Distorting the relationship between the People’s Army and the People’s Public Security to undermine the reputation, divide, and corrupt our people’s armed forces is a highly sinister tactic in the “peaceful evolution” strategy employed by hostile forces to oppose the Vietnamese revolution. This is an extremely dangerous scheme that must be identified and resolutely countered. 

To distort the relationship between the Army and the Public Security, hostile forces deploy a combination of highly sophisticated and devious plots, propagating arguments aimed at attacking the functions, missions, contributions, and even the benefits afforded by the Party and Government to these two forces. They deliberately separate the functions and missions of the Army and the Public Security, claiming that the Army only performs the mission of defending the nation, while the Public Security only protects security, maintains order, and suppresses crime; that the collaboration between the Army and the Public Security in protecting national security, maintaining public order and social safety is “incorrect” and “wrong” in its functions and missions; that the Army’s involvement in combating anti-corruption and negative behaviour cases constitutes “encroaching” into the field of the Public Security, etc. Furthermore, they incite and create division within the two forces, attempting to separate the Army, the Public Security from the people; seeking any way to tarnish the reputations of Army and Public Security personnel, particularly high-ranking leaders and commanders within the two forces. They irrationally and maliciously compare the two forces, claiming that the Army “works hard and sacrifices more”, earning “greater love from the people”, while the Public Security “enjoys comfort and privileges” leading to “estrangement of the people”, etc. Along with that, they actively propagate a pragmatic and hedonistic lifestyle within the Army and the Public Security, fostering negative attitudes and political apathy, encouraging “self-evolution” and “self-transformation”, causing Military and Public Security cadres and soldiers to have distorted perceptions, wavering in ideology, losing direction, and leading officers and soldiers away from their fighting ideals and objectives, thereby causing internal disunity and fractures within the armed forces, weakening the sharp tool of violence, the loyal and trustworthy political force of the Party, Government and People, promoting the implementation of the plot to “depoliticise” the Vietnam people’s armed forces; at the same time, causing skepticism and reducing the people’s trust in the armed forces, in the cadres and soldiers of the Army and Public Security.

Coordination between the Military and the Public Security in crime combat (Photo: quangninh.gov.vn)

Thus, the schemes and tactics employed by hostile forces to divide the relationship between the Army and the Public Security are obvious, sinister, harmful and have a negative impact on all issues of building the Army and the Public Security. These impacts not only affect the solidarity and connection between the Army and the Public Security but also threaten the great national unity bloc; they influence not only the perceptions, thoughts, and emotions of Army and Public Security cadres and soldiers but also the perceptions, thoughts, and emotions of the people of all classes; they influence not only the tasks of building the Army and the Public Service but also the cause of strengthening national defence and security, the process of renewal, building and protecting the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Firstly, it must be clearly affirmed that the relationship between the Army and the Public Security is a solidarity and cohesion relationship, grounded in a solid foundation of the same fighting ideals and goals and a close, inseparable bond. President Ho Chi Minh once emphasised that serving the people and the revolution is the fighting ideal and solid foundation for this relationship: “The Public Security and the Army are the two arms of the people, the Party, the Government, and the proletarian dictatorship”; “both serve the people and the revolution”.

In Vietnam, in the fields of national defence and security, national defence missions and security missions, national defence strategies and security strategies are closely interconnected, intertwined, and mutually influential. National defence is the work of protecting the nation, but not only to fight against invasion and subversive activities of external forces. Security is not merely about maintaining security, social order and social safety. Both national defence and security aim toward a common objective of safeguarding the nation in all aspects of nature - history and politics - society in a unified whole. The 13th National Party Congress stated: “Strengthening national defence and security and firmly safeguarding the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a critical and regular mission of the Party, the Government, the political system, and the whole people”.

The relationship between the two “critical and regular” missions of national defence and security is a close and unity relationship in terms of both posture and forces toward the goal of safeguarding the Fatherland, including maintaining national security, social order, and social safety. The strategic posture and forces of the whole-people national defence closely align with those of the people’s security in the common strategic posture and forces to safeguard the Socialist Republic. The whole-people national defence and people’s security must ensure the effective use of all forces, both material and spiritual, to successfully fulfill every requirement and mission of protecting the Fatherland, while being suitable to the unique characteristics and natures of each fields; in there, the Army and the Public Security are the core forces in performing these “critical and regular” mission.

The relationship between national defence and security is the foundation for a close, inseparable and non-isolated relationship between the Army and the Public Security in terms of their functions and missions. Therefore, it is impossible to arbitrarily claim that the Army’s participation in ensuring security is “incorrect” with its functions and tasks, “encroaches” into the field of Public Security. The arguments that the Army only protects the nation while the Public Security only handle security, maintain order, and combat crime are deliberate distortions, misrepresenting the natures of the missions and functions of the Army and Public Security. It is also impossible to forcefully compare which force is “easier” or “harder”, “which is more loved by the people”, because “each field has its own professional expertises. But both serve the people and the revolution”.

Those who intend to distort need to understand more clearly that the relationship between the Army and the Public Security is a relationship that belongs to their nature and rooted in the noble tradition of two “essential components” of the people’s armed forces, under the leadership of the Party. Both the People’s Army and the People’s Public Security were born out of revolutionary movements led by the masses and were organised, led, educated, and trained by the Communist Party of Vietnam. Fighting for the people; serving the people is the reason for the existence and development of the Army and Public Security; and serves as the guiding principle for the actions of Army and Public Security cadres and soldiers. The Army and the Public Security are not only sharp tools of violence, trustworthy political forces that remain absolutely loyal to the Party and the government but they also belong to the people, fighting for the independence, freedom, and happiness of the people. Under the Party’s leadership, the Army and the Public Security have always stood together, united, side by side to overcome any difficulties and hardships, fighting and sacrificing for the nation, the people, for national independence and socialism, achieving glorious victories in revolutionary periods.

Secondly, it must be affirmed that, nowadays, in any conditions and circumstances, the Army and the Public Security always stand side by side, united, courageous, resourceful, and creative in carrying out the missions of protecting the Fatherland, maintaining national security, defeating all plots and subversive activities of hostile and reactionary forces, and all types of criminals, contributing to maintaining political stability and a peaceful environment - a favourable foundation to effectively execute the mission of socio-economic development and foreign relations of the nation. The coordination, cooperation and solidarity between the Army and the Public Security is a noble tradition, an objective requirement, and a matter of principle in the strategy to safeguard the Fatherland, which cannot be distorted as “encroaching” on each other’s roles.

The coordination and cooperation between these two “essential components” of the people’s armed forces are clearly reflected in the viewpoints and policies of the Party and Government; clearly stated in the National Defence Strategy, National Security Strategy, and Fatherland Protection Strategy, etc. It is also concretised through clear coordination regulations, such as: Decision No. 107/QĐ-TTg, dated 2 June 2003, on the Regulation for coordination between the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of National Defence in safeguarding national security, social order, and social safety under new situations; Decree No. 77/2010/NĐ-CP, dated 12 July 2010, on Coordination between the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of National Defence in carrying out the task of safeguarding national security, maintaining social order and safety, and national defence; Decree No. 152/2007/NĐ-CP, dated 10 October 2007, on defence zones, stipulating the integration of the whole-people defence posture with the people’s security posture; Decree No. 03/2019/NĐ-CP, dated 5 September 2019, on coordination between the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of National Defence in performing the task of safeguarding national security, ensuring public order and social safety, combating crime, and national defence tasks, etc.

In reality, the Army and the Public Security always strengthen the work of coordination and cooperation through synchronised, appropriate, and effective solutions and measures. They always maintain unity and alignment in leadership, direction, and operational cooperation from the central to grassroots levels, adhering strictly to principles in the deployment of forces, means, and professional methods specific to each force, creating a combined strength that ensures national stability, resolves all internal and external challenges, risks, and threats, safeguards national security, maintains social order and safety, and firmly protects the Fatherland while fostering sustainable national development. 

The solidarity relationship between the People’s Army and the People’s Public Security is a relationship that belongs to the nature and characteristic of the revolutionary armed forces under the leadership of the Party; it’s a noble tradition and a precious asset of the Vietnamese people’s armed forces. The late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong once affirmed: “The Army and the Public Security are the two forces, the sword and the shield, the two wings of a bird, protecting peace and maintaining stability for national development”. The victories and achievements of the Army and the Public Security, as well as their solidarity and close relationship in practice over nearly eight decades of building, fighting, and growth, are monumental and are recognised, proud of, trusted, and highly appreciated by the Party, the government, and the people. Any distortion aimed at undermining the relationship between the Army and the Public Security is destined to fail and will undoubtedly be thwarted.

Assoc. Prof., Dr. NGUYEN MANH HUONG - Dr. CAO DUY DONG