Reality has proved that “people’s heart and mind posture” is a pivotal factor and key to the formation of political, military, defence, and security might used for firmly defending independence, sovereignty, unification, and territorial integrity of the Fatherland. Therefore, research and recommendation of solutions to build this special “posture” in the cause of protecting territorial sovereignty in the borders, waters, and islands are pressing tasks today.

“People’s hearts and minds and “people’s heart and mind posture” are two integral parts of a matter and dialectically interlocked. In every revolutionary period, “people’s hearts and minds” is the inherent element and always the objective existence. However, its chance of being brought together to form overall power depends on many factors, of which the subjective efforts made by party committees and authorities at all levels through appropriate policies and solutions to muster “people’s hearts and minds” are extremely important.  

On grasping perspectives of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh’s thought on the role of the masses in history as well as the lesson on taking people as the roots in the wars of resistance, our Party attaches special importance to “people’s hearts and minds” and considers the establishment of “people’s heart and mind posture” the momentum for generating overall power to defend territorial sovereignty, borders, waters, and islands of the Fatherland and prevent wars from afar. The Resolution of the 13^th National Congress of the Communist Party of Viet Nam emphasises the need for building and bringing into full play “people’s heart and mind posture” in the all-people national defence and people’s security. On affirming the vital role, position, and importance of “peple’s hearts and minds” and “people’s heart and mind posture,” General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong stressed, “acting in accordance with people’s hearts and minds gains people’s confidence and secures our regime and Party. Conversely, if we do something that goes against people’s hearts and minds and lose people’s confidence, we will lose everything.”

Firm protection of territorial sovereignty over the borders, waters, and islands is a crucial component of national construction and defence, responsibility of the entire Party, people, and military, and a vital factor in sustainable development of the country. Nevertheless, this mission is facing many difficulties and challenges. Sovereignty disputes over territories, waters, and islands in the East Sea remain complex and have potential risks. Border demarcation and planting of landmarks on land borders have been basically completed with some remaining undemarcated areas. Hostile forces step up acts of sabotage in various fields and areas with a view to inciting secession and autonomy. Crime and violation of territorial sovereignty in the borders and at sea witness complex developments. Part of the population still faces many difficulties. Consequently, the building of “people’s heart and mind posture” to firmly safeguard territorial sovereignty in the borders, waters, and islands is of significant importance and becomes more and more urgent. The article seeks to discuss some solutions to this matter.

The most important solution is to raise awareness of building “people’s heart and mind posture” among party committees, authorities, sociopolitical organisations, and people. Awareness forms the basis for action. Right awareness of the policy on building “people’s heart and mind posture” in the all-people national defence will increase responsibility and lead to right action. In contrast, improper awareness and responsibility will make light of leadership, direction, and implementation, thus “people’s hearts and minds cannot be converged to form “people’s heart and mind posture.” In fact, some cadres and party members fail to have a right understanding of establishing “people’s heart and mind posture.” They still put strong emphasis on administrative measures. This requires that party committees, authorities, the Viet Nam Fatherland Front, and sociopolitical organisations at all echelons in the borders, waters, and islands continue to deeply grasp perspectives of Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh’s thought, and viewpoints of the Party; have a clear understanding of the significance and need for building “people’s heart and mind posture” in the all-people national defence in connection with the people’s security in the cause of defending the Fatherland. This will provide the foundation for deep perception of content and requirements of building the “people’s heart and mind posture.” Each locality employs suitable forms and methodologies to promote propagation and educate cadres, party members and people from various walks of life about national cultural tradition, Vietnamese people, patriotism, love of the native land and socialist regime, revolutionary vigilance, and plots and acts of sabotage of hostile forces and reactionaries. They are also requested to continue to deeply grasp Resolution No. 33-NQ/TW, dated 28 September 2018, of the Politburo on the Strategy to Safeguard National Borders, Directive No. 01/CT-TTg, dated 9 January 2015, of the Prime Minister on “All people’s participation in defending territorial sovereignty and national border security in the new situation". Thereby, party committees, authorities, and sociopolitical organisations leverage their responsibility for mustering “people’s hearts and minds” through leading, directing, and coordinating effective implementation of the Party’s guidelines and State’s policies and law in every aspect of social life. The propagation and education also help to make all cadres, party members, armed forces, and entire people well aware of the importance of building “people’s heart and mind posture” within the all-people national defence in connection with people’s security; unlock self-reliance, resilience, and pride in the nation to create overall power of the great national unity bloc in the management and protection of sovereignty over borders, waters, and islands; promote revolutionary vigilance and defeat any plots and acts of sabotage and encroachments on national borders; prevent and combat crime and social evils; firmly preserve political security, social order, and safety in the borders, waters, and islands.

Building a strong local political system in the borders, waters, and islands is the vital solution, a decisive factor in the successful building of robust “people’s heart and mind posture.” Party committees, authorities, the Viet Nam Fatherland Front, and sociopolitical organisations are the bodies directly leading, directing, managing, propagandising, mobilising, and participating in the building of “people’s heart and mind posture.” To successfully implement this solution requires localities to pay regular attention to increased leadership capacity and combat power of party committees and party organisations at the grassroots level, of which it is necessary to develop the corps of cadres and party members with proper structure in terms of age and gender. Special attention is attached to development of cadres and party members who are local people and people from ethnic minorities, aiming to have party members and party organisations in all villages. The policy on sending border guard officers to border communes is further implemented. There are specific regulations on the structure and appointing border guard officers to party committees and authorities as well as to meetings of party organisations in border districts and communes. Party members of border guard posts are tasked with taking care of families in the borders. Military cadres and border guard officers are ready to undertake positions of local cadres. There is a need to further promote management capacity of the grassroots authorities in the borders, waters, and islands in the direction of leanness, compactness, efficient and effective operations, and truly being of the people, by the people, and for the people. Additionally, it is important to speed up administrative reform; raise cadres’ knowledge of legal issues and capacity of managing and defending national borders. Content and mode of operation of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front and sociopolitical organisations must be further reformed. There is a need to well realise the motto, “the people know, the people discuss, the people do, the people inspect, the people supervise, the people protect, and the people benefit.” There should be policies to bring into play the role of village chiefs and prestigious people in mobilising people to take part in the management and protection of national borders, thus promoting confidence and consensus and mobilising resources and overall power to safeguard sovereignty over borders, waters, and islands of the country, firmly maintaining political stability, social order, and safety, building strong localities in the borders, waters, and islands, especially in political terms, and successfully accomplishing socio-economic development in association with strengthening national defence and security.

Enhanced socio-economic development and improvement of people’s material, spiritual life are a vital solution, aimed at creating momentum for establishing robust “people’s heart and mind posture.” Only these things can be done, people in the borders, waters, and islands absolutely believe in the leadership of the Party and the management of local authorities at all levels. This is the factor that is indispensable for mustering “people’s hearts and minds.” Accordingly, it is necessary to strengthen the leadership of party committees and the uniform, centralised management of authorities in socio-economic development and policies on social security, hunger eradication, and poverty reduction in the borders, waters, and islands. This helps to ensure that the all-people defence posture and people’s security posture are implemented in the right direction, capable of meeting requirements of safeguarding sovereignty and security of the national borders in any situations. On the basis of the overall plan for socio-economic development in alignment with strengthening national defence and security, localities continue to have priority policies and investment in areas in the borders, waters, and islands, of which importance is attached to investment in building socio-economic infrastructure. The strategy for sustainable development of marine economy must be well carried out in close alignment with protecting sovereignty over waters, islands, resources, and marine environment. There should be policies to provide funds and popularise knowledge and methods of production and business in accordance with natural, social conditions and customs and habits of local people. It is necessary to apply advancements in science and technology to production; gradually set up commodity value chains in the borders, waters, and islands; step up import and export activities at the border gates and formation of shopping malls to facilitate trade in agricultural products; leverage advantages of ecotourism, history, and culture of localities. Attention should be paid to investment in education, health, culture, and sport; realisation of civilised lifestyle; building of new cultural families; eradication of bad habits and superstition in people’s life. There is a need to establish and enhance quality and effectiveness of economic – defence corps and zones in the borders, waters, and islands, which serves to relocate the inhabitants and helps people settle down and improve production effectiveness with a view to achieving the goals in terms of hunger eradication and poverty reduction, creating new momentum for socio-economic development, and contributing to improvement of people’s material and spiritual life.

Synchronous, effective implementation of the above-mentioned solutions provides the foundation for enhancing leadership capacity of party committees and authorities at all echelons; bringing into play responsibility of socio-political organisations in implementation; strengthening confidence of people living in the borders, waters, and islands; establishing robust “people’s heart and mind posture”; successfully defending territorial sovereignty in the borders, waters, and islands of the Fatherland.

Major General, Doctor TONG PHU

Vice President of the Army Academy