Cho Don district is located in the west of Bac Kan province with a total area of nearly 912 km2; its terrain is complex with high hillsides and narrow valleys; the system of rivers and springs is rather dense. In spite of difficulties in geography and population, the district hold a position of military value to the provincial defensive posture with its 5 communes located in the Safe Zone (CT229) and its terrain. Perceiving that, over the past years, the district has paid due regard to building the all-people national defence associated with the people’s security posture and the defensive zone. Most notably, after nearly 3 years of implementing the Resolution of the 20th District Party Congress, the district’s defence and security have been consolidated; the combination of socio-economic development and defence-security has been increasingly effective; social welfare has been ensured; economic development has been rapid and sustainable.
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| Comrade Ha Sy Huan at the ceremony to see off new recruits in 2019 |
To achieve those results, first of all, the district has enhanced its leadership and management over the defence-military work. On a yearly basis, the District Party Committee issues a resolution on the defence-military mission in which it sets up the objectives, targets, and measures in accordance with reality. In the process, the district has frequently reviewed the military posture planning within the defensive zone as the basis for offices and sectors to adjust defence disposition in line with socio-economic development. It has stepped up the formulation and implementation of plans on developing the militia and self-defence force and receiving the reserve force as well as action projects/programs, particularly the projects on building the defensive zone. At the same time, it has consolidated the Steering Board on building the defensive zone, the Defence and Security Education Council, and the Military Service Council with proper structure, making them capable of advising the district’s Party Committee and People’s Committee on fulfilling the defence-military task. Moreover, it has frequently conducted reviews and drawn lessons, thereby contributing to maintaining the order for defence-military operation and opportunely settling the weaknesses.
Grounded on the Party’s military-defence guidelines, to further develop local defence potential and contribute to building the district into a solid inter-connected defensive zone, the district has promoted defence-security education for all people. Grasping its population’s knowledge level and distribution, yearly, the district dispatches key cadres of the political system to join the defence-security education courses under the regulations. Since 2015, the district has selected proper venues for holding defence-security education courses for over 1,200 cadres and party members at all levels. As a result, cadres at all levels have been fully aware of the importance of combining socio-economic development with defence-security consolidation; raised their responsibility for leading, directing and performing this work; well conducted the work of propagation and education to render all people fully aware of the local defence-military mission, the Military Service Law, the Militia and Self-Defence Force Law, and the Reserve Force Ordinance. Besides, the district has given consideration to building pure, strong Party organizations, authorities, and socio-political organizations at all levels, improving the capability in managing, operating, and performing the defence-military task, training cadres and initiating new members into the Party, particularly in rural and mountainous areas and within the armed forces, thereby contributing to building commune-level military party cells and enhancing the quality of party members and organizations.
The district has attached great value to making the armed forces capable of playing the core role in building the all-people national defence and the posture of all-people national defence in the area. With a small population and a large defensive area, the district has strictly maintained the regulations on the organizational structure of forces, particularly the active force, with priority given to units in charge of combat readiness. Yearly, the district directs the work of military university entrance exam and conscription on a close, public, democratic basis; reviews and organizes reservists into units properly; maintains a powerful, extensive militia and self-defence force.
While building the forces, the district has focused on raising the quality of training and exercises. On a yearly basis, in addition to sending cadres to attend refresher courses, the District Military Command (DMC) has proactively formulated the system of training documents and plans, assigned cadres to prepare lesson plans, and conducted training courses for cadres and the armed forces, particularly the militia and self-defence force with sufficient contents and high quality; taken part in one-side two-level command-office exercises; directed 5 communes to organize defensive exercises with absolute safety. Notably, in 2016, the district successfully held the district-level defensive zone exercise and drew many valuable lessons, consequently gradually enhancing the armed forces’ capability in command and combat coordination. Besides, the DMC has well maintained the regulations on cooperation and frequently grasped and forecast the situation and particularly the operations of foreigners, non-governmental organizations, and immigration. As a result, it has counselled the district’s party committee and authority to opportunely, effectively deal with the defence-security situations, natural disasters, and forest fire as well as prevent the illegal Duong Van Minh group from gathering the ethnic people.
Cho Don is a poor district with a large area and a small population; its land and water traffic system is inconvenient; some places often suffer from flash floods. Thus, the district has paid special attention to combining economic development with defence-security consolidation in each field. Grounded on the Plan on the disposition of the defensive zone’s military posture and the plan on socio-economic development and defence-security in the 2016-2020 period, the district has paid due regard to developing the traffic system, building the infrastructure, and consolidating defence works. In the process, the district has demarcated and granted the right to use military lands, closely managed the belt zones of military lands and natural terrains of tactical value to readily expand the base. To closely manage defence works and military zones, the district has directed the DMC to cooperate with competent offices in appraising the projects, particularly the foreign-invested ones or the ones in the CT229. At the same time, it has completely settled the disputes and encroachments related to the military zones, ensuring that economic development would not affect defence and security. It should be noted that after the issue of Government’s policy on shutting the forests, the people of 5 communes in the CT229 could no longer earn profit from the forests; therefore, the district has actively cooperated with the Brigade 72 (under the Engineer Corps Command) in demarcating and dividing defence lands and civilian lands to facilitate production and stabilize the people’s life. Based on the category of defence works to be constructed, the district has mobilized and effectively used the financial resources to gradually build military works and rural facilities, consolidate the traffic system and the system of dykes and embankments against landslide, improve the people’s living condition, promote economic development, and create an inter-connected, mobile defensive posture. Over the past years, the district has constructed the headquarters S5, evacuation zone, air-defence battlefield, shooting ranges, and DMC headquarters, and improved a number of caves.
To improve the people’s living standard, the district has further applied technology to agricultural production, shifted from corn and rice planting to high-quality long-term production of tea, persimmon, and orange trees, encouraged large-scale animal husbandry, developed forestry production, industrial tree planting, and wood processing in line with afforestation and forest protection. Notably, the district has allowed non-governmental organizations to carry out a number of projects, such as “sustainably harvesting herbal medicine resources” and “women of Cho Don develop the cooperative economy”. Those operations have been bringing about economic interests, creating on-spot employments and sustainable income for the people, thereby contributing to stabilizing the people’s life and preventing illegal immigration for labour. At present, the district has 3 agricultural products which receive the VietGap certificate; its forest cover reaches nearly 80%, which brings about the economic interests and helps fight against flash floods and protect the environment in the tributaries of Cau and Pho Day rivers. As for the industry, cottage industry, and trade, the district has enhanced the effectiveness of cooperatives, encouraged the development of household business, private business, and especially mechanic business, thereby contributing to creating employments, eradicating hunger, reducing poverty, and serving the defence mission when necessary. Over the past years, the district has focused on rectifying the work of management and exploitation of natural resources, fighting against illegal mining, restricting raw ore sale, gradually calling for the enterprises’ investment in improving the quality of ore production, frequently inspecting and protecting the environment and terrain during the process of exploitation. Consequently, the revenues from mining have been increased and greatly contributed to the province’s budget.
In addition, the district has focused its investments on modernizing the system of communications, building the health network, particularly in its communes, and implementing the military-civilian healthcare projects, while giving priority to staffing the Health Sector to opportunely provide on-spot medical services for the people. At present, the district is taking various measures to develop tourism with a view to taking advantage of 6 groups of revolutionary relics within the CT229 and create an economic connection between localities along the rivers of Cau and Pho Day. However, the exploitation of national relics which contain state secrets and the inter-regional economic development requires the consensus from Central to local levels, mechanisms, and huge fund from the State in order to foster tourist and economic development, consolidate the military works within the defensive zone, and meet the requirements for building and protecting the Homeland.
Ha Sy Huan
Deputy Secretary of the District Party Committee
Chairman of the District People’s Committee