Economic–Defence Corps 337 is tasked with the execution of Khe Sanh Economic – Defence Zone Project in 14 communes and 99 villages of Cam Lo District, Huong Hoa District, and Dakrong District (in Quang Tri Province). During the implementation process, the Corps has encountered numerous difficulties and challenges due to the vast and predominantly mountainous terrain, transport route cuts, and harsh weather; the locals mainly belong to ethnic groups with uneven education levels and remaining depraved customs; and economic development level is low. Therefore, in parallel with the shortcomings concerning organisation and structure, the Corps’ Party Committee has adhered to its functions, tasks, and coordination with local authorities to execute multiple measures for the implementation of the Project’s targets with a focus on hunger eradication, poverty alleviation, improvement of education, etc. to stabilise the localities in terms of politics, socio-economic development, and national defence and security.

Handling over newly-built road to the locality

Implementing Decision No. 49/QĐ-TTg issued on June 24th, 2020 by the Prime Minister on ratifying the amendment of the Planning of constructing and developing the Economic-Defence Zone until 2020 with an orientation to 2025, the Corps has actively coordinated with the Provincial authorities and involving districts to establish the master planning of national defence in combination with socio-economic development and integrated into the local planning. In particular, it is required to set up areas for agricultural cultivation, animal husbandry, and production; science and technology transfer to the local residents; military encampments, training grounds, etc. and interconnect them with residential areas and local administrative centres. On the foundation of the approved planning, the Corps has utilised project funds and local resources to conduct land surveys, ground-level design, and determine the investment planning for essential infrastructure, such as electricity, roads, schools, stations, transportation systems, irrigation, etc. In addition, the Corps has conducted surveys in areas that potentially experience high-risk landslides and advised and coordinated with local authorities to mobilise maximal resources, especially the efforts of the Army and the People; arranged stable residential areas for 681 households and relocated them to new accommodation. In particular, the focus has been placed on land reclamation, farmland improvement, and the construction of nine concentrated residential clusters including 10 – 34 households each; interleaving and stabilising 66 households/258 individuals in the communes of Huong Viet, Huong Lap, and Huong Phung; providing support for the relocation and resettlement of 35 households in landslide areas of Huong Viet commune; setting up youth entrepreneurship villages and groups of villages and hamlets along the border to ensure stable socio-economic development in association with cementing national defence and security and creating a belt for safeguarding the Fatherland. Especially, after the landslide incident in October 2020 that led to the sacrifice and injury of numerous cadres and soldiers, the Corps has promptly collaborated with local authorities to survey and construct a new Command Post, Construction Company, and six production teams. In the 2018-2023 period, the Corps has constructed and transferred a variety of works, which contributes to intensifying the emulation movement entitled “The Army joins hands to build new-styled rural areas”.

Coordination to assist the local population with economic development, hunger eradication, poverty alleviation, and improvement of living standards and culture is a key element to building a politically stable and militarily strong region. With the guiding principle: "Be with the people, be with the communities, earn the people's trust, explain to the people in the spirit of the unity between the Army and the people”, the Corps has actively conducted surveys on the locals’ aspiration, terrain, soil, climate, and the choice of suitable seedlings and breeds; established models of economic development for demonstrations and comparisons, thereby organising observing trip, training, and technology transfer; allocating seedlings and breeds and duplicating the models. As a result, recent years have witnessed multiple successful models. For great effectiveness, the Corps has assigned cadres to regularly keep track of grass-roots levels, instruct and step up production, management of trees and animals with the local people to make a seismic shift in their perspectives and modes of production. In particular, the Corps has consistently implemented the models entitled “Soldiers promote production while agencies and units assist impoverished households to set up models of animal and crop husbandry and poverty alleviation” and “Production teams twin with villages and hamlets and alleviate poverty” to integrate the responsibility of agencies and units with the local communities. These standardised models act as the foundation for the cadres and personnel of agencies and units to keep abreast of villages, survey the natural conditions, and accumulate experience to build economic models. The cadres of the Corps have made every endeavour to conduct market research to build production models. In parallel with encouraging agricultural and forestry expansion and instructing modes of production to ensure stable incomes for local residents, the Corps has supported product consumption and invested in several production lines, purchase, and processing lines. Noticeably, due to harsh weather and natural disasters, wet rice cultivation encounters numerous challenges; however, with a sheer determination to ensure on-the-spot food security, the Corps has made investment expenditures, applied science and technology, and made every endeavour to maintain the wet rice cultivation models throughout the localities. Thanks to the efforts of the Corps, party committee levels and local authorities, the local residents have stopped deforestation to make space for rice cultivation and raising cattle without sheds. They have started to cultivate two crops yearly, know how to grow vegetables and achieve self-sufficiency in concentrated breeding. The models, up until now, have been well-developed in terms of the size of breeding cattle up to hundreds and high wet rice productivity. The residents have coordinated with the Corps to plant and protect hundreds of hectares of forests, which contributes to the prevention of flash floods and landslides to preserve the topography and safety of the residents. As a result, the lives of nearly 2,000 households within the areas of the Project have witnessed momentous changes, especially in the alleviation of impoverished households to 58%.

Adopting and supporting local children with difficult circumstances

Performing the function of a “working army”, the Corps has actively participated in the construction of the political system at grass-roots levels and implemented mass mobilisation to build a solid “people’s heart and mind” posture. The Corps has proactively coordinated with the departments and branches of Quang Tri province and the local authorities involved in the Project to map out plans and contents for cementing the operational effectiveness of communes’ party committees, authorities and organisations. Accordingly, the units in the Corps have advised and assisted cadres and functionaries; organised training courses for the development of party members in villages; improved the quality of meetings in party organisations and unions and performed the Grass-roots Democracy and methods of mass mobilisation, etc. Since 2018, the Corps has provided local authorities with five training courses for party subjects and granted admission to 151 party members. Emphasis has been placed on directing the production teams to intensify mass mobilisation, sign agreements, coordinate with the local authorities to keep abreast of the people, implement the 4-together motto, grasp the aspirations and desires of the local residents, promote propaganda, and mobilise the people to implement the Party's guidelines, the State laws, and the regulations of the local authorities on ethnic policies and religions. During the implementation process, the Corps has attached immense importance to bringing into play the enthusiasm and leading roles of young volunteer intellectuals and organising teams in hamlet and village, mobilising the people to eliminate superstitions, preventing illegal missionary activities, providing guidance on hygiene, eating, and living in a scientific manner to build a new way of life, preserve and develop the lofty values of the traditional culture, and fight against distorted and provocative arguments of hostile forces. In line with economic development, the Corps has placed emphasis on bringing culture and healthcare to hamlets and villages to improve the spiritual life and health of the people; maintaining the effectiveness of the Military-Civilian Infirmary and mobile medical teams to provide free medical examinations and medicine to the people, policy beneficiaries; combining propagation and mobilisation of the people to prevent diseases, social evils, environmental sanitation, and implementing family planning. As a result, the quality of healthcare for the people, the forces in the locality, and Laotian has been significantly enhanced, which makes a positive contribution to foreign affairs and the construction of a safe, friendly, and developing border community. In recent times, the Corps has directed youth unions and women's organisations to effectively implement models and mobilise donations to support disadvantaged students. Therefore, the people's trust, especially the younger generation, in "Uncle Ho's Soldiers" has been constantly strengthened.

The building of strong localities in terms of national defence and security is the central task of economic – defence corps to facilitate socio-economic development. Therefore, the Corps has attached importance to consolidating its organisational structure and stringently maintaining training and combat readiness; accelerating the building of all-strong, “exemplary and typical” agencies and production teams. The corps has closely coordinated with Public Security forces, Border Guard forces, and military agencies in districts and communes to exchange, keep track of the situation, formulate plans and combat plans; advised local authorities about the timely implementation of preventive and remedial measures for defence and security situations to thwart all hostile forces' plots and subversive tactics without being passive and surprised. Efforts have been made to actively engage the local population in patrolling and safeguarding the border and landmarks while maintaining security and order in hamlets and villages. Activities such as the storage, trade, and use of drugs, weapons, and explosives are discouraged; and illegal border crossings are prohibited. Simultaneously, the Corps has advised and signed an agreement on the Coordination Regulation to safeguard the localities; actively assisted local authorities in building forces and defensive areas, as well as disseminated knowledge about national defence and security to subjects. Besides, the Corps has mapped out plans and mobilised forces, means, materials, and equipment for the prevention of natural disasters and search-and-rescue operations, thereby bringing into play the pioneering roles in the implementation of “combat tasks in peacetime” to preserve the close-knit relationship between the Army and the people and build a strong area in terms of national defence and security to establish a solid belt along the border of the Fatherland.

Senior Colonel UONG DINH TAN, Head of Economic – Defence Corps 337