On 12^th July, 1949, Lai Chau propagation armed Group No.1 was established (the predecessor of present-day Dien Bien provincial armed forces) in response to the Party’s policy on ramping up the people’s armed forces to meet the urgent requirements of the resistance war against the French colonialists. Against all the odds in wartime, the Provincial armed forces (hereinafter PAF) swiftly stabilized their organizational structure and consolidated their force build-up at the same time, becoming a core and full-fledged force in the resistance war movement by the people of Dien Bien.

Over the course of the anti-French resistance war, the PAF waged a war of attrition against the enemy, enabling the active forces to conduct decisive battles and bring great victory to different campaigns. In particular, during the 1953 - 1954 Winter-Spring Offensive with Dien Bien Phu Campaign as a pinnacle, the PAF had mobilized the physical and human resources to the maximum in the battlefield, contributing greatly to Dien Bien Phu Victory, which “resonated throughout five continents and shook the world”. Over the course of the anti-American resistance war, alongside the country’s people and soldiers, the PAF had continued to give tremendous assistance to the Southern battlefield, protecting the cause of building socialism in the North and successfully fulfilling international missions in neighbouring Laos. Following the national reunification, border wars broke out in northern and southwestern regions, and the PAF continued to fight to defend the Northern border and triumphantly accomplished their missions. Over the course of 70 years of building, fighting and maturity, under the leadership and directions of Party Committee and High Command of Inter-region No. 10, Northwestern Military Region (present-day Military Region No. 2) and Lai Chau provincial Party Committee and People’s Committee (present-day Dien Bien province), generations of the PAF’s cadres and soldiers have forged their traditions of “Loyalty, Self-reliance, Solidarity, Creativity, and “Determination to win” and been awarded various noble accolades by the State and the Military.

The Provincial Military Party Committee’s conference to issue the resolution of 2019

Upholding heroic Dien Bien Phu Victory, in recent years, the Provincial Military Party Committee and Command (hereinafter PMPC and PMC) have focused their leadership and directions on building their comprehensively strong units through synchronous and drastic solutions with an emphasis on building politically strong PAF as a determinant of their enhanced overall quality and combativeness. The PMPC and PMC have directed their affiliates to attach great importance to promoting the quality of the work of political education and ideological guidance, enabling cadres and soldiers to cultivate firm political zeal and truly become a loyal and reliable fighting and political force of local party committees, administrations and people. Accordingly, cadres and soldiers are thoroughly briefed and educated on the fundamentals of Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh thought, the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies and laws, especially resolutions and directives by Military Region No.2 Party Committee and High Command and the Provincial Party Committee and People’s Committee as well as artifices and stratagems of hostile forces. For the sake of high effectiveness in the work of political and ideological education, the PMC has instructed its affiliates to diversify educational forms and methods whilst attaching great weight to teaching historical traditions and stirring up the pride of cadres, soldiers, and people in the heroic Dien Bien land, thereby contributing to enhancing a sense of responsibility and powers of endurance amongst cadres and soldiers.

On the other hand, the PMPC and PMC have attached great value to streamlining and fostering leadership capability and combativeness for party committees and organizations at all levels. Exemplary role played by a contingent of cadres at all levels has always been promoted while the work of inspection and supervision has been frequently bolstered in a bid to opportunely remedy limitations and shortcomings in leadership, directive, and organizational work under the spirit of Resolution of the 4^th Plenum of the Party Central Committee (12^th tenure) on the Party building and rectification. In addition, it is necessary to accelerate the implementation of Determined to win emulation movements in close association with that of Directive No. 05-CT/TW, dated 15-6-2016 by the Politburo (12^th tenure), Directive No. 87-CT/QUTW, dated 08-7-2016 by the Standing Board of the Central Military Commission on “Accelerating the study and following of Ho Chi Minh thought, ethics, and lifestyle” and the Campaign “Promoting traditions, devoting talents, and deserving to be Uncle Ho’s soldiers”. Thanks to those, in recent years, the PMPC has always been pure and strong with all of its affiliated party organizations successfully accomplishing their assigned missions and being highly lauded by the Military Region Party Committee and High Command and the Provincial Party Committee and People’s Committee.

The armed forces’ parade to celebrate the 65th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu Victory and the 70th founding anniversary of the Provincial Party Committee

In addition to concentrating on building their politically strong units, the PMC attaches great value to making a breakthrough in organizational structure, enhanced training quality and combat readiness capability. Closely following the higher echelons’ directions, the PMC has made proactive adjustments to its organizational structure under the motto “elite, compact, strong, symmetrical, and synchronous”, ensuring symmetrical and sufficient organizational patterns amongst offices, units, and stationed areas. Great emphasis is placed on slimming down the workforce in the PMC offices while priority is given to building active and reserve forces; combat readiness units, and units stationed in remote, border, and key areas. At the same time, the PMC has directed its affiliates to take various breakthrough measures to reform and improve the quality of combat readiness training. Accordingly, the work of training has been done in a strict, scientific, flexible, and efficient fashion in accord with higher echelons’ regulations and every object, with an emphasis on enhancing soldiers’ ability to master assigned weapons and equipment; on intensifying field and night training, etc. After 5 years of implementing Resolution No. 765-NQ/QUTW, dated 20-12-2012 by the Central Military Commission on “Enhancing training quality in the 2013 - 2020 period and beyond”, the PAF have completed their training targets and programmes, which serves as a prerequisite for raising their overall quality and fighting strength. The PMPC and PMC have always paid due attention to carrying out combat readiness and contingency missions and strictly maintaining on-duty regulations whilst attaching great importance to improving the quality of switching combat readiness modes and drilling defensive zone exercises and natural disaster response; closely cooperating with public security an border defence forces in preserving political security and social order and safety and safeguarding the sovereignty of the Provincial border line.

In addition, the PMC has always paid special attention to the building of regular units and discipline maintenance, thereby successfully accomplishing assigned tasks. The Provincial boundary area borders China and Laos, where entry and exit activities and illegal transportation of drugs, explosives, and weapons, etc witness complex and unpredictable developments. Therefore, in order to keep cadres and soldiers away from the dark sides of market mechanism, the PMC attaches great weight to promoting the quality of building regular units and maintaining military discipline. To this end, the PMC has actively briefed and educated their soldiers on directives and instructions pertaining to the building of regular units and discipline maintenance whilst stringently maintaining soldiers’ daily activities in conformity with military rules and regulations; resolutely fighting and strictly handling violations of Military discipline and the State laws. As a result, recent years have witnessed a remarkable transformation in the building of regular units and discipline maintenance within the PAF.  

Additionally, logistical and technical work has also been paid proper regard. Offices and units strictly implement higher echelons’ resolutions, directives, and plans, and regularly make proper adjustments to a series of documents concerning logistical and technical work in an effort to opportunely fulfil training and combat readiness missions and other contingencies. At the same time, it is essential to properly carry out emulation movements, namely “the Military Logistics follows Uncle Ho’s teachings” and the Campaign “Managing, exploiting technical weapons and equipment properly, durably, safely, and economically, and traffic safety”, thereby ensuring logistical and technical supplies and improving soldiers’ living standards, and adequately supplying technical materiel for contingency missions.

Priding themselves on their 70-year tradition of fighting and maturity, the PAF continue to unite in overcoming difficulties and resolve to successfully accomplish military-defence missions, contributing greatly to the cause of constructing and defending the Homeland.

Senior Colonel Hoang Hai, Member of the Standing Board of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the Provincial Military Command