Sa Pa is a highland town of Lao Cai province, a famous tourist destination of the whole country, with a natural area of ​​681.36 km2 and a population of nearly 70,000 people of many different ethnic groups, in which, Hmong people account for 53.81%. In recent years, the Town Party Committee and the People's Committee have led, directed, in coordination with the grassroots Party Committees and authorities, people, departments, branches, and armed forces, to overcome difficulties and comprehensively complete socio-economic, defence, and security targets, that has brought a new face and breakthrough for Sa Pa. Every year, Sa Pa welcomes millions of visitors, that has create a driving force for economic growth but underlaid complicated factors in relation to social order and safety. This is also the area where hostile forces focus on sabotaging and propagating for the so-called “Hmong State”, while illegal missionary activities, land disputes, lawsuits, crimes, and social evils are complicated. Acknowledging that, the Military Command has promoted the role of the National Defence and Security Education Council Standing Committee in actively advising, directing, guiding, and promoting the implementation of the national defence and security education work for the subjects with several synchronous solutions and gained encouraging results, contributing to building a fast and sustainably developed Sa Pa.

Granting defence and security certificate for Type-4 objects

First of all, the Military Command has attached importance to advising the Town to strengthen its leadership and direction over the national defence and security education. Fully grasping the Party's and State's directives, resolutions, and documents on national defence and security education, with a focus on the Politburo's Directive No.12-CT/TW (the 10^th Tenure) on “Strengthening the Party's leadership on national defence and security education in the new situation”, the Law on National Defence and Security Education, and the superiors’ guidance documents, annually the Military Command advise the Town Party Committee and People's Committee to promulgate directives and plans to lead and direct the local national defence and military task, including the national defence and security education work. At the same time, they have communicated and disseminated to cadres, Party members, and people to be well aware of the significance and importance of national defence and security education for the construction of the all-people national defence and the firm “people’s heart and mind posture”. To implement the national defence and security education work in an orderly and effective manner, the Military Command has regularly advised to consolidate the National Defence and Security Education Council of the Town, communes, and wards to ensure sufficient numbers and proper composition with responsibilities assigned to each member; built and supplemented the operation regulations; strengthened inspecting and urging the national defence and security education work in communes and wards; and conducted preliminary and final review and experience drawing to overcome and rectify limitations and shortcomings.

The training of national defence and security knowledge for subjects has been strictly implemented under the decentralization. Annually, the Military Command advise the National Defence and Security Education Council of the Town to direct the review and send cadres of Category 2 and 3 to training courses in Military Region 2 and the Province under the assigned quotas. At the same time, it has coordinated with agencies, departments, branches, and Political Training Center of the Town in formulating plans and opening training courses on defence and security knowledge for cadres of Category 4 as prescribed. As the people in the area are mainly ethnic minorities with limited awareness and complicated religious life and evangelical activities, the Town has attached importance to expanding the subjects of national defence and security knowledge cultivation to religious dignitaries, village elders, village chiefs, clan leaders, and prestigious people in communities to raise awareness and sense of responsibility and promote their roles in propagandizing and mobilizing ethnic minorities and religious people to voluntarily abide by the Party, State, and local guidelines, policies and laws to contribute to maintaining the political security and social order and safety without causing rural security “hot spots”.

National defence and security education for students has been well-organized as prescribed. As the national defence and security instructors at high schools are non-specialized, the Town Military Command has regularly cooperated and assisted schools in organizing the instruction, such as: fostering experience and knowledge for teachers, assisting in teaching military and security contents, sending cadres to deliver speeches or attend traditional talk, and providing career orientation on the occasion of great anniversaries of the country and people. Thereby, students have been educated on patriotism, love for socialism, and pride and respect for the tradition of fighting against foreign invaders of the nation and the Vietnam People's Army. Students have also been provided with necessary military and security skills and been well aware of citizens' rights and obligations toward the cause of national construction and defence. Since 2015, schools have conducted national defence and security education for over 3,700 turns of students with good results. In 2018, the Town's student team participating in Lao Cai Defence Contest won one Second prize and two Third prizes and was highly appreciated by the Provincial National Defence and Security Education Council.

Along with that, the Town has also focused on disseminating the national defence and security knowledge to the entire population. The Town Education of National Defence and Security Council has directed the Center for Culture, Sports, and Communications and radio stations of communes and wards to enhance the communication and propaganda activities in various forms. The contents have been focused on guidelines and policies for socio-economic development and national defence and security reinforcement of the Party and the State, especially the Strategy for Fatherland Protection in the New Situation, Law on Military Service, National Defence Law, Law on Militia and Self-Defence Force, Reserve Force Ordinance (now the Reserve Force Law), Military rear policy, and activities of the Town Armed Forces, etc. In addition, the Town Military Command has advised the Council to direct the grassroots to integrate propaganda in conferences and village meetings, on major anniversaries of the country and the Army, in selecting and enlisting citizens to join the army, and at traditional festivals of ethnic minorities As a result, it has enhanced awareness and sense of responsibility of all levels, sectors, cadres, Party members, and people of all strata on national defence and security, construction of the all-people national defence, that has consolidated the people’s confidence, especially those in remote, uninhabited, and religious areas for the Party, the State, the Army, and the authorities at all levels.

With the motto of harmonious and sustainable development in association with good performance of the functions in appraising and advising the Town to approve and implement investment projects to ensure close combination of economy with national defence and security and promote tourism strengths to attract a large number of domestic and international visitors, the Military Command has actively cooperated with the Public Security to closely monitor and manage tourists to the area and advise the Town to propagate and organize restaurants, hotels, and accommodation owners to sign commitments on strictly abiding by the regulations on registration and declaration of stay and uphold the role of the specialized staff and collaborator network in grasping and reporting on the situation to manage and promptly handle matters in relation to national defence, security, and social order and safety. Accordingly, during the recent Covid-19 pandemic, immediately after the notice that two foreigners being infected with Corona virus came to Sa Pa, the Town Military Command coordinated with the Public Security in directing the military commands and public security offices of communes and wards to promptly review, zone, and isolate the people who had contacted with the two tourists, not letting the pandemic spread.

Good performance of the national defence and security education work has made an important contribution for Sa Pa Town to build a firm all-people national defence and national defence posture in association with the people security posture and the “people’s heart and mind” posture to stabilize political security and social order and safety and create a favorable environment for rapid and sustainable socio-economic development and construction of modern and civilized urban areas.

Lieutenant Colonel DAO QUANG HUNG, Commanding Officer of Sa Pa's Military Command and Vice Chairman of Sa Pa Town National Defence and Security Education Council