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| Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh presents the title of Hero of the People’s Armed Forces and the first-class Fatherland Protection Order to collectives and individuals with outstanding achievements__Photo: VNA |
As Vietnam is celebrating the 80th Traditional Day of the People’s Public Security Force (August 19, 1945–2025) and the 20th anniversary of the All-People Security Safeguard Festival (August 19, 2005–2025), Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has penned a landmark tribute highlighting eight decades of the force’s extraordinary service to the nation’s development.
The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) respectfully introduces a translation of the article.
80 YEARS OF THE VIETNAM PEOPLE’S PUBLIC SECURITY FORCE IN NATIONAL CONSTRUCTION AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Pham Minh Chinh, Politburo member, Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
1. Since its establishment on August 19, 1945, regardless of locations and circumstances, the People’s Public Security Force has consistently served as the Party and State’s “sharp sword” and unshakable “steel shield” in defending the Fatherland’s security, combating all forms of crime, and safeguarding the people’s peaceful, happy, and prosperous life. This affirms the noble and pride-worthy tradition, the essence of revolutionary herorism, and the indomitable fighting spirit of the force, deserving its status as a crucial and trustworthy armed force absolutely loyal to the Fatherland, Party, State, and people.
In the turbulent days following the August Revolution, amid the dire situation of “foreign aggressors and internal enemies” and the one described as “a thousand pounds hanging by a hair”, the force, under the absolute, direct, comprehensive, and skillful leadership by the Party, the teachings and training by the beloved President Ho Chi Minh, and the support from the people, demonstrated ingenuity, creativity, and bravery, fighting alongside the heroic Vietnam People’s Army and many other forces to firmly safeguard the young government and revolutionary achievements while protecting the peaceful life of the people.
During the resistance war against the French colonialists, the People's Public Security Force played a crucial role in protecting national security, suppressing counter-revolutionary forces, combating espionage and sabotage activities of the enemy, securing safety for the Party and State's central organs, liberated zones, and revolutionary bases, and supporting our military and people’s resistance efforts, contributing significantly to the success of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign that shook the world and resonated across five continents.
During the resistance war against the US for national salvation, officers and soldiers of the People's Public Security Force were present on every battlefield and front line, overcame all hardships and challenges, and heroically and unyieldingly fought to firmly protect national security and social order and safety. They launched attacks on enemy strongholds, defeated infiltration, espionage, and raid plans of the enemy, rooted out bandit groups and crimes, and dismantled strategic hamlets. Besides, they contributed to building the socialist North as the “great rear base” for the southern frontline and, particularly, engaged in the 1968 Tet General Offensive and Uprising and the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign.
Following the Great Spring Victory of 1975, when the North and the South were reunited as one family, the People's Public Security Force continued to uphold its heroic and glorious tradition. It properly fulfilled the advisory, core, and spearhead roles on the frontline of national security protection and social order and safety maintenance. The force actively participated in building and consolidating the revolutionary government, resolving war consequences, taking over and managing society in newly liberated areas, neutralizing anti-revolution conspiracies, intentions, and sabotage activities by both domestic and foreign reactionaries, and firmly safeguarding political stability and social order and safety, contributing significantly to building socialism across the country.
During the wars along the northern and southwestern borders, the People's Public Security Force directly fought shoulder-to-shoulder with the army and the people to prevent and counter reconnaissance, raid, kidnapping, banditry, and riot activities while ensuring the safety and secrecy of our vital areas. The force countered the enemies' post-war plans, struggled to expose and dismantle spy and intelligence networks, crushed external forces' conspiracies, intentions, and activities attempting to infiltrate and sabotage our country. At the same time, it engaged in overcoming war consequences and building infrastructure to serve the country’s socio-economic development.
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| Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh delivers remarks and launches the “all people protect the national security" movement__Photo: VNA |
2. In the era of Doi moi (renewal) and international integration, the role of the People's Public Security Force has become increasingly important, not only protecting security and order but also making contributions to creating and opening up the development space for the country. The force has participated in the reform and renewal process, and the building of a safe, stable, peaceful, and friendly environment which facilitates the socio-economic development. Outstanding achievements include:
First, adhering closely to the absolute, direct, and comprehensive leadership of the Party and the centralized and unified management of the State, the Vietnam People’s Public Security Force has effectively implemented the Party’s Platform and resolutions on building and safeguarding the Fatherland. It has upheld a core role in maintaining political and social stability and promoting the sustainable development of a socialist-oriented market economy. The force proactively monitors, assesses, and forecasts developments in the country, the region, and the world, to advise the Party and State on strategies and measures to protect national interests and security across key sectors, objectives, regions, and strategic areas, while enhancing the country’s position and prestige. It also manages to detect and thwart plots of “peaceful evolution", riots, terrorism, and sabotage by hostile and reactionary forces; and prevent opposition political organizations from forming in the country. The force is also responsible for proactively preventing, countering, and addressing threats to the economy, effectively tackling complex security and public order issues arising in the economic sector.
Second, the force maximizes its specialized operational capabilities, importantly contributing to attracting foreign resources to advance scientific and technological development across agriculture, industry, healthcare, environment, and digital transformation, and supporting socio-economic development. The People’s Public Security Force has quietly contributed to key national programs and projects, such as the national seed program, Vietnam’s satellite launch projects, and high-tech industrial development programs, importantly contributing to negotiations on economic, science - technology, and e-commerce agreements between Vietnam and other countries.
Third, the force has decisively and synchronously deployed measures to ensure public order and safety; reduce crime; and handle complex criminal and legal issues at their roots, gradually building a more disciplined, secure, and healthy society. The force directed the handling of many high-profile cases with wide-reaching impact, following the principles of “no forbidden zones, no exceptions,” “prevent at the root, detect early, act promptly, and prevent small violations from escalating,” and “one case can serve as a warning for an entire sector or region.” It proactively identifies and uncovers new criminal methods in areas such as securities, real estate, corporate bonds, smuggling, and trade fraud, contributing to creating a fair and healthy competitive environment for businesses.
Fourth, the force has performed well in state management in security and public order. As a pioneering and exemplary force, it leads the formation of the national digital foundation, playing a key advisory role in implementing Project 06 and developing the VneID application. It drives the country’s digital transformation process, e-government initiatives, and administrative reform, creating motivation and inspiring ministries, agencies, and localities. The force has completed the development of national database systems on population and citizen identification, and sector-specific records, meeting standards for digitizing records and documents and serving as a core database for digital transformation. It also advises on the implementation and strongly promotes public service utilities, addressing bottlenecks in implementing Project 06 of the Government, thereby improving administrative reform efficiency, and basically meeting requirements for developing a democratic, professional, and modern administration.
Fifth, the People’s Public Security Force takes a leading role in preventing, responding to, and addressing non-traditional security challenges and performing international missions. It is always present in challenging and dangerous areas to support disaster prevention and response; control and contain the COVID-19 pandemic; conduct domestic search and rescue operations; assist earthquake relief efforts in Turkey and Myanmar; and send personnel to UN peacekeeping missions, leaving a positive impression on both the public and international partners. At the same time, the force also vanguards in ensuring social security, through effectively implementing poverty reduction programs under the motto “leaving no one behind,” contributing to improving living standards and stabilizing security and order at the grassroots level. It also works hard on mobilizing resources to build tens of thousands of houses for poor households, policy families, disadvantaged groups, ethnic minorities, and disaster-affected communities, while vigorously carrying out the program to eliminate temporary and sub-standard houses, demonstrating a humanitarian spirit and strong responsibility toward the people.
3. Throughout its 80-year journey, the Vietnam People’s Public Security Force has constantly striven, self-renewed, set an example, taken the lead, and truly matured; has demonstrated steadfast political courage, absolute loyalty to the Fatherland, the Party, the State, and the People, ever ready to sacrifice in a way of “staying awake for the people to sleep, standing guard for the people to enjoy, taking the joy and happiness of the people as their own joy and purpose of living”; and has devoted themselves to the revolutionary cause, for the peaceful and happy life of the people.
In any position or field, from the traffic police officer maintaining order on the streets, the local police officer wholeheartedly dedicated to the people, to the silent security officers, or the criminal and narcotics investigators fighting day and night against dangerous criminals, all have remained steadfast in the spirit of “sacrificing for the country, serving the people.” The image of police officers risking their lives to save people during natural disasters and floods, or persistently pursuing criminals despite great dangers, has deeply impressed itself in the hearts of every Vietnamese citizen. The People’s Public Security Force has further deepened the noble values of the nation, embellishing its heroic and glorious tradition. Moreover, not only as law enforcement officers but, with the spirit of “close to the people, attached to the people,” the force has also been a companion, sharing the hardships, worries, and struggles of the people. It can be affirmed that the fortune, potential, position, and international prestige of our country today bear the imprints and important contributions of the heroic Vietnam People’s Public Security Force.
In that glorious career, tens of thousands of our police officers and soldiers have courageously fought, devoted themselves, and sacrificed their lives for the Fatherland and people. The Party, the State, and the people always honor their sacrifices, dedication, and immense contributions; profoundly grateful and infinitely indebted to the heroic martyrs of the People’s Public Security who bravely gave their lives for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland, and for the peaceful life of the people.
4. Our country is entering a new era, an era of the nation's rise, wealth, civilization, prosperity, and flourishing. Along with implementing many historic decisions, opening up numerous opportunities and new prospects, the country is also facing no small number of difficulties and challenges; many new issues are emerging in safeguarding national sovereignty, ensuring security and social order, and protecting the lives and health of the people.
This situation places extremely heavy and resolute demands on the work of the public security work in the coming time, requiring that under any circumstances national sovereignty and political and social stability must be firmly safeguarded, thereby creating a peaceful environment and favorable conditions for building and developing the country, and successfully realizing the two strategic goals that by 2030 Vietnam will become a developing country with modern industry and upper-middle income, and by 2045 a developed country with high income.
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| Local police force and youth union members join hands to promote a model ensuring local security and order__Photo: VNA |
The tasks assigned to the People’s Public Security Force are more difficult and demanding, but also more glorious, more responsible, and of greater significance. This requires the force to continue promoting its heroic and glorious tradition, determined to excellently fulfill the tasks of safeguarding national security and ensuring social order and safety, making important contributions to socio-economic development, deserving to be the loyal and trustworthy armed force of the Party, State, and p0eople. In this regard, special focus must be given to effectively implementing the following key tasks:
First, it is essential to ensure the absolute and direct leadership in all aspects of the Party, the unified direction and administration of the State; continue to take the lead and set the example in effectively organizing the implementation of the Party’s guidelines and orientations as well as the State’s laws and policies in service of socio-economic development, national defense, security, and external relations work.
Second, it is necessary to strengthen the work of grasping and closely forecasting the situation, especially developments in the world and the region that impact Vietnam, so as to provide strategic advice to the Party and State on economic, cultural, social, security, and social order policies; remove legal bottlenecks, unlock resources, maximize potential and advantages; improve and remedy shortcomings in mechanisms, policies, and weaknesses in economic and social management and governance.
Third, it must maintain national security, social order and safety in all circumstances; clearly identify risks and threats to national and ethnic interests, political security, social order and safety, and macroeconomic stability; absolutely prevent the emergence of “hot spots,” avoid being passive or surprised in any situation; defeat all plots and sabotage activities of hostile, reactionary and politically opportunistic forces. It is necessary to take a proactive, timely and effective approach to addressing complex and emerging issues concerning national security, social order and safety, as well as non-traditional security threats and negative impacts on socio-economic development. It should closely and effectively combine efforts with the Vietnam People’s Army in building an all-people national defense posture, a people-based security posture and a solid people’s hearts posture.
Fourth, it should closely and effectively combine the consolidation and strengthening of national defense and security with socio-economic development under the principle that “socio-economic development is the central task, while ensuring national defense and security is a vital and regular mission.”
It is important to mobilize the combined strength of the entire political system and society in preventing and combating crime, ensuring security and order; gradually push back various forms of crime; and take proactive, resolute measures to prevent and fight corruption, wastefulness, negative practices, policy profiteering, smuggling, counterfeit goods, and more.
Fifth, it needs to strengthen and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of state management of security and order; promote administrative reform; continue to play a “pioneering, exemplary and leading” role in the development of science and technology, innovation and national digital transformation, the growth of the security industry, the building of e-Government, and the development of the digital economy and digital society; and renew foreign policy thinking with a mindset of international integration in security and order that takes the lead, paves the way, and facilitates international integration across other fields.
Sixth, it is essential to continue building the People’s Public Security Force to be truly pure, strong, disciplined, elite, and modern, capable of fulfilling its tasks in the new situation, in line with the Politburo's Resolution No. 12-NQ/TW dated March 16, 2022. In the nation’s new era, each officer and soldier of the People’s Public Security must comprehensively renew their mindset and enhance their capabilities, not only in protecting security and order but also in expanding into new areas. They must uphold their vanguard role, actively and proactively building and safeguarding the Party’s viewpoints, policies, and guidelines, while resolutely countering and refuting hostile, reactionary and distorted views against the Party and State.
5. With its proud and heroic tradition of 80 years of building, fighting and growing, and the spirit of “Where there is the Party, there is us” and “Honor is the most sacred and noble thing,” the Vietnam People’s Public Security Force will continue to make tireless efforts and contributions, shining with revolutionary qualities, for the country and people. With courage and readiness to sacrifice, overcoming all hardships and challenges, the force will achieve even greater victories and accomplishments in serving the nation’s socio-economic development, making ever more important contributions to the cause of building and safeguarding the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland.- (VNA/VLLF)
