As a core, pioneering force in the fight against “peaceful evolution”, the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) has, over the years, effectively countered hostile forces’ exploitation of ethnic and religious issues to disrupt our great national unity. This has contributed to maintaining political security and social order, creating a favourable environment for economic growth, socio-cultural development, and Fatherland protection.

Military units construct houses for local people affected by natural disasters in Xa Dung commune, Dien Bien province in August 2025 (photo: qdnd.vn)

In their attempts to intensify “peaceful evolution” strategy and sabotage our revolution, hostile and reactionary forces have persistently identified ethnic minority and religious communities as their key targets. They consider ethnic and religious matters as potent tools to incite division and create “hot spots” aimed at attracting public attention, calling for international intervention, and disrupting our cause of national construction and protection.

A common tactic employed by these forces is to exploit cultural, religious, and customary differences as well as the developmental disparities between ethnic and religious groups. They also take advantage of shortcomings by local Party committees and authorities in implementing socio-economic and cultural development policies, especially those concerning ethnic and religious affairs, to distort and deny the Party’s leadership and the State’s management, with the aim of fomenting ethnic and religious conflicts. In some key areas, these forces have intensified propaganda activities and incited separatist thoughts, attempting to form reactionary organisations with the ultimate goal of demanding the establishment of autonomous states in the Northwest, Central Highlands, and Southwest regions.

Hostile forces also induce extremist politicians in certain countries, urging their parliaments and governments to adopt reports, resolutions, and communiqués that misrepresent Vietnam’s ethnic and religious situation. These documents falsely accuse our State of violating human rights and suppressing religious freedom. In addition, these forces exploit economic, cultural, and social cooperation to link demands and exert pressure on ethnic, religious, democratic, and human rights issues in bilateral and multilateral relations with Vietnam, aiming to interfere in our internal affairs. Through sophisticated methods, some individuals and organisations have abused humanitarian aid and charitable activities as a cover for illegal missionary work, particularly in remote, ethnic minority, and border regions, posing risks for grass-roots instability. A number of key figures and extremist religious dignitaries, acting under the direction and support from abroad, have incited local people to file lawsuits and oppose authorities at various levels. They have attempted to build forces aimed at undermining unity between ethnic minority groups and the Kinh people, eroding our national unity and destabilising political security to pave the way for foreign interference. Furthermore, hostile forces have taken advantage of rapid advances in science, technology, and cyberspace, creating thousands of accounts, fanpages, and forums to spread false, distorted information about ethnic, religious, democratic, and human rights issues in Vietnam. These platforms are also used to incite and encourage acts against our Party, State, VPA, and authorities at all levels. In the context of streamlining the political system’s apparatus towards the goal of being “compact, strong, efficient, and effective”, hostile and reactionary elements have used various methods to distort and sabotage this process. They mischaracterise restructuring efforts as moves to “eliminate representative voices” or “restrict religious space”, exaggerating technical adjustments and changes in administrative boundaries as supposed evidence of “discrimination” or “religious persecution”. These actions are deliberately designed to manipulate sensitive psychological sentiments and exploit historical, cultural, and religious elements to sow distrust between ethnic and religious communities and our Party and State.

Corps 15 gives instructions on farming to its ethnic minority workers

Originating from the people and fighting for the people, the VPA has, over more than 80 years of construction, combat, and growth, consistently fulfilled its role as “an army ready for combat, for work, and for production”. It has served as the core force in fighting and thwarting hostile forces’ plots and tactics of exploiting ethnic and religious issues to divide our national unity and oppose our Party, State, and socialist regime. Through concrete and practical actions, the VPA has played a crucial role in creating social consensus and fostering the trust of ethnic and religious communities in our Party, State, and VPA. These efforts bolstered public vigilance and proactive participation in combating hostile forces’ plots and tactics, while maintaining political security and social order, creating favourable conditions for all ethnic and religious communities to focus on economic, cultural, and social development, improving their living standards.

Agencies and units across the VPA have effectively coordinated efforts to disseminate the Party’s lines and the State’s policies and laws on ethnic, religious, democratic, and human rights issues. Emphasis has been placed on achieving a unified understanding of equality, solidarity, respect, and mutual development among all ethnic groups and ensuring the people’s rights to freedom of belief and religion. Propagation methods have been regularly innovated and flexibly tailored to specific target groups, while the role of organisations, forces, and socio-cultural institutions in ethnic minority and religious areas have been maximised to enhance the effectiveness of propagation work. Simultaneously, due regard has been paid to closely cooperating with local Party committees and authorities in building strong grass-roots political system in ethnic and religious communities. This includes maintaining close ties with village elders, hamlet chiefs, prestigious individuals, religious figures and followers to stay informed about public opinion, aspirations, and pressing issues within the communities. Military units have enhanced their capabilities in making forecasts, providing sound, effective advice, and directly participating in fighting, preventing, and thoroughly resolving many incidents in which hostile and reactionary forces exploited ethnic and religious issues to oppose local authorities. These efforts have contributed to maintaining political security and social order in the localities. Importance has been attached to building and training core forces, actively encouraging the people to remain unity, respect one another, and foster mutual development, thereby generating social consensus in executing the Party’s lines and the State’s policies on ethnic and religious affairs. Military units have effectively carried out emulation movements and campaigns launched by the Party, the State, and local authorities. They have also actively carried out national target programs while preserving and promoting the fine cultural values of ethnic and religious groups. Due regard has been paid to cooperating with localities in stabilising populations, especially in border areas. Through these efforts, the VPA has made a meaningful contribution to the economic and socio-cultural development of ethnic and religious communities, cementing great national unity and “people’s hearts and minds” posture. This provides a foundation for building strong all-people national defence, all-people national defence posture, people’s security, and people’s security posture, creating an “iron shield” to firmly protect the Fatherland’s independence, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.

In the coming time, in order to further promote the VPA’s role in combating and thwarting hostile forces’ plots and tactics of exploiting ethnic and religious issues, it is necessary to focus on the following key solutions.

Firstly, effectively carrying out propagation work to ensure that cadres, soldiers, and the people deeply understand the Party’s lines and the State’s policies and laws regarding ethnic and religious affairs. This is fundamental to raising public vigilance and encouraging proactive engagement in fighting new plots and tactics of hostile and reactionary forces. To that end, agencies and units, especially those stationed in areas with ethnic and religious communities, need to flexibly apply dissemination content and forms that are suitable for the specific characteristics of each ethnic group, religion, and locality. Consideration should be given to raising awareness among all social strata about the key points of the Law on Beliefs and Religions, Decree 95/2023/ND-CP, dated 29 December 2023, by the Government detailing several articles and implementation measures of this Law and the policies of our Party, State, and local authorities on ethnic and religious issues. Significance should be attached to giving advice to local authorities on measures to improve the quality of political education for all target groups and diversify forms of community-based activities. Military units should enhance the effectiveness of integrating policy dissemination into traditional festivals and events of sectors and localities. The role of village elders, hamlet chiefs, clan leaders, religious dignitaries, and other reputable figures should be promoted to raise awareness among local people. Besides, close ties with grass-roots communities must be maintained, especially in key and complex areas, by reinforcing the presence of Party members and cadres to serve as the nucleus of mass mobilisation activities. The use of modern and accessible media should be increased to better disseminate information about ethnic and religious affairs.

Secondly, closely cooperating with local Party committees, authorities, and relevant forces in improving situational monitoring and forecasting, proactively countering hostile forces’ plots and tactics of exploiting ethnic and religious issues. Priority should be given to grasping the people’s aspirations in daily life and their levels of trust in grass-roots political system, particularly in cadres and Party members within the two-tier local government model. Close attention should be paid to grasping grievances, disputes, and potential tensions that hostile forces may exploit to incite unrest or create “hot spots”. Forecasting efforts should focus on identifying the objectives, plots, tactics, scale, forms, and methods of sabotage activities, in the medium term and long term. It is also necessary to thoroughly identify hostile elements, opposition forces, ringleaders, and the nature, scope, and influence of their activities in specific localities. Doing so will allow military units to proactively provide sound advice, propose suitable measures, and determine effective forms and methods of struggle.

Thirdly, actively, proactively giving advice to and cooperating with local Party committees and authorities in mobilising ethnic minority and religious communities to effectively implement national target programs on socio-economic development in ethnic and religious areas. This includes building and replicating specific models and initiatives that contribute to building new-style rural areas, eliminating temporary and dilapidated houses, fostering economic growth, preserving and promoting the cultural identity and values of ethnic and religious communities. All available resources should be mobilised to help the people build new-style rural areas and achieve sustainable poverty reduction. Military units should also closely cooperate with localities in stabilising residence and establishing village clusters in border, ethnic, and religious areas. Emphasis should be placed on initiating new members into the Party and making villages no longer “devoid” of Party members or Party cells. The role and responsibility of military cadres serving in key local positions should be fully promoted in building strong grass-roots political system. At the same time, it is important to strengthen and leverage the role of core organisations, influential people, and religious dignitaries, build safe units and localities, maintain political security, and ensure social order at grass-roots level.

Fourthly, strengthening national defence and security potential, building firm defensive zone and “people’s hearts and minds” postures right from grass-roots level to create synergy against hostile forces’ sabotage plots. Military units should proactively formulate and practise plans for propagation, mobilisation, and resolution of ethnic and religious “hot spots”. They should also develop plans to prevent and counter riots or acts of terrorism at localities. It is vital to provide timely, sound advice on handling complex ethnic and religious issues in accordance with the State’s laws and the VPA’s functions so as to prevent “hot spots”. Due attention should be paid to stepping up cross-border twinning programs, cultural exchange, information sharing, and joint patrols to opportunely detect and settle defence and security situations along the border.

Fifthly, firmly grasping and effectively implementing mechanisms for cooperation between military units, local authorities, and Public Security forces in the fight against plots and tactics of exploiting ethnic and religious issues. All combat activities should be led by the Party and uniformly managed by the State, directly by commanders of military units and local Party committees and authorities at all levels. The roles of cadres engaged in mass mobilisation, ethnic and religious affairs, as well as Public Security and military forces in giving advice and maintaining coordination to counter hostile forces’ plots and tactics should be fully promoted. Military agencies and units should continue to thoroughly implement Government Decree 03/2019/ND-CP, dated 5 September 2019, on coordination between the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of National Defence in safeguarding national security, ensuring social order and safety, combating crime, and performing defence tasks. Preliminary and final reviews should be regularly carried out to commend outstanding collectives and individuals and propose new measures to improve the quality and effectiveness of coordination between organisations and forces. Doing so will help thwart hostile forces’ plots and tactics of exploiting ethnic and religious issues and contribute to strengthening national great unity and building a firm posture of “people’s hearts and minds” in the cause of Fatherland construction and protection.

Maj. Gen. BE HAI TRIEU

Director of the Department of Mass Mobilisation