Located in the Northwest, the province of Dien Bien has a large area and sparse population. Its economic growth is still slow. Therefore, while facilitating socio-economic development and improving locals’ life, the province has focused its leadership and direction on building the all-people national defence as the basis for successfully fulfilling its military-defence task.

The review of the 10-year building of the all-people national defence (2009-2019) has revealed that thanks to our Party and State’s regard and investment, the province’s economic growth has been stabilised, its cultural and social development has been positively changed, its all-people unity block has been cemented, and its foreign relations have been expanded. However, Dien Bien is a poor province, with a high rate of poor and near-poor households (42.82%) and a section of locals, particularly the ethnical minority people in the isolated, remote, border area are confronted with difficulties in their life. Meanwhile, political security and social order and safety always have complex developments, the hostile forces are conducting the work of propagation aimed at establishing the “so-called Hmong State,” and there is an increase in illegal religious activities, free migration, drug and explosive-related trafficking, and social evils.

Grasping the Party’s military-defence guidelines, particularly the 11^th Party Central Committee’s Resolution No.8 on “the Strategy for defending the Homeland in the new situation,” as well as directives by the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defence, and the Military Region 2’s Command, acting as a core advisory office in charge of the military-defence work, the Provincial Military Command (PMC) has proactively given advice to the Provincial Party Committee, People’s Council and People’s Committee on building the all-people national defence in a synchronous, timely, feasible manner and issuing directives, resolutions, and plans to perform the defence-security task associated with socio-economic development. Due attention has been paid to advising the province on building defensive zone potential and force and posture, especially the military posture and a firm “posture of people’s hearts and minds,” raising the quality of training and exercises by forces and organising natural disaster and epidemic drills as well as search and rescue operations. As a result, all annual exercises have good results and ensure the absolute safety. Such exercises have helped improve local party committees and authorities’ capabilities in leadership and direction over the military-defence task, enhance departments, sectors and politico-social organisations’ state management of the building and operation of defensive zones, and better the armed forces’ tactical skills and their cooperation with others within the defensive zones. Moreover, the PMC has worked with committees, departments and sectors to advise the province on fostering economic development, ensuring social security, and mobilising resources to build combat and public constructs and dual-purpose facilities. The coordination between the Military, the Public Security Force and the Border Guard Force under the Government’s Decree 03/2019/NĐ-CP has been closely, regularly maintained, which has enabled them to opportunely collect and exchange information, correctly anticipate situations and propose remedial measures to avoid falling into passivity and safeguard the province in any situation.

The launch of an emulation movement within the provincial armed forces

To accelerate the building of the all-people national defence and the postures of all-people national defence, people’s security and all-people border defence as the basis for boosting socio-economic development, consolidating defence and security, and firmly protecting the province, in the upcoming time, the Provincial Military Party Committee (PMPC) and the PMC will advise the province on several basic solutions as follows.

First, strengthen all-level party committees and authorities’ leadership and direction over the defence-security task and the Homeland protection. It is important to keep grasping and effectively executing the Resolution 06-NQ/TU, dated September 13^th, 2016 by the Provincial Party Committee and the Action Plan 169/KH-UBND, dated November 20^th, 2015 for the 10^th Politburo’s Resolution 28-NQ/TW, dated September 22^nd, 2008 on building provinces and municipalities into solid defensive zones in the new situation. At the same time, it is essential to include measures for building the all-people national defence in the Document of the 14^th Provincial Party Congress so that all-level party committees and organisations could grasp and study as well as develop their own resolutions and action plans. All-level party committees and authorities should consider the building of all-people national defence and people’s security as a central, routine task. Due attention should be paid to heightening the responsibility of leaders for the military-defence work so as to ensure the effective performance. The PMC should closely cooperate with provincial committees, departments and sectors in propagating and disseminating the Party’s guidelines and the State’s law and policy on defence and security via yearly defence-security education courses, as well as taking advantage of mass media to conduct this work. Doing so will help gradually raise the public awareness of the significance and importance of building the all-people national defence, the people’s security and the all-people border defence, heighten a sense of responsibility and gain support from locals for the Homeland defence, and consolidate the “posture of people’s hearts and minds.”

Second, maintain cooperation with forces in grasping the situation and opportunely giving advice to party committees and authorities on performing the defence-security work. Playing the core role in executing the military-defence task, the provincial armed forces should continue to grasp and implement the Party’s guidelines on defending the Homeland in the new situation. They should promote cooperation with other forces in studying, assessing and anticipating the scenario as the basis for advising party committees and authorities on dealing with situations. Besides, they should develop plans and projects for detecting, preventing and eliminating internal detriments to take the initiative in all situations. Grounded on the military posture plan approved by the Military Region 2’s Command, the PMC should counsel the province to concentrate on building and completing several important components within the military posture and combat base, such as the headquarters and its tunnel. All ten districts and cities should install the early warning system for air defence. Emphasis should be placed on constructing training grounds within the districts of Nam Po, Muong Cha, Dien Bien Dong, Muong Ang, and Tuan Giao as well as several works for the national defence task.

Third, focus on making the armed forces strong and capable of playing the core role in building the all-people national defence. Based on the Project for the organisation of the Vietnam People’s Army in the period of 2020-2025, the province should have directions for the organisation of its armed forces. In this regard, emphasis should be placed on building a “revolutionary, regular, elite, gradually modern” standing force with a high level of synergy and combat readiness. It is also necessary to consolidate a contingent of cadres within this force both qualitatively and quantitatively and make them absolutely loyal to the Homeland, the Party, the State and the people and capable of fulfilling all assigned tasks. Military units should keep raising the quality of training under the Resolution 765-NQ/QUTW, dated December 20^th, 2012 by the Central Military Commission. Great value should be attached to improving forces’ capabilities in manoeuvre and combat within defensive zones. Due attention should be paid to making the three-category armed forces (main force, local force and militia and self-defence force) politically, ideologically and organisationally strong as the basis for enhancing their combat readiness capacity. A focus should be placed on building and staffing the reserve force in accordance with each locality and area’s particularities. The militia and self-defence force should be made “strong and extensive,” especially in the key, border area and within offices, organisations and enterprises. This force should closely cooperate with others in maintaining political security and social order and safety. All-level party committees and authorities should be aware of the Party’s guidelines and the role of each force to adopt proper measures, while well implementing the policy for the Army Rear and improving cadres and soldiers’ material and spiritual life.

Fourth, closely, effectively combine socio-economic development with defence-security consolidation. In each area, development plans must include the defensive task to ensure that socio-economic development will be in parallel with defence-security consolidation. Significance should be attached to raising the effectiveness of economic-defence zones and building new ones along the border so as to stabilise and improve locals’ life in the key, border area and consolidate the defence-security posture. Via exercises, the PMC should give advice to the province on taking advantage of terrains of great value, system of natural caves, and traffic and irrigation constructions to establish an inter-connected, solid posture and enable the forces to effectively settle situations relating to national defence and security within defensive zones. At the same time, consideration should be given to consolidating the Steering Boards and the Supply Councils for the provincial and district-level defensive zones, conducting surveys on socio-economic sectors’ logistics and technical potential and the level of readiness of forces, means and materials for the national defence mission. In this regard, due regard should be paid to planning and constructing combat works and logistics and technical depots and stations in line with each region’s socio-economic development master plan and the province’s military posture. Priority should be given to providing materials and equipment for the forces within defensive zones, particularly in the key areas to make contributions to firmly protecting the province.

Sr. Col. NGO QUANG TUAN, Member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Board

Commander of the PMC