Friday, March 20, 2020, 08:50 (GMT+7)
On the coastal militia and self-defence force

As a branch of Vietnam’s Militia and Self-Defence Force, the coastal militia and self-defence force is established in coastal localities and organisations which have means and vessels at sea and tasked with maintaining combat readiness, engaging in combat, serving combat, and defending the national sovereignty over seas and islands. Besides, it is assigned to cooperate with units of the Border Guard, the Navy, the Coast Guard and other forces in maintaining security, order, and safety at sea and on islands as well as involve in natural disaster prevention and control, search and rescue, and marine economic development, and performing other missions.

In the cause of national liberation, particularly in the war against the U.S., for national salvation, the coastal militia and self-defence force engaged in both production and the fight against the US operations at sea and in the coastal areas, and provided logistics support and transportation for islands far from the coast, thereby making contributions to building up the traditions of the militia and self-defence force in particular, the armed forces of Vietnam in general. In the period of national construction and protection, especially in recent years, the coastal militia and self-defence force has been organised and operated rather effectively in seas and on islands; it has cooperated with relevant forces in maintaining security and safety at sea and firmly safeguarding the national sovereignty over seas and islands, which has greatly contributed to developing coastal localities’ marine economy.

Northern coastal self-defence force’s live-fire session

However, to meet the increasingly higher requirements set by the defence of national sovereignty over seas and islands and the guidelines on sustainable marine economic development in the new period, it is imperative to promote the role of the coastal militia and self-defence force and improve the efficiency of this force as the basis for enhancing the country’s defensive potential and defending the national sovereignty over seas and islands. To do so, military offices at all levels should advise local party committees and authorities on grasping and strictly executing the Party’s guidelines on building the coastal militia and self-defence force, with emphasis placed on the Directive 04/CT-BQP, dated January 26th, 2007 by the Minister of National Defence on “strengthening the building of the coastal militia and self-defence force” and plans and guiding documents by the General Staff. Due attention should be paid to conducting the work of education and propagation to raise the awareness and responsibility of authorities and sectors, especially the armed forces and coastal localities for the building and operation of the coastal militia and self-defence force. In addition, it is necessary to formulate and implement the plans and projects for socio-economic development associated with national defence and security in the coastal, sea, and island areas in accordance with the targets, goals, tasks, and measures mentioned in the 12th Party Central Committee’s Resolution 36/NQ-TW, dated October 22nd, 2018 on “the Strategy for the sustainable marine economic development of Vietnam towards 2030, with a vision towards 2045.” Due regard should be paid to providing political and military education and organising military exercises for the coastal militia and self-defence force, making it comprehensively strong and promoting its core role in developing marine economic sectors and conducting patrols to detect violations of the country’s territorial waters by foreign vessels. Importance should be attached to acquiring and providing modern specialised equipment, vessels, and means for this force to perform its missions and ensure sufficient policies and entitlements for it.

Well implementing the above-mentioned measures will be an important prerequisite for the coastal militia and self-defence force to cooperate with other relevant forces in maintaining security and safety at sea and defending the national sovereignty over seas and islands in the new situation.

Nguyen Duc Phu

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