The bond of solidarity and the flesh-and-blood attachment between the Army and the People have been formed and strengthened throughout the entire course of Vietnam’s revolutionary struggle, becoming both a tradition and a defining attribute of our Army. Yet, driven by malicious intent, hostile and reactionary forces have been employing every sophisticated device to propagate distortions and slander this fine relationship; therefore, we must heighten vigilance and resolutely expose and refute their claims.

The unity between the Army and the People is the source of the Army’s invincible strength. This relationship arises not only from the nature, objectives, and ideals of the Army’s revolutionary mission but also from a bond forged from the heart - one of shared hardship, shared sweetness and bitterness across generations. From the earliest days of resisting foreign invasion, the image of the “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” has become a sacred symbol in the hearts of the people: simple and close, yet heroic and noble. Soldiers and civilians were “as one,” overcoming every hardship to create an invincible strength that defeated every aggressor, sustained by the unwavering belief that “the protracted resistance will surely achieve victory.” In peacetime, the flesh-and-blood attachment between the Army and the People continues to manifest itself in the nation’s reconstruction; on the frontlines of disaster prevention and control, epidemic response, rescue and relief; and in socio-economic development, especially in disadvantaged, remote, and mountainous areas.

Precisely because of the strength generated by this flesh-and-blood relationship, hostile forces have never abandoned their schemes to undermine it. In recent times, they have released various insidious narratives - at times claiming that the Army has become detached from the People, at others distorting the Army’s revolutionary nature, even fabricating base acts to tarnish the honour of the “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” and erode the People’s trust. They also disseminate the slander that “the Vietnam People’s Army serves only the Party and has abandoned the People,” or that “the Army focuses solely on training, combat, and protecting the regime while neglecting the people’s livelihoods.” To defame the image of the “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers,” hostile forces further spread the false assertion that the younger generation of soldiers is “degenerating,” drawn into materialism and hedonism, lacking the spirit of dedication and sacrifice for the People. They deliberately crop images, distort information, and fabricate stories to accuse our Army of “suppressing the People,” and so forth. These are entirely false narratives, intended to destroy the flesh-and-blood attachment between Army and People, to undermine our political and social foundations, to diminish the Army’s role, and to promote the “depoliticisation” of the Army - thereby creating instability and advancing their scheme of “peaceful evolution,” ultimately aiming to abolish the Party’s leadership and the socialist regime in our country. However, both theory and practical reality, as well as legal foundations, make it easy to refute these false claims.

Troops of Military Region 5 evacuate the locals in flood

Firstly, there is absolutely no such thing as “the Army merely obeys the Party and is detached from the People”. On the contrary, our Army has always borne the nature of the working class, while at the same time embodying profound popular and national characteristics. Its establishment stemmed directly from the imperatives of the revolutionary struggle for national and class liberation in our country, serving as the core force in the fight against class enemies and foreign aggressors. Born from the revolutionary movements of the masses, nurtured, supported, and protected by the People, and organised, educated, trained, and led by our Party, the Army has drawn from this very source of strength to fulfil every task entrusted to it by the Party and the People. As President Ho Chi Minh affirmed: “Our Army is the people’s army; it was born from the people, it fights for the people, loves the country and the people, and therefore accepts hardship and sacrifice.” Cadres and soldiers alike come from the People, carrying a profound love for the nation; through continual revolutionary enlightenment, they progress from national consciousness to class consciousness, from patriotism to socialist awareness.

From a political and legal standpoint, Article 65 of the 2013 Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam clearly stipulates: “The People’s armed forces shall show absolute loyalty to the Fatherland, the People, the Party and the State…”. The relationship between the Party - the Army - the People is intrinsically flesh-and-blood, united in purpose and interest, forming the firm foundation of the strength of all-people national defence and the decisive factor in safeguarding the Fatherland in the new situation. In reality, under the Party’s leadership, officers and soldiers, at all times and in all places, devote themselves wholeheartedly to the Fatherland and serve the People; they fight for the People and are willing to sacrifice for the People. Thus, the assertion that “the Army has become detached from the People” is entirely baseless.

Secondly, the claim that “the Army only knows how to fight and does not care about the people’s livelihood” is a one-sided distortion, wilfully denying the reality that our Army is not only a fighting force, but also a working force and a mass force, taking the lead in caring for and protecting the lives of the People. No matter how they try, hostile forces can never conceal the undeniable fact that thousands of officers and soldiers promptly deployed to disaster-stricken areas, standing side by side with the People in preventing and overcoming the consequences of natural calamities-many of whom endured hardship, danger, and even sacrificed their lives for the safety of the People. Typical examples include the 13 cadres and soldiers who died while conducting rescue operations at the Rao Trang hydropower site (Thua Thien Hue, 2020); the forces responding to the aftermath of Typhoon Yagi; flash floods and landslides in Nu village (2024); and floods in the central region (2025), among others. During the Covid-19 pandemic, units offered barracks as quarantine facilities; tens of thousands of officers and soldiers set aside personal concerns, braved danger, and remained steadfast at the epicentres of the outbreak-many falling in the arms of the People. Cadres and soldiers also directly participate in socio-economic development in remote, mountainous, border and island areas: building roads, schools, and gratitude houses; providing free medical care; alleviating poverty; and improving education. The contributions and sacrifices of generations of officers and soldiers cannot possibly be enumerated. For every individual who dons the uniform of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” understands profoundly President Ho Chi Minh’s teaching: “Our Army is the people’s army. It means it is the flesh and blood of the people. We fight to regain independence and unity for the Fatherland, to protect the freedom and happiness of the People. Our Army has no other interest than that of the People.”

These are irrefutable proofs that utterly discredit the distorted allegation that “the Army only knows how to fight and does not care about the people’s livelihood.”

Thirdly, the allegation that “the younger generation in the Army is increasingly degenerate and no longer upholds the qualities of Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” is utterly false and devoid of any scientific basis. In reality, the younger generation in the Army has been, and continues to be, a worthy successor to the heroic traditions of their forebears, exemplifying the qualities of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” in every field. On training grounds and manoeuvre areas, tens of thousands of young soldiers train night and day, remain ready for combat, stand steadfast on the front lines of the border and offshore islands, and safeguard the sacred sovereignty of the Fatherland; many have heroically sacrificed their lives, leaving behind an enduring image of noble beauty in the hearts of the People. Particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, the younger generation in the Army formed the core force in quarantine zones and field hospitals; they willingly undertook the hardest, most unnoticed tasks, undeterred by danger, and became vivid symbols of the spirit of “selfless devotion for the People”.

Corps 15 instruct farming technique for ethnic minority people

The young generation of the Army is also a vanguard force in socio-economic development: building roads, erecting schools, constructing houses of gratitude, providing free medical care, contributing to poverty alleviation, and bringing light and hope to remote, mountainous, border and island areas. They are continually educated and trained in a highly disciplined environment, imbued with the thought of President Ho Chi Minh, and strive to emulate the movement “Promoting tradition, decidating talent, and being worthy of the title of Uncle Ho’s Soldiers in the new era”, while strictly observing military discipline. The overwhelming majority of young officers and soldiers today are diligently training, fighting, working, and sacrificing for the People and the Fatherland, earning the deep affection of the People. The sight of marching formations moving through crowds of cheering citizens amid a sea of red flags with golden stars during the celebrations of the 50^th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification, and the 80^th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day (2 September), stands as a vivid and compelling testament that the qualities of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” continue to shine brightly in today’s younger generation. Any deviant behaviours, should they arise, are promptly detected, rectified, and strictly handled. Isolated individual violations cannot, and must not, be used as a basis to condemn an entire generation. Therefore, the hostile claim that the younger generation in the Army is experiencing a “comprehensive moral decline” is wholly unfounded and maliciously distorted.

Finally, reality has demonstrated that the Vietnam People’s Army is inseparably and closely connected with the People, for the origins, purpose, and ideals of its struggle arise from the People and are directed towards fighting for the People. When undertaking tasks in complex security and public-order situations under lawful orders, officers and soldiers of the Army always strictly comply with the law, uphold discipline, clearly identify hostile elements, and take action to protect the People, prevent malicious actors from exploiting situations to incite disorder and undermine the legitimate rights and interests of the vast majority of citizens. If cadres and soldiers of the Army are willing to risk their lives at the epicentre of pandemics, plunge into floodwaters, or sacrifice themselves to save civilians, then there is absolutely no basis for the slanderous accusation that they would “turn their backs on” or “suppress the People”, as hostile forces frequently distort and fabricate.

Article 65 of the 2013 Constitution stipulates that the people’s armed forces must be absolutely loyal to the Fatherland, the People, the Party, and the State. The 2018 Law on National Defence and related legal documents all affirm that the Army only participates in handling special situations to safeguard national security, public order, and the People. President Ho Chi Minh repeatedly emphasised that:
“…our Army maintains order and security, protects public property and the lives and property of the people, serving as a pillar safeguarding peace and defending the Fatherland.”
Therefore, the hostile narrative that “the Army suppresses the People when addressing social disturbances” is entirely fabricated, slanderous, and an attempt to negate the revolutionary nature of the Army. Such allegations collapse entirely in the face of the undeniable truth that our Army originates from the People, fights for the People, devotes itself to the People, and sacrifices for the People, and will always remain a steadfast pillar of trust for the People.

In the context of increasingly sophisticated attempts by hostile forces-particularly in cyberspace-every officer and soldier of the Army, as well as all strata of society, must heighten vigilance, remain clear-headed, firmly identify and resolutely refute such distortions; at the same time, continue to strengthen the flesh-and-blood bond between the Army and the People, build an ever-stronger “people’s defence posture”, and safeguard peace, independence, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, thereby enabling the nation to develop rapidly and sustainably in the new era.

Colonel, Dr. DO VAN TRUONG