the people’s security, and the postures of all-people national defence and people’s security increasingly strong represents the responsibility of the entire political system and people. This task must be carried out frequently, continuously, and effectively in order to “protect the Homeland from afar.”

Maj. Gen. PHAM QUANG NGAN, Director of the Department of Militia and Self-Defence