National defence and security represent the two important, close-knit tasks in the cause of national building and protection. Perceiving that, the Party Executive and the People’s Committee of Da Nang city have frequently directed the Military and Public Security Forces to strengthen collaboration to successfully implement those tasks, creating a stable environment to build Da Nang into a modern city of sustainable development.

As a centrally-controlled municipality, located in the country’s Central Coast, Da Nang holds an important strategic position in the realms of politics, economics, defence, security and diplomacy. Over the past years, in addition to socioeconomic development, the Party Executive Committee, People’s Council, and People’s Committee of the City have taken various measures to strengthen defence and security to serve its rapid, sustainable development and the goals of becoming a modern national-level urban centre by 2030 and an international-level one by 2050. To attain the goals, great significance has attached to strengthening coordination between the Military and Public Security Forces in the implementation of the tasks. Accordingly, the Military and Public Security Forces of the City have worked with each other to seriously implement the defence and security tasks, ensuring safety for the area on national holidays, Tet holiday, political, cultural and social events as well as international delegations and conferences. The two forces have proactively developed regulations and plans for coordination, while working out measures together to fight against hostile forces’ schemes and acts of sabotage, thereby maintaining stability for the City’s socioeconomic development.

To produce those results, the City’s High Command has worked with the Public Security to counsel party committees and authorities at levels to implement the Government’s Decree 77/2010/NĐ-CP, dated July 12^th 2010, the Joint Circular 7/2012/TTLT-BCA-BQP, dated June 29^th 2012, guiding the detailed execution of several provisions of the Decree 77, and the Joint Circular 03/2014/TTLT-BCA-BQP, by the Ministries of National Defence and Public Security, stipulating the detailed execution of several provisions of the Government’s Decree 78 on fire prevention and control regarding defence establishments. At the same time, it has counseled the People’s Committee of the City to promulgate legal normative documents, including the Pan 220/KH-UBND, dated May 30^th 2017, by the People’s Committee of the City on mobilizing manpower, vessels and civilian means to protect sea sovereignty and sovereign rights. Accordingly, the People’s Committee of the City have issued documents for the implementation of defence and security tasks, such as the Regulations 411/QCPH-CA-PCCC-QS-BP, dated December 27^th 2012, on coordination between the City’s Public Security and Military Force in executing the tasks of national security protection and social order maintenance, and the defence tasks in the area, the Regulations 862/QC-PH, dated April 12^th 2013, on coordination to protect national security and social order in the City’s area among the City’s Public Security, Military Force, Border Guard, Fire Fighting Police and Naval Region 3 High Command, Air Division 372, Air Defence Division 375, Department 11 under the General Department 2, Standing Agency of the High Command of Central Coast - Central Highlands Mobile Police Force, the Regulations 3745/QCPH-BCHQS-BCHBĐBP-CA-N&PTNT, dated November 28^th 2016, on coordination among the City’s Military Command, Border Guard High Command and its Public Security and Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in protection of seas and islands, political security and social order as well as in prevention and control of forest fire, and so forth.

This is the legal basis for the Military Force in cooperation with the Public Security and other forces stationed in the area to seriously, effectively implement the defence and security tasks, greatly contributing to building strong all people’s national defence posture, people’s posture and defensive zones.

Joint patrol by the City’s Military Force, Border Guard and Public Security            (photo: dangbodanang.vn)

Grounded in those conditions, the Military Force has been proactive in working with other forces in the area to exchange and verify information related to defence and security. In 2016, it has exchanged and verified more than 400 pieces of information pertaining to hostile forces’ schemes and operations, air and maritime situation, foreigners’ violations of immigration and residency, extreme elements of religions and reactionary parties in the area. The work of information exchange has been carried out in a timely, accurate, secret manner via various forms, such as regular and contingency meetings, documents, telephone, fax, and direct exchange, to make a thorough evaluation of the situation and propose proper measures for improved effectiveness of implementation of defence and security tasks at grass-roots levels.

The City’s High Command has also cooperated with other forces and localities in defence and security education according to the Government’s Decree 13/2014/NĐ-CP, dated February 25^th 2014, on executing the Law on Defence and Security Education. The work of defence and security education for leaders and managers at levels and religious dignitaries has been carried out on schedule. Forces have paid due attention to propagating and disseminating defence and security knowledge to groups of people, particularly during military recruitment season, political events and local traditional festivals. Moreover, the Military and Public Security Forces have worked with newspapers and broadcasting stations to publish news and articles on and open columns about national defence and security. Since 2016, the City’s High Command has sent 5 cadres of group 1 and 80 cadres of group 2 to join training courses held by the Party Central Committee and the Military Region 5. Also, it has worked with other forces to hold training courses on defence and security for 704 cadres of group 3, 4,350 cadres of group 4, 364 religious dignitaries, 2,515 young people and 101,846 students in the area. The work of defence and security education has gained important results, thereby bringing about major transformations in awareness and responsibility of every cadre, public servant, party member and people towards the task of national building and protection. Capabilities of leadership, management and operation of party committees and governments at levels have been increasingly enhanced.

In addition, the City’s Military Force has closely cooperated with the Public Security and other forces in conducting propaganda to make the people comply with the Party’s guideline and the State’s law, while combating to unmask hostile forces’ schemes and acts of sabotage. Forces have actively collaborated on law propagation and dissemination and encouraged the whole people to engage in crime prevention and combat in line with the implementation of the movement to build cultural families and safe, crime-free communes and wards. Also, the City’s High Command has worked with other forces to medically examine, treat and provide the people with free medicine; to visit and give presents to policy families and those in special difficulties; to actively take part in localities’ plans for economic, social, cultural development and people’s improved living conditions; to opportunely deploy forces and vehicles for natural disaster prevention and control, search and rescue, search and collection of martyrs’ remains. In 2016, the City’s armed forces have deployed 1,172 troops and 33 vehicles for forest fire control in the area, including 395 active troops, 209 militia and self-defence members, 142 fire fighting policemen, 140 policemen. Those activities have contributed to strengthening the people’s faith in the Party, State, local party committees and governments as well as the armed forces, and consolidating the “people’s hearts and minds” posture.

Fully aware that strengthening defence and security will help protect the area, maintain sociopolitical stability and peaceful life of the people, and serve as a prerequisite for economic development, military forces at levels have actively cooperated with the Public Security forces in patrol and crime prevention and control to maintain security and safety for the area, both in rivers and gulf, while executing the Ordinance on management and use of weapons and explosive materials. In 2016, military agencies at levels withdrawn and safely handled 3.02 tons of explosives. Moreover, the two forces have closely cooperated with each other in management of residents and traffic order, fire prevention and control, search and rescue.

In the face of increased terrorist attacks in the Southeast Asia, the City’s High Command has worked with other forces to effectively implement the Law on Anti-Terrorism, the Prime Minister’s Directive 25/2007/CT-TTg, dated November 15^th 2007, on stepping up anti-terrorism work in the new situation. At the same time, it has strengthened collaboration on review and identification of central targets to be protected  as well as formulation of anti-terrorism plans and projects. It has worked with other forces to detect and opportunely prevent penetration and acts of sabotage of exile dissidents, thereby ensuring security and absolute safety for external and internal affairs of the Party and State leadership, on national holidays and Tet holiday, during significant political, cultural, and social events as well as for international delegations and conferences held in Da Nang. Due attention has been paid to developing plans and projects to guarantee security for the International Fireworks Festival and the APEC Summit 2017 hosted by Da Nang.

Furthermore, the Military Force has collaborated with the Public Security on the Project “ensuring order, security and safety for the people and economic activities in seas and islands”. It has counseled local governments to handle foreign vessels’ violations of our waters; to manage, inspect and closely control people, vehicles and goods that get in and get out at stations and ports; to opportunely detect and deal with violations of immigration. In 2016, military forces organized 3,925 sessions of communication with 21,140 vessels of fishermen and collected sources of information valuable to protection of sea sovereignty.

The above-mentioned measures and recorded results have provided important basis for the continued collaboration between the City’s Military Force and Public Security on defence and security tasks in the time ahead.

Senior Colonel Truong Chi Lang, Standing Member of Da Nang City Party Committee

Commander of Da Nang City High Command