Grasping the Party and Government’s resolutions and directives on building defensive zones, over the years, Bac Lieu Provincial Party Committee and People’s Committee have always paid due regard to directing forces and sectors to adopt various measures for building provincial and district-level defensive zones in terms of potential, force, and posture.
Located in the Mekong Delta, the province of Bac Lieu holds a position of importance to the Military Region 9’s defensive posture on the coastline. It has sufficient types of grass-roots level authorities, namely district, town, city, commune, ward, township, and village, with tens of coastal communes, wards, and townships. Inter-provincial and inter-district roads and canals create an inter-connected waterway and road traffic system facilitating the force manoeuvre in the defensive operation. Over the years, political security and social order and safety in the province’s area have continued to be maintained, it has witnessed sustainable socio-economic development, its people’s mental and material life has gradually improved, the political system and the strength of the all-people great unity have been promoted, and the “posture of people’s hearts and minds” has been consolidated. The Party Organization, Authority, Military, and people within the province have always promoted the revolutionary tradition to make the province strong and prosperous while the military and public security offices have advised local party committees and authorities on building solid military and security potential.
However, Bac Lieu has a system of interlaced canals and 56 kilometres of coastline. Meanwhile, the traffic system in some areas has yet to be good enough, which has negatively impacted on the planning and construction of defensive zones. Some localities, sectors, and unions have yet to thoroughly grasp or effectively execute resolutions and directives on defensive zones. Land disputes and complaints going directly to the higher level have yet to be completely resolved. Crimes of all types, violations of law, and social evils are still complex. Landslides and salinity intrusion caused by climate change, natural disasters and epidemics have made negative impacts on the province’s economy and its people’s life.
Perceiving the advantages and difficulties mentioned above, the Provincial Military Command (PMC) has advised the Provincial Party Committee and People’s Committee on directing sectors and localities to grasp and effectively implement the 10th Politburo’s Resolution 28-NQ/TW and the Government’s Decrees 152/2007/NĐ-CP, 02/2016/NĐ-CP, and 21/2019/NĐ-CP on defensive zones. The Provincial Party Committee has frequently consolidated the Steering Board for defensive zones in order to build defensive zones in a qualitative and comprehensive manner and make the defensive zones’ potential, force, and posture increasingly strong.
First of all, the province has focused on building the politico-spiritual potential and considered it as a central task and a deciding factor in the construction of defensive zones. Following the Party’s viewpoint on improving the national defence and security strength in terms of potential, force, and posture, the PMC has advised the Provincial Party Committee and People’s Committee on building a strong political system at all levels and promoting the proactiveness, self-reliance, and strength of the all-people great unity block to perform the two strategic tasks of national construction and defence. The system of grass-roots level party organizations has been consolidated and well carried out the work of initiating new members into the Party, particularly within the militia and self-defence force and the reserve force. Due regard has been paid to enhancing the leadership and combativeness of all-level party organizations and consolidating commune-level military party cells. The system of authorities from provincial to grass-roots levels has always raised their effectiveness of operation to meet the task requirements.
Additionally, the Provincial Party Committee and People’s Committee have well conducted the work of cadre planning, training, use and rotation, built a contingent of all-level cadres who are politically strong, dare to think, dare to do, and dare to take responsibility, and used the task performance as the yardstick for assessing cadres. Sectors and forces within the province have frequently educated their staff and the people to fully understand the two strategic tasks and the guidelines on the all-people national defence and the posture of people’s war. To do so, they have organized training courses and integrated the content of propagation and education into activities of the Fatherland Front and socio-political unions. Doing so has helped orientate cadres, party members, and the people’s ideology, maintain their faith in the Party’s leadership, build a firm “posture of people’s hearts and minds” and create a solid politico-spiritual foundation within the provincial defensive zone. At the same time, due attention has been paid to providing knowledge of defence and security for all-level cadres, the people, and the armed forces. The all-level Councils for Defence and Security Education have promoted their role while the plans/projects for defence and security education have been well executed.
Building the economic potential has been seen as a central task. According to the Resolution of the 15th Provincial Party Organization Congress (2015-2020 tenure), in addition to promoting internal strength, it is important to draw external strength and closely combine the two sources of strength as the basis for the socio-economic development in line with the consolidation of defence and security and the building of an increasingly strong provincial defensive zone.
To achieve the targets mentioned above, the province has directed its departments and sectors to study and evaluate local potential and advantages as well as the trend of development. At the same time, it has set 5 economic pillars, namely (1) hi-tech agriculture (prawn and rice), (2) renewable energy (wind, solar, and liquefied natural gas power), (3) tourism, (4) commerce, services, education and high-quality health, and (5) marine economy in line with the consolidation of defence and security. To that end, the province has issued mechanisms and policies for restructuring its economy, attracting investments, and improving the investment and business environment so as to foster socio-economic development associated with the development of defence industry. Moreover, it has required the Military and Public Security offices to promote their role in reviewing, appraising, and approving socio-economic development projects by all-level authorities and sectors. At present, many essential constructions within the province have been completed and effectively used, such as Ton Duc Thang bridge and road, Bac Lieu 3 bridge, Hung Vuong road, Cau Sap - Ninh Quoi road, and Hoa Binh - Vinh Hau road. Many other important projects are being actively executed with good initial results, such as the 99.2-MW Win Power Plant, Wind Power Plants Hoa Binh 1 and Dong Hai 1, Gia Rai - Ganh Hao and Vinh My - Phuoc Long roads, Bac Lieu embankment, and Gia Rai bridge. The socio-economic projects will also serve the purpose of national defence and security. For example, high buildings will be used as battlefields and air-defence observatories. Semi-soundproof premises will be shelters and depots. Traffic roads will be used for both socio-economic development and force manoeuvre.
In addition, significant has been attached to building the military potential. The PMC has cooperated with departments and sectors in advising the Provincial Party Committee and People’s Committee to issue many resolutions on directing the building of the armed forces and the military posture within the provincial defensive zone as well as on the organization of the training and exercise work. Due attention has been paid to making the armed forces compact, strong, and capable of the staff work as the core in the building of defensive zones. The active force has been made “revolutionary, regular, seasoned, gradually modern.” The reserve force has been frequently closely managed. At the same time, the province has closely managed technical means of its economy and opportunely dealt with the changes in the quality and quantity of the registered equipment and means, thereby meeting the requirements for restoring and expanding this force when necessary. The militia and self-defence force has been consolidated with the proper quantity and structure and the increasingly high synergy. Up to now, members of this force has made up 1.7% of the province’s population. Vessels of all types have been registered and closely managed so that they could be readily mobilized for the defence of sovereignty and sovereign right at sea under the Government’s regulations.
Grounded on the province’s master plan for national defence in line with socio-economic development, the PMC has advised the Provincial People’s Committee on building the military posture within the defensive zone, effectively executing the Project on defensive zone building in the period of 2016-2020 and orientation towards 2025, the Plan for the military posture within the provincial defensive zone in the period of 2012-2015 and orientation towards 2020, and the Plan for coastal defensive works in the period of 2017-2025 and beyond in accordance with the local economic condition. The province has concentrated on building 10 coastal communes, wards, and townships into a solid defensive line within its general defensive posture. The system of combat documents and mobilization plans from provincial to commune levels, including B-group documents at the provincial and district level have been perfected and approved. Besides, the province has strictly maintained the regulations on cooperation between the Military, the Public Security, and the Border Guard under the Government’s Decree 77/2010/NĐ-CP in order to grasp the situation, opportunely effectively settle incidents, avoid “flashpoints”, and ensure political security and social order and safety in its area.
Sr. Col. Do Minh Dau, Commander of the PMC