The mass mobilization work of the Army plays a very important role, and has been carried out effectively, creating a sweeping revolutionary action movement, contributing to defeating the plots and subversive tricks of hostile forces, maintaining political security, social order and safety, safeguarding the “people’s heart and mind posture”, consolidating and strengthening the national great unity bloc.

With the ploy to step up the strategy of “peaceful evolution” against the Vietnamese revolution, over the past time, hostile and reactionary forces have taken advantage of the racial and religious issues, and strengthened distorted propagation in order to undermine the great national unity bloc. Facing this situation, the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defence, the General Political Department have flexibly applied the views of Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh's thought on mass mobilisation; deeply grasped the Party's line on the mass work; regularly led, directed and guided the implementation of the work in a comprehensive and positive way, with many creative contents and forms. Currently, the world and regional situations have seen many complicated and unpredictable developments. The hostile forces are stepping up their strategy of “peaceful evolution” against our country's revolution with increasingly sophisticated plots and tricks; in which, they thoroughly take advantage of issues of ethnicity, religion, democracy and human rights to undermine the cause of building and defending the Fatherland of our people. This requires that the Army continues to further innovate, improve the mass mobilisation work, and implement synchronously and effectively the following solutions:

Firstly, promote propaganda and education to raise awareness and responsibility for cadres and soldiers for mass mobilisation work; promptly fighting against the plots and tricks of hostile forces aiming to undermine the great national unity block. The entire Army should continue to thoroughly grasp and well implement the Party's resolutions and directives, policies and laws of the State, the resolutions of Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence on ethnic and religious affairs, focusing on: Conclusion No. 44-KL/TW, dated January 22, 2019 of the Secretariat (XI tenure) on continuing to promote the implementation of Directive No. 09-CT/TW, dated December 1, 2011 of the Secretariat (XI tenure) on strengthening the Party's leadership over the Movement of All-People protecting the national security in the new situation; Directive No. 1006-CT/QUTW, dated September 27, 2019 of the Central Military Commission on continuing to renew and strengthen the leadership, and direction of the Army over the implementation of religious work in the new situation; Directive No. 168-CT/QUTW, dated February 8, 2020 of the Central Military Commission on the mass mobilisation work of the Army in key areas of national defence and security in the new situation; Directive No. 472-CT/QUTW, dated May 21, 2020 of the Central Military Commission on strengthening leadership, direction to improve the efficiency of mass mobilisation of economic – defence corporations in the new situation, etc. At the same time, closely follow the characteristics of the localities, the subversive acts of hostile forces, the legitimate thoughts and aspirations of the people to determine the appropriate content and measures to conduct the work.

Border guards conduct legal dissemination for the ethnic minorities

Secondly, promote the role of organisations and forces in carrying out the Army's mass mobilisation work in the preventing and fighting against the conspiracy and tricks to take advantage of racial and religious issues to divide the great national unity bloc. Party committees, party organisations, commanding cadres, political commissars, junior commissars at all levels need to thoroughly grasp the resolutions and directives of the Party, the State, Central Military Commission, and Ministry of National Defence on mass work for ethnic and religious areas, then build detailed and highly feasible implementation. Regularly review, adjust and supplement the content and methods of conducting the mass mobilisation work in accordance with the reality. At the same time, to promote the role of organisations, forces, especially political agencies, political officers and specialised forces in advising, directing and guiding the implementation. Strengthen the inspection, preliminary review, and review; promptly commend, reward, and replicate good practices, innovative models, typical collectives and individuals. Resolutely rectify and strictly handle violations in the implementation of mass mobilisation in general and in the prevention and fight against conspiracy, tricks to take advantage of racial and religious issues to sabotage of our revolution in particular.

Third, regularly renew the contents and forms of mass mobilisation work in the prevention and fight against conspiracies, tricks of hostile forces to take advantage of racial and religious issues to undermine the great national unity bloc; actively participate in socio-economic development, improve material and spiritual life for ethnic minorities and religious people. During implementation, agencies, units must thoroughly grasp the motto: “sincere, positive, prudent, persistent, delicate and firm” and the customs and practices of the people to carry out the work in an appropriate manner. The implementation process should be closely linked with the movements and campaigns launched by the Party, State, Vietnam Fatherland Front and localities; deploy different forms of propaganda and mobilisation close to reality. Build a contingent of talented and enthusiastic reporters, reputable officials and people who are knowledgeable in languages ​​and customs of local people to form up mobile propaganda teams to the areas of extreme difficulty to help people eradicate hunger and reduce poverty, and build new countryside.

In addition, continue to effectively participate in the implementation of socio-economic development programs, hunger eradication and poverty reduction, with the focus on: Resolution No. 30a/2008/NQ-CP, dated December 27, 2008, Resolution No. 80/NQ-CP, dated May 19, 2011 of the Government on the orientation of sustainable poverty reduction in the period of 2021 - 2020 and the National Target Program on sustainable poverty reduction; Resolution No. 12/NQ-CP, dated February 15, 2020 of the Government on the implementation of Resolution No. 88/2019/QH14, dated November 18, 2019 of the National Assembly on approving the Master Project for socio-economic development in ethnic and mountainous areas in the period 2011 - 2030. In particular, priority is given to helping people develop production, increase income, “erase” hungry households, reduce poor households, and improve life.

Fourthly, constantly improve the efficiency of advice, coordination, and participation in building the grassroots political system, building solid “people’s heart and mind posture” in ethnic minority and religious areas. Agencies and units actively coordinate with the forces in the area to grasp the situation, promptly consult with the party committees and local authorities to effectively handle problems arising from the grassroots. Actively participate in building the grassroots political system, building solid “people’s heart and mind posture” in ethnic minority and religious areas; advise and assist local party committees and authorities in improving leadership, direction and state management on ethnic and religious issues. Participate in strengthening and building clean and strong party organisations, overcoming weaknesses and negativity in leadership; improve the prestige of the party organizations towards the people. Well implement the Grassroots Democracy Regulation, promote the people's ownership; coordinate in building strong socio-political organisations. Promote the role of village elders, village chiefs, prestigious people in the community and religious dignitaries. Strengthen religious dialogue, promote the role of dignitaries and progressive believers, promote their reputation in community life and coordinate in persuading and mobilising the people to follow the Party's lines, the State's policies and laws and maintain political security, social order and safety in each village; effectively counter the rhetoric distorting the Party's lines and undertakings, the State's policies and laws in order to undermine the great national unity bloc.

Finally, regularly foster and improve capacities and methods for cadres and soldiers, especially the forces directly engaged in mass mobilisation work in ethnic minority and religious areas. Party committees and commanders of units regularly take care of and foster political qualities, morality, lifestyles and disciplines of mobilization work for cadres and soldiers, especially the forces directly engaged in the mass and religious work. The content must be comprehensive, focusing on fostering and raising awareness about the issue of ethnicity, religion and the work of ethnic groups and religions of the Party and State; knowledge about the economy, culture, society, cultural and psychological characteristics of the each ethnic minority, and characteristics of religious activities. Improve professional qualifications, methods of mobilising the ethnic minorities and religious people; pay attention to fostering and developing party members and youth union members, and the promotion of ethnic minority and religious people to the local political system as the core in the mobilisation of ethnic minorities and religious people.

The mass mobilisation work of the Army is of very important significance to the building, consolidation and strengthening of the great national unity bloc, requiring commissars, commanders at all levels, and the entire Army's cadres and soldiers to be fully aware of the requirements of political tasks in general, mass mobilisation tasks in particular; actively coordinate to implement synchronously and effectively contents and measures of the work, contributing to improving its efficiency, meeting the requirements of the task of building and defending the Socialist Vietnam Fatherland.

Senior Lieutenant General TRAN QUANG PHUONG, Member of the Party Central Committee, Member of the Central Military Commission, and Deputy Chairman of the General Political Department of the Vietnam People's Army