The ideology of building the all-people national defence posture is a vital part that makes up Ho Chi Minh’s military thought, having a great value in orienting and directing the revolutionary cause of the Party and Vietnamese people. Being faced with current requirements of the cause of national defence, the research and creative application of the abovementioned ideology in building the all-people national defence in the Southwest region of paramount importance.

The Southwest region holds an important strategic position in terms of national defence and security in the defensive posture of Military Region 9 (MR9) and the southern region. Being imbued with Uncle Ho’s teaching “In housekeeping, it is vital to be vigilant and to have a lock to prevent thieves. In national defence, we need to be even more vigilant to prevent imperialists and their henchmen from sabotaging the achievements of our revolution and the construction of socialism”, over the years, the MR9’s Party Committee and High Command, together with the party committees and authorities of provinces and cities in the area have focused on building the all-people defence posture to meet the requirements of national defence. Therefore, importance is attached to building a more solid “people’s hearts and minds posture”; the strengthened military posture has created defence capabilities in all areas and directions, especially on borders, seas, and islands; the close and effective combination of economic development, national defence and security, and foreign affairs has created a new position and motivation for the all-people national defence posture in every locality and region, forming a defensive national defensive posture early and from afar.

Currently, our country is facing several new challenges in all fields, including the field of national defence and security. The fact that hostile forces have increased the number of sabotage activities against Vietnam’s sovereignty, regime, and national unity bloc has been placing urgent demands on national defence and military work. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to include the key contents of building a political posture, a military posture, and an economic and foreign affairs posture in the research and creative application of Ho Chi Minh’s thought in building the all-people national defence posture in the Southwest region in order to successfully fulfil the strategic task of building and defending the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Being imbued with President Ho Chi Minh affirmation that “The unity of our people forms an indestructible bronze wall around the Fatherland”, the local party committees and authorities have focused on building a solid “people’s hearts and minds posture” which serves as a foundation and decisive factor for the victory of the national defence cause. The Southwest region is home to the Kinh, Khmer, Cham, and Hoa ethnic groups, who are always united to help each other in the development process. However, the hostile forces take advantage of the “ethnicity”, “religion”, “democracy”, and “human rights” issues to oppose and divide the great national unity bloc and the relationship between the people and the local party committees and authorities. Therefore, to build a more solid “people’s hearts and minds posture”, party committees and commanders at all levels need to thoroughly grasp and effectively implement the Resolution of the 8^th Central Party Committee (8^th tenure) on “Improving the quality of Party building and protection as well as internal politics protection to build a socialist rule-of-law State”. Importance is attached to building a clean and strong Party and strengthening solidarity within the Party; strongly renovating and improving the quality of staffing; actively preventing and fighting against negativity, corruption, and waste; hindering and repelling internal “self-evolution” and “self-transformation”, thus contributing to improving the leadership capability and combat strength of party organisations, building up the people’s trust in the Party, State, and the socialist regime. Focusing on improving the operational efficiency of the political system under the motto of “respecting the people, being close to them, listening to them, making them trust, taking initiative efficiently for them to follow” to deserve to be the nucleus that can lead, gather, and mobilise the mass to participate in local revolutionary movements. Besides, improving the quality of education, retraining, and dissemination of national defence and security knowledge to all the subjects, contributing to raising the awareness of cadres, party members, and people about the task of national defence in the new situation. Stepping up education of patriotic traditions, the spirit of solidarity and the unyielding will of the people from the Southwest region; propagandise for people from different classes to clearly regconise the nature, plots, and tricks of hostile forces, especially those in the Southwest region. Well performing the social security work, taking care of and enhancing the people’s material and spiritual life. 

Following President Ho Chi Minh’s teachings: a strong economy bolsters national defence and security, and “sufficient food supply makes the military stronger”, provinces and cities in the Southwest region need to closely combine national defence and security with socio-economy and vice versa; realising the goal of each step of socio-economy growth is a step to consolidate and enhance defence and security potentials. This key policy needs to be implemented regularly and continuously, ensuring economic development without any effect on national defence and security and directly strengthening the potential of the defensive area. Accordingly, it is necessary to invest in and build the key economic sectors, economic works and projects, industrial parks, factories, road and waterway transport systems and equip them with modern equipment to not only ensure the production and people’s living standards but also serve the tasks of national defence and security as well as combat in defensive areas of provinces and cities. In particular, focusing on the review and strategic zoning on national defence and security, the planning of economic zones, industrial zones, export processing in association with the overall planning of national defence and military postures in defensive areas. Rearranging the population, investing in the development of socio-economic infrastructure in the direction of dual-use, modernity, and synchronisation, especially in strategic areas as well as on borders, seas, and islands.

President Ho Chi Minh used to say that “A weight is only one kilogram, but when being at its advantage, its force increases so much that it can lift an object weighing hundreds of kilograms. That’s the winning position”. To follow his teachings, MR9 and the provinces and cities in the area need to focus on mobilising resources for the construction of defensive areas, especially a solid military posture. Party committees, leaders, and commanders at all levels must thoroughly grasp the viewpoints, goals, directions, and national defence and security tasks “early and from afar”, “defending the country in advance”, creating unity in awareness, will, and action in building a solid military posture. During implementation, focusing on developing the MR9’s defensive posture as well as the plans, works, and arrangement of forces, especially on the sea and border directions and anticipating different circumstances to be ready to deal with every situation successfully. Increasing the investment in building provincial and city defensive zones, improving the capability to handle national defence and security situations in each locality. Particularly, it is necessary to attach importance to the construction of military posture components in the defensive area (key defensive areas, combat bases, rear bases, logistical and technical bases, evacuation zones, command posts, fulcrums, fulcrum clusters, deployment areas, etc.), creating a wide, continuous, and solid combat posture between regions and each strategic direction. Building military and defence works in association with the defensive posture of the MR9, in which, priority is given to the construction of sea, island, continental shelf defence works, border defence, patrol roads and dikes, border embarkments, river and stream embarkments, strategic areas, and organisation of drills in defensive areas that comply with national defence and security situations in the locality. Additionally, stepping up the building of strong people’s armed forces with increasingly high quality as the core in performing defence and military tasks. Actively adjusting the arrangement of defence and security forces, forming a strategic position, being ready to successfully handle situations, thus contributing to protecting national security and maintaining social order and safety. In the sea direction, it is necessary that forces coordinate closely to inspect, manage, monitor, direct, detect, prevent, and effectively fight against infringements on our sovereignty over seas, islands, and continental shelves. On border areas, the Military, Border Guard, Public Security, etc. closely coordinate in patrolling, managing, and protecting the border; associating the building of the all-people defence posture with the people’s security posture and the all-people border guard posture, being ready to successfully deal with any infringements on national sovereignty and border security, thus building a border of peace, friendship, cooperation, and development.

Active international integration and defence diplomacy are vital solutions to building the all-people defence posture, helping to “defend the country in advance” in the context of increasingly extensive international integration. To be efficient, all levels, branches, and localities continue to thoroughly grasp and implement the Party’s resolutions on international integration and defence diplomacy; diversifying the contents and forms of bilateral and multilateral defence relations in accordance with political, economic, and diplomatic relations of localities. Strengthening and expanding reliable cooperation with countries sharing the same borders in order to promote cooperation and resolve disagreements and disputes over sea, island, and land sovereignty, etc. Associating integration and defence diplomacy with other fields to ensure a comprehensive but focused master plan. Strictly observing the foreign policy guidelines, principles, and mottos of the Party and State, and the regulations of the Ministry of National Defence during implementation; clearly identifying partners and objects, combining cooperation with struggle; resolutely and persistently settling disputes, conflicts, and differences based on international law under the motto of “keeping calm is to cope with multi-unexpected changes”. Being steadfast in strategic goals, being flexible in strategy, taking firm protection of the independence, sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity, and national interests as the ultimate goal according to Uncle Ho’s teaching “resolutely fighting to protect the most sacred rights, which are territorial integrity of the Fatherland and national independence”.

Ho Chi Minh’s thought on building the all-people national defence posture plays a significant role in the cause of national defence so that all the MR9, local party committees, and authorities thoroughly grasp and creatively apply it in building the all-people national defence posture in the strategic Southwest region in the new situation.

Senior Colonel, Dr. NGUYEN VAN CHUONG, Political Commissar of MR9’s Military School