Being fully aware of the relationship between prevention and handling of riots in strengthening national defence and security, and firmly defending the Socialist Fatherland, the Resolution of the 13^th National Party Congress clearly states that “proactive prevention is the key”. This is a very important issue in the current situation, which needs to be thoroughly grasped and implemented.

The viewpoint of “proactive prevention is the key” in the work of national defence, security and protection of the Fatherland has been inherited from the experience of defending the Fatherland since “the very beginning”, “keeping peace at home and friendship abroad” of the ancestors in the history and process of consolidating national defence and security, fighting and preventing “peaceful evolution” and subversion and riot over the past time. This is the development of the Party’s thinking and strategic vision on national defence, security and Homeland protection in the new revolutionary period. Accordingly, the content of defending the Fatherland is not only aimed at firmly protecting the sovereignty of the territory and borders of the country, preventing and defeating the enemy invasion from the outside, but also maintaining political stability and security inside the country. Moreover, it focuses on fighting against the enemy invasion, as well as organising defence in advance, actively fighting to defeat hostile forces’ plots and conspiracies of “peaceful evolution” and subversion.

Currently, although peace and cooperation for mutual development are still the mainstream of the time, the nature of the relationship between countries and within each country contains many contradictions. In certain places remain complicated issues like ethnic and religious conflicts, interference, subversion, terrorism, secession, etc. In our country, besides the great historic achievements during the 35-year period of renewal, ethnic minorities in remote and isolated areas still undergo many difficulties. They even have misunderstandings about historical and cultural factors, autonomy, etc. Meanwhile, there are still limitations in the capacity of cadres at grassroots level to manage, administer, and implement the Party’s guidelines, the State’s policies and laws on ethnicity, religion, socio-economic development associated with defence and security enhancement, etc. Many destabilising factors still loom in strategic areas including the Northwest, the Central Highland, the Southwest, and major cities. In particular, hostile forces step up their sabotage activities with “peaceful evolution”, subversive violence, intensify “self-evolution”, “self-transformation” with more open and direct conspiracies aimed at overthrowing the political regime in our country. Therefore, “proactive prevention is the key”, which prevents creating a gap for hostile forces inside to combine with reactionary ones outside to quietly build “foundation” and excuse to provoke violence. In order to maintain political stability to develop the country rapidly and sustainably, proactive prevention is an important and urgent issue that needs to be thoroughly grasped and implemented with appropriate contents and solutions.

First and foremost, strengthen the Party’s leadership, the State’s management in riot prevention and fighting. This is the most important factor to ensure that the task of riot prevention and fighting is in the right direction and in accordance with the law, promoting synergy and achieving practical efficiency. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on consolidating and improving the leadership capacity of party organisations at all levels; the capability to issue leadership resolutions on strengthening national defence and security, riot prevention and fighting in compliance with the characteristics of the local situation. It is also vital to promote the initiative and creativity of each organisation in the political system, especially the Military, Police, Border Guard, etc., in consulting the Party committees and local authorities to promulgate and implement policies and solutions to prevent and fight against riots. In addition, it is essential to enhance the capacity to institutionalise the policies and resolutions of the Party committees on national defence, security and riot prevention into programs, plans and legal documents, with an emphasis on managing the construction and mobilisation of human and material resources; coordination among forces, etc. in preventing riots and protecting local areas; hence the requirement to promote the role of the Fatherland Front at all levels, socio-political organisations and the people to well perform this important task. Moreover, the emphasis is laid on heightening the roles and responsibilities of cadres and party members, especially the militia and self-defence forces, security officers, etc. in grasping the local situation and conducting measures to prevent and fight against riots at grassroots levels.

Along with that, the authorities at all levels need to improve the management and administration processes and methods from planning, orienting, directing, guiding subordinates and inspecting, controlling the process of building and strengthening national defence and security, as well as preventing riots. Accordingly, it is required to train local authorities and leaders to get hold of the hostile forces’ plots and conspiracies to cause disruptions and riots; the issue of security, politics, economics, socio-culture, military in the local area; objectives, requirements, measures to manage political security, prevent disturbance and riots; principles of deploying armed forces to lay a basis for application in locality. It is also essential to improve the capacity to manage and operate riot prevention and fighting in accordance with the law of the Party committees and authorities at all levels, focusing on the ability to operate the forces in coordinating, grasping and assessing the situation; giving solutions; determining the leading force and cooperating based on mechanism, etc. The focus is given to properly performing functions and tasks as prescribed by the Constitution, State laws and Government decrees on national defence and security, combine socio-economic development with defence and security enhancement. Policies and solutions need to be strengthened to lead and direct the prevention, early detection and elimination of adverse internal factors that can cause disruptions; resolutely prevent reactionary and opposing political organisations, thoroughly settle social contradictions, demonstrations, disturbances, and political intrigues. The responsibilities of party committees, heads of localities, and commanders of the armed forces should be attached with the result of preventing and fighting riots, as well as ensuring local security and safety.

Secondly, focus on building a solid "people's heart and mind posture" as a foundation for promoting the strength of the great national unity bloc in riot prevention and fighting. This is a fundamental solution to improve the quality and effectiveness of riot prevention and fighting even in peacetime. Therefore, all levels, branches and localities must continue to improve the practicality and effectiveness of propaganda, education and training of national defence and security knowledge for different groups, especially key officials at all levels and branches in the political system, dignitaries, religious positions and students. It is crucial to clearly distinguish between objects and partners, firmly grasp the hostile forces’ plots and conspiracies to cause disruptions and riots, creating a high consensus and unanimity between the people, the Party and the government, thereby improving the quality of life, high revolutionary vigilance, and actively fighting to protect the Party, State and the socialist regime.

  The focal point is to promote socio-economic development to improve people's living standards, effectively implementing Resolution  88/2019/QH14 of the National Assembly (14^th tenure) on approving the draft of economic development, the National Target Program for Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas for the 2021-2030 period of the National Assembly. Priority is given to mass mobilisation, with a focus on successfully implementing the national target program on hunger eradication and poverty alleviation, building new rural areas, protecting natural resources and environment, narrowing the gap between rich and poor under the motto "no one being left behind", ensuring social justice among residence, preventing hostile forces’ plots of sabotage. Regard is paid to improving the practicality and effectiveness of social security policies, people’s material and spiritual life, especially for the ethnic minorities, people in strategic areas of national defence, security and in extremely difficult areas.

In addition, it is necessary to actively fight against corruption and negative phenomena to build up clean apparatus at all levels, resolutely remove corrupted people; prevent and remove degradation in political ideology, morality, lifestyle, corruption, negativity, wastefulness, bureaucracy, and people’s harassment. Importance is attached to well conducting the Grassroots Democracy Regulation, strengthening interaction between leading officers, Party committees at all levels, Party members and the mass; building institutions, creating favourable conditions for people to exercise their rights and responsibilities in detecting and fighting against corruption and negativity; democracy in line with discipline; abolishing extreme democracy, or taking advantage of democracy to cause chaos.

Thirdly, continue to build a national defence posture in association with a solid people's security posture for preventive measures in each locality. All levels, branches and localities need to bring into full play the strengths of the defence and security forces with the key role in protecting national sovereignty, territory and security; proactively preventing and defeating all hostile forces’ plots of sabotage. Accordingly, it is necessary to deploy national defence and security forces to form a solid defence - security posture on a regional and national scale; focusing on key strategic objectives, key border lines, complex political and security areas. All forces have to fight from far to near, from outside to inside; combine detection and prevention of sabotage from the beginning with the use of professional measures to promptly deal with emerging threats. National defence and security forces function as the core armed forces at grassroots level, capable of completing national defence and security tasks according to Decree 03, dated September 5^th, 2019 of the Government on the coordination between the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of National Defence in performing the task of protecting national security, ensuring social order and safety, fighting against crime, and fulfilling the responsibility of national defence. Simultaneously, the mass movement needs to be strengthened to protect national security in accordance with the motto: "where there are people, there is a mass movement to protect security" and to combine a widespread people's security network with the all-people defence force aimed at forming a solid posture to prevent riots.

Thoroughly grasping and effectively implementing the viewpoint of "proactive prevention is the key" will directly contribute to defeating the hostile forces’ plots, maintaining political stability and national security; firmly defending the sovereignty and territory of the Fatherland, protecting the Party, the State, the people and the socialist regime for rapid and sustainable national development.

Major General, LE XUAN THANH, PhD, Vice Rector of National Defence Academy