In 2021, the civilian-military solidarity was further enhanced, becoming an important inner strength of the country and contributing to helping the country overcome difficulties, said General Luong Cuong, Director of the General Department of Political Affairs, in an interview with reporter of the People’s Army Newspaper ahead of the traditional Tet (lunar New Year) festival 2022.
Reporter: 2021 was a very difficult and challenging year of the country in general and the military in particular. The efforts of the whole military over the past year have contributed to proving the civilian-military solidarity and displaying noble deeds of Uncle Ho’s soliders to the people. What do you think of this statement, sir?
General Luong Cuong: The year 2021 ended after numerous difficulties and challenges. However, under the leadership of the Party, the military and the whole people made great efforts to overcome all hardships. It was a proof for a strong and resilient Vietnam and a worthy contribution of the Vietnam People’s Army.
During its process of construction, combat, and development, the Vietnam People’s Army has written glorious traditions, which are most concentratedly expressed in the statement of late President Ho Chi Minh at its 20th founding anniversary (December 22, 1944 - 1964), particularly “Our military is loyal to the Party, pious to the people, and ready to fight and die for independence and freedom of the Fatherland and socialism. Every task is completed, every difficulty is overcome, every enemy is defeated.”
The civilian-military solidarity has been an invaluable asset that creates an invincible strength for the Vietnam People’s Army over the past 77 years of construction, combat and development. In 2021, the civilian-military solidarity was further enhanced, becoming an important inner strength of the country and contributing to helping the country overcome difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over the past year, the military troops have surmounted adversities to protect the people. In particular, they were present promptly in any localities where the pandemic or natural disasters occurred to support affected people.
With highest responsibilities, they have not only provided neccessities, food or medicine but also given away their barracks to quarantined people and conducted border patrol to prevent the disease from entering the country.
The military medical force also provided treatment for the people and implemented afterlife service for the ones who died because of the pandemic.
During the COVID-19 fight, many troops have sacrificed their lives; many could not come back home when their family members died. These actions have contributed to beautifying the image of Uncle Ho’s soldiers in people’s hearts.
Reporter: In peacetime, the military has been the leading force in the prevention and control of the pandemics and natural disasters. Uncle Ho’s soldiers have not only left good images in people’s hearts but also been highly appreciated by the Party’s and State’s leaders. Is it true, sir?
General Luong Cuong: This is the deserved, objective and exact recognition of the Party’s and State’s leaders on the nature, tradition and contribution of our military.
Over the past time, special and great contribution of the military troops have been awarded and honored by the Central Party Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat, and the Government and the central and local ministries and sectors.
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Troops of Pa U Border Station of the Lai Chau provincial Border Guard Command instruct locals to develop economy. |
Speaking at the Whole Military Politico-Military Conference 2021, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc affirmed that the military has maintained and promoted good virtues of Uncle Ho’s soldiers, completed the “combat missions in peacetime,” contributing to protecting the people’s health, property and lives. Military troops have surmounted adversities, and actively joined COVID-19 prevention and control, leaving good images on people’s hearts.
It can be said that the noble title of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” is awarded by the people and also nurtured by them. Therefore, the deep sentiment and trust that the Party, State, and people give to troops of the Vietnam People’s Army is a huge motivation for them, helping them strive their best to safeguard national independence, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity as well as firmly protect national interests, the Party, the State, the people and socialism.
Reporter: Why do the troops always look towards the people, sir?
General Luong Cuong: The military is organized, led and educated by the Communist Party of Vietnam and President Ho Chi Minh. It is a revolutionary military of the people, by the people and for the people, with the nature of the working class. Military troops are children of the people, thus they have always been loved, taken care of, and protected by the people. The military’s consistent goals are to fight for the Fatherland’s independence and freedom, socialism, and the people’s happiness.
Therefore, troops of the military have always been loyal to the Party and the State and pious to the people. They always believe in the revolutionary cause of the Party, determine to complete all assigned tasks.
Over the past year, under the leadership of the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defense, and the unit’s commanders at all levels, the whole military troops have raised their responsibilities and determination to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. They willingly undertook missions in the front-line without hesitation or being afraid of danger and difficulties.
In the COVID-19 fight, military troops went to the center of the outbreak to protect the people and they get help from the people in return. The images such as troops adopting orphan children, people sharing meals with troops, have proved the civilian-military solidarity like flesh and blood.
Reporter: What should the military do to protect and promote virtue of Uncle Ho’s soldiers in the new context, sir?
General Luong Cuong: There are a lot of things for us to do because the more people love and respect us, the more we must realize our responsibility and missions of maintaining and promoting virtues of Uncle Ho’s soldiers in the new context.
To implement that purpose, each troop has to be consistent with the Party's goal and ideal while regularly cultivating and practicing revolutionary ethics, maintaining and promoting the glorious traditions of the heroic Vietnam People’s Army.
Each Party member should enhance the spirit of criticism and self-criticism, preventing and repelling the deterioration in political ideology, morality, lifestyle and internal "self-evolution" and "self-transformation" manifestations. In addition, they should seriously implement directives of higher levels, and effectively conduct the special resolution of the Central Military Commission on “promoting virtues of Uncle Ho’s soldiers, fighting against individualism in the current context.”
Prior to the new developments of the situation, the Party organizations should focus on leading their members to fight against wrongful viewpoints and plots and stricks of hostile forces such as “peaceful evolution” or “de-politicization of the military.”
Under the conditions of the international integration, the whole-military should follow the defense ministry’s policies for defense external affairs, implement international duties with highest responsibilities when joining the U.N. peacekeeping operations. Each troop should promote the beautiful image of Uncle Ho’s soldiers to international friends.
Reporter: On the occasion of the upcoming Tet festival, what is your message to military troops and people nationwide, sir?
General Luong Cuong: On behalf of the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defense, I would like to express my deep gratitude to the whole people. Over the past year, the military has fulfilled its functions as a military for combat, for work, and for production, making significant contribution to the stability and development of the country.
Each troop of the Vietnam People’s Army has always treasured the boundless love of the Vietnamese people, their support to help the military build a firm national defense posture and a revolutionary, regular, elite, and gradually-modernized military.
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People bidding farewell to troops of Division 309 after they completed their COVID-19 prevention and control missions in Ho Chi Minh City |
I am very proud of achievements and feats-of-arm of the whole-military troops in implementing the military-defense misisons and building firm military Party organizations. Military troops have followed Uncle Ho’s teachings, enhanced solidarity with the people and international friends. As a result, the synergy and combat readiness of the military have been increasingly strengthened.
I hope that each troop will continue to remember Uncle Ho’s teaching of “Our military is formed from the people and for the people to fight” in order to heighten responsibility, maintain good virtues of Uncle Ho’s soldiers, deserving to the trust of the Party, State and people.
Prior to the lunar New Year 2022, through the People’s Army Newspaper, I would like to extend my best wishes to the whole-military troops. I wished them and their families a prosperous new year with new feats-of-arm and achievements, making worthy contribution to the national construction and development in the current context.
Reporter: Thank you very much, sir!
Translated by Trung Thanh