The meeting drew the participation of President of the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Rinh, former Deputy Director of the General Department of Politics Lieutenant General Phung Khac Dang, Vice Chairman-cum-Secretary of the Executive Council of the Buddhist Shangha of Vietnam Most Venerable Thich Duc Thien, representatives of military and civilian agencies, scientists and researchers inside and outside the military.
The PAN’s Editor-in-Chief Major General Pham Van Huan and Chief of the DMSF Major General Pham Quang Ngan chaired the event.
The need to build the 2018 Law on National Defense
In the first section of the seminar, delegates focused their discussion on the need for the 2018 Law on National Defense. Delegates pointed out that the 2015 Law on National Defense was not adequate and suitable for the current Fatherland protection cause.
In this circumstance, the 14th National Assembly on June 8, 2018, passed the 2018 Law on National Defense, which took effect from January 1, 2019. The 2018 Law on National Defense serves as a firm basis to create a legal framework for defense development and Fatherland protection in the new context.
Highlighting the importance of the 2018 Law on National Defense, Major Pham Quang Ngan said, “The law will contribute positively to building a comprehensively powerful whole-people defense posture and help mobilize the country’s comprehensive power to firmly safeguard the Fatherland in the new context.”
Meanwhile, former Director of the Institute for Human Rights Studies under the Ho Chi Minh National Political Academy, Doctor Cao Duc Thai proposed that the seminar should clarify the significance of the law, and that all agencies, branches, organizations and people from all walks of life should actively study and participate in popularizing the law to prevent reactionary and hostile forces from distorting the Party and State’s policies and legal documents on defense and security.
Basic contents of the 2018 Law on National Defense
Regarding new contents of the 2018 Law on National Defense in comparison with the 2015 Law on National Defense, Deputy Chief of the DMSF, Major General Luong Quang Cuong said that a number of important provisions have been added to the 2018 Law on National Defense. These include: the State’s policy on scientific and technological development and defense industry in accordance with the fourth industrial revolution; regulations on prevention and fight against information warfare; regulation on military regional defense; regulation on acts prohibited in performing defense missions; provision on linking external relations with building capabilities of defensive areas; regulation on gender equality in the military environment; regulation on the dual purpose of civil, industrial, agricultural, rural development and traffic projects that may serve defense missions in emergencies; regulation on the organizational structure of military commands in Central agencies, ministries, branches and localities; regulation on restrictions on human rights and civil rights during a curfew or military law.
Political Commissar of the General Department of Defense Industry revealed that the 2018 Law on National Defense echoes the Party’s strategic policy on mobilizing the country’s comprehensive strength to develop defense and security industry. He stressed, “Human is the key factor in every development process, so human resources development must be prioritized while there should be a policy to attract high-quality human resources, both domestic and international experts to the building of defense and security industry.”
Meanwhile, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Rinh suggested that all Central-level agencies, ministries, organizations, businesses and people should effectively implement policies for national contributors and other policy beneficiaries in order to promote the spirit and political resolve for the building of the whole-people defense position, a major requirement articulated in the 2018 Law on National Defense.
Bringing the 2018 Law on National Defense to life
“How to quickly and effectively put the law into practice?” was a big question raised at the seminar. To answer the question, many delegates laid stress on information and education on the 2018 Law on National Defense so as to raise awareness and responsibility of Party members, State officials, troops, workers and people for the missions of building and safeguarding the country.
Some also suggested that all Central-level agencies, ministries, organizations and localities should craft approaches and concrete plans suitable with their own conditions to disseminate and implement the 2018 Law on National Defense.
Regarding the role of the press and media in popularizing the 2018 Law on National Defense to people nationwide, Editor-in-Chief of the People’s Representative Newspaper Do Chi Nghia said, “All press and media agencies should grasp the Party’s viewpoints reflected in the 2018 Law on National Defense so as to precisely disseminate the main contents and significance of the law. They should also draw up concrete plans on the law dissemination.” He also affirmed that the military press and media should play the core role in popularizing the 2018 Law on National Defense.
Concluding the seminar, General Huan said, “First, all Central-level agencies, ministries, organizations and localities should coordinate closely in popularizing the 2018 Law on National Defense in order to ensure that all Party members, public officials, troops and people have thorough understanding of the 2018 Law National Defense as well as military-defense missions, contributing to raising people’s awareness of the national development and defense cause.” He affirmed that the People’s Army Newspaper as a mainstream information channel of the Party, State, Central Military Commission and Defense Ministry as well as the voice of the People’s Armed Forces and the people, will promote coordination with Central-level agencies, ministries, organizations and localities to disseminate the 2018 Law on National Defense in a practical and effective manner while actively reflecting results of the implementation of the law, and multiply groups and people with outstanding achievements in performing military-defense missions.
Translated by Thu Nguyen