Promptly and opportunely activating and creatively and effectively applying civil defence principles, mechanisms, measures, etc. to successfully respond to non-traditional security challenges, especially in the prevention and combat against the Covid-19 pandemic is an important issue that needs to be researched and applied effectively in practice.
The Viet Nam National Defence Law defines: “Civil defence is a part of national defence including measures to prevent and combat war; prevent, combat and overcome consequences of disasters, incidents, natural disasters and epidemics; protect the people, public apparatuses and the national economy”. Thus, civil defence is an important component of national defence measures, conducted in both peacetime and wartime. The tasks of civil defence include many contents, focusing on: protecting the people, preventing and avoiding the impact and destruction of war means, and losses caused by disasters, natural disasters, epidemics, etc., to make sure that people's lives and economy operate stably and sustainably in special situations; conducting search and rescue, disaster relief, etc.
Facing the appearance of the Covid-19 pandemic - one of the unprecedented non-traditional security challenges in the history of mankind in general, Viet Nam in particular, all levels, sectors from the central to local levels have applied civil defence measures to respond and control the pandemic relatively successfully. In particular, at some times, Viet Nam became a successful model in disease prevention and control, which was recognised and highly appreciated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the international community. However, due to the complicated and prolonged development of the pandemic, with many unpredictable variations, the disease prevention and control in general, and the application of civil defence measures to control, curb and repel the disease in some areas still remain some shortcomings and ineffectiveness, even heavy threat and damage to people lives and socio-economic stability in some places.
Currently and in the coming period, the pandemic will still exist with complicated developments. In order to implement the motto "safely adapt, flexibly, effectively control the pandemic", it is necessary to work out and synchronously deploy solutions, in which, researching, applying creatively and effectively civil defence measures in the prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic is an important and urgent issue. Following are some proposed ones.
Firstly, thoroughly grasp and effectively implement the principle that the Party leads and directs comprehensively and directly; the State manages and operates in a centralised and unified manner the civil defence activities, including the task of preventing and combating the Covid-19 pandemic. It should be noted that the leadership of the Party has always been the decisive factor in all victories of the Vietnamese revolution, not only in the past struggle for national liberation, but also in the current period of national construction and defence. Therefore, strengthening the leadership of the Party, the management and administration of the State over civil defence in general, and applying it in the prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic in particular, represent an important issue for the stability of the country, a strategic task directly related to people's lives, requiring the promotion of political responsibility, the drastic participation of the whole political system, at all levels, branches and localities, especially the political system and party organisation system and the contingent of cadres and party members from the central to grassroots levels. Recently, this non-traditional security situation (Covid-19 pandemic) happened quickly and unexpectedly, leading to some confusion in activating and applying civil defence principles and mechanisms to handling the pandemic, especially the principles of leadership, direction and administration of Party committees, heads and civil defence agencies at all levels.
In order to control the pandemic well, Party committees, authorities at all levels and forces need to strengthen their leadership, direction, and command in a centralised and unified manner; creatively and effectively apply principles and mechanisms of leadership, direction and administration of party organisations, government systems, and activities of agencies, mass organisations and the whole people to specific conditions of pandemic prevention and control. Promoting the role of civil defence directing and commanding agencies at all levels, from central to grassroots levels, especially the role of steering committees and provisional commands at all levels. At the same time, promote the synergy of the civil defence forces, resolutely control effectively the pandemic, stabilise people's lives, and maintain social order and safety.
Second, promote the core role of the civil defence force in the prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic. The civil defence force for the prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic consists of many components, of which the core and main forces are the health sector, the Military, the Police, the militia and self-defence force, which are the front line in implementing the motto "fighting the pandemic like fighting the enemy". However, due to differences in functions, tasks and professional qualifications, the use and promotion of capacity and forte of each force in pandemic prevention and control are also different. The health sector should advise the National Steering Committee to direct departments, ministries, branches and localities to take specialised health measures in assessing and forecasting the pandemic situation; measures to localise, isolate, collect, treat and stamp out the pandemic; coordinate with relevant localities and forces to effectively control the pandemic. The Military - the core force in civil defence - should perform the function of a working army and carrying out pandemic prevention and control measures both inside and outside the Military. In particular, focus should be placed on identifying, evaluating and accurately forecasting the situation; organising rehearsals to unify the order, contents and methods of commanding, administering, coordinating and synergising disease prevention and control at all levels; preventing the spread of disease from outside; coordinating with health, police forces... to operate isolation centres, field hospitals under the direction of the Government, Party committees and local authorities; international cooperation, research and production of medical equipment and vaccines; provide material and spiritual assistances to the people to overcome difficulties; promote the qualities and tradition of "Uncle Ho's Soldiers" in the new period and perform civil defence tasks. The police should closely coordinate with the forces to promote their key role in pandemic prevention and control; maintain political security, social order and safety, protect the lives and property, and help people stabilise their life and perform other civil defence tasks. In addition, it is necessary to promote the vanguard role of the Militia and Self-Defence Forces, Youth Volunteers, Veterans Association, residential groups, community Covid groups, volunteer groups in society, etc.
Third, strictly maintain the law throughout the process of pandemic prevention and control. Over the past time, while the whole country is struggling against the pandemic, some cadres and party members have violated the law, negatively affecting their quality and morality, causing social discontent. There appeared a number of spontaneous actions against people performing the task of pandemic prevention and control. Criminal offenses or acts of insulting, provoking, attacking public officials, destroying property, not complying with regulations on pandemic prevention and control, etc., if not strictly punished, protests may occur, disrupting and disabling governments at all levels. Breaches of the law and deviations from ethical standards need to be severely punished by law in combination with enhancing social moral education.
Accordingly, it is necessary to strengthen the system of law enforcement agencies, develop civil defence plans at all levels with relevant situations and scenarios. Anticipate the levels of civil disobedience in the country combined with external interference and sabotage to propose handling measures right opportunely, not to be made passive or surprised. When social unrests occur, it is necessary to depend on the nature and severity to handle; resolutely repress in a timely manner, maintain the strictness of the law in all conditions to ease people's mind.
Fourth, effectively apply science and technology to disease prevention and control. Recently, we have applied relatively well scientific and technological achievements in civil defence in general and Covid-19 pandemic prevention and control in particular. However, the application of information technology in personal data management has yet to be timely and consistent. Manual medical declaration wastes time and energy, and poses a potential risk of infection; technology application in education - training, especially online teaching, is still inactive and remains limitations and shortcomings, reducing the quality of education - training. The regulation on travel pass and other documents show that manual method is no longer suitable in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This is also a question raised for the field of science and technology in civil defence deployment with different scenarios and levels.
In the context of the complicated development of the Covid-19 pandemic, Viet Nam should speed up vaccine diplomacy and production, in order to realise the goal of vaccine coverage for the entire population, creating a "shield" to protect the people in the new normality. At the same time, promote the application of technology in pandemic control and treatment, such as: promoting the foundation of the digital Vietnamese knowledge system in pandemic prevention and control; deploying pandemic area maps using Vmap, upgrading medical declaration software,... making scientific and technological products to effectively serve the work of tracing, controlling, zoning, stamping the pandemic, etc. Research, manufacture, upgrade and expand medical equipment for the prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic, such as: Robots, ventilators, respirators, medical masks, antibacterial masks. The application process needs to research measures to control and prevent vandalism by technology from outside.
Disasters and diseases not only cause great loss to people’s life and property, but also seriously affect national strength, political and social stability. Therefore, research and grasp to activate and apply creatively and effectively the principles, mechanisms and measures of civil defence at all levels, in order to successfully deal with non-traditional security situations, keeping the country safe and stable is a necessary and important job.
Major General TRAN MINH TUAN, PhD
Deputy Director General of the Institute for National Defence Strategy