Corps 326 – also known as Ma River Economic and Defence Corps – is tasked with participating in socio-economic development, assisting local people in hunger eradication and poverty alleviation and building its areas of operation strong in the two districts of Sop Cop (Son La Province) and Dien Bien Dong (Dien Bien Province). These are mountainous, border and sparsely populated areas with poor infrastructure and extremely hard economic conditions. Most of the locals living in the areas are ethnic minorities in which Hmong and Tai people accounts for over 90%.  These are also the areas of operation of disruptive forces and criminals hence remain complicated in political security, social safety and order, etc.

Promoting literacy for local women

Fully aware of their role as “a troop of work”, and “a troop of production”, thoroughly grasping their areas of operation, with enthusiasm and strong determination, the Party Committee and Command of the Corps have persuaded its cadres and soldiers to surmount hardships and accomplish their assigned tasks. Since 2015 to date, the Corps has launched 6 infrastructure and forest projects, provided thousands of labouring day and machinery to assist the localities to build 7 civil projects, communication roads, suspension bridges, hydroelectric dam, irrigation channels, etc. worth at nearly 60 billion dong; implemented and multiplied 20 models of agricultural production, contributing to reducing the poverty rate by 04% to 05% annually. In addition, the Corps has conducted training for 108 cadres at all levels and enhanced the quality of local socio-political organisations and unions; coordinated with other forces in grasping the situation, combated effectively with act of infiltration aiming to incite separation and social evils, contributing to stabilizing political security, social safety and order, and building an increasingly firm all people’s national defence, etc.

First, effectively implementing the projects of hunger eradication and poverty alleviation for local people. Thoroughly surveying the land and climate to choose the appropriate plants and animals, it has actively built and multiplied some economic models suitable with the conditions of mountainous land and hot climate, etc. To make the model highly effective, prior to mass application in localities, it conducted pilot production and evaluated the economic efficiency and built technical process for each model, then held field trip and training of the model for cadres and people. It has also coordinated with the localities to phase and time the implementation of the projects; helped the localities build infrastructure projects for economic development and social welfare, such as: water supply system, office and cultural houses, upgrading traffic routes and irrigation systems and improving living and working conditions people. At the same time, it has coordinated with pharmaceutical companies to survey and build models for planting medicinal herbs; gradually established commercial networks to promote mass production and break the monopoly once held by the private firms to build a healthy competitive market in the area for local people’s benefit.

Second, attaching importance to enhancing human resources, promoting initiatives and technical innovations. Accordingly, the Corps requires each production team to implement at least one or two “pilot model” at their units for local people to visit and study. Its cadres have actively studied, experimented and transferred agricultural technology to help locals improve their product quality, pre-processing, hence raising the price of their products. In addition, it has promoted initiatives and technical innovations to increase productivity.

Producing organic fertilizer

In the concentrated production areas, the Corps advocates building closed production process, supplying seedling and breeding stock for local people. This both brings about economic efficiency and serves as a role model for each household and village to come to study. It has also conducted job promotion for local people to work in the industrial zones so that they can earn stable income and no longer conduct free and illegal migration and border crossing. Since 2015, the Corps has helped over 400 households escape from poverty; provided over 10,000 working days and over 300 million dong for 54 villages to realize one or two criteria of new rural area; promoted employment for 147 local youths in industrial zones. As for 2018 and 2019, the Corps spent 4 billion from its budget on implementing 6 models of agricultural production for 343 households with high economic efficiency.

Third, strengthening public work and participating in building the strong grassroots political systems. Grasping and implementing the resolutions and directives of upper levels on public work and building the strong grassroots political systems, the Party Committee of the Corps issued Resolution No. 27-NQ/ĐU, dated 4^th June 2015 on “Strengthening renewals in public work of Corps 326 in the new situation”; supplemented and perfected the coordinating regulations with the localities. Accordingly, the Corps has directed its affiliates to build action plans and programs in each period suitable with the functions, tasks and specifications of areas of operation; appointed members of the party committee and command of the affiliates to hold responsibility for each area; coordinate with local party committees, authorities, sectors, industries, unions and armed forces to conduct propagation about the Party and State’s lines and policies for ethnic minorities through radio programs, cinema, social networks, etc. so that our ethnic people are aware of the plots and schemes of disruptive forces. The Corps has deployed its cadres and staff to join in the inter-sector task forces of the localities to implement the ethnic and religious policies; stick to the communes, villages and residential groups to directly propagate to ethnic people through social activities and persuade them to get rid of bad customs, social evils, illegal religions, actively denounce crimes and not to follow the enticement of bad guys. By this way, they have contributed to building the strong “people’s heart and mind posture” in the border areas.

Fourth, actively participating in the consolidation of defence and security, preventing and combating crimes, alleviating the consequences of natural calamities and diseases. The Corps has coordinated with armed forces to conduct border patrol, exchange information, combat and prevent the drug and weapon traffickers and illegal religious practices. Recently, the Corps has convinced 12 households to get rid of illegal religions and many other to destroy their poppy fields. They have also handed over 300 improvised guns and rifles. At the same time, the Corps has assisted the localities to strengthen the movement of all people protecting the Fatherland, sovereignty, and border security. It has opportunely grasped and settled the emerging incidents, not to let them develop into hot spots. In addition, the Corps has paid attention to developing the network of “sympathizers” who stick to the villages, grasp the situation, conduct propagation and counter hostile propagation on the cyberspace about political security, particularly the plan to establish the “Mong State”. Sticking to its functions and responsibilities, the Corps has coordinated with the military and border guards to support 15 communes and towns to build and perfect their plans for defensive combat, conduct training for the militia and self-defence forces, select and recruit the new servicemen, prevent, control and alleviate the consequences of natural disaster, forest fire, etc. Moreover, it has strictly adhered to the duties and operational readiness regimes on holidays, Tet occasion, etc. contributing to, together with the military, public security, local party committees and authorities, maintaining political security, social safety and order and building the border areas rich in economy and strong in defence and security.

Senior Colonel NGUYEN THANH TUNG, Corps Commander