Below is the brief content of an article written by Defense Minister, General Ngo Xuan Lich about the close ties and coordination between the two forces.

President Ho Chi Minh once said, “The public security and military forces are the two hands of the people, the Party, and proletarian Government. Therefore, the two forces must closely coordinate and support each other.” Upholding his teachings, for the past 75 years, the VPA and the PPSF have always stood side by side and promoted their close coordination to successfully complete their assigned defense-security missions, contributing to the victories in national liberation, construction, and defense.

After the country gained independence, under the absolute and direct leadership in all aspects of the Party and President Ho Chi Minh, the VPA and the PPSF coordinated closely to overcome all hardships and challenges, and defeat all foreign enemies, fight both domestic reactionary and international hostile forces to protect the revolutionary achievements.

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Troops of the Ho Chi Minh City's Public Security and Command in a joint patrol to ensure public order

During the resistance war against the French colonialists, the two forces stayed united and cemented their coordination in sailing through many hardships and fighting the national enemies. On the battlefields, especially in large-scale operations, the PPSF coordinated effectively with the military intelligence agency and local armed forces to grasp situations, protect military secrets, maintain security and traffic safety for transport routes and troops... All those supports from the PPSF helped create favorable conditions for the VPA to build forces, destroy the enemy, and make the resounding Dien Bien Phu Victory, putting an end to the French colonialism in Vietnam.

After the signing of the Geneva Agreement, Vietnam was temporarily divided into two parts, the North and the South. In the North, the VPA and the PPSF continued standing side by side, coordinating with each other closely in grasping situations to foil the plots of reactionary and hostile forces to incite and even coerce people from the North to migrate to the South. They fought and suppressed anti-revolutionary forces, and at the same time, together protect socio-political, economic, and defense-security organizations and agencies, and maintain social order, security and safety throughout the North.

The solidarity and coordination between the VPA and the PPSF in performing defense-security missions and safeguarding the socialist North Vietnam were also shown in the joint operations to fight against espionage plans of the U.S. and the Saigon puppet administration. From 1961 to 1970, the two forces jointly counterattacked and arrested 78 groups of spies and scouts (463 ones) of the enemy and collected more than 10 tons of weapons and explosives, 30 tons of logistics of all kinds, many communication devices and other war equipment.

When the U.S. forces frantically escalated the war of destruction in the North, the PPSF, especially the armed police, directly coordinated with military units in fighting. They fought back the enemy’s aircraft fiercely while evacuating people to safe places and protecting premises and property of the State and the people. During Operation Linebacker II (Christmas Bombing) at the end of 1972, the North Vietnamese armed forces and people bravely fought, making the resounding “Hanoi - Dien Bien Phu Victory in the air,” forcing the U.S. side to sign the Paris Peace Accords (1973).

In the Southern theater, the military and public security forces coordinated to stay in the land close to the people, build revolutionary bases, defeat all war strategies of the U.S. imperialists, which led to the final victory in the spring of 1975. The coordination in combat between the South Vietnamese Liberation Army and the Southern Security Force was a beautiful symbol of Vietnamese revolutionary heroism, adding to the tradition of solidarity and combat coordination between the two forces.

After the country was unified, the whole nation embarked on a new era, performing the two strategic tasks of national construction and defense. The solidarity and close coordination between the VPA and the PPSF continue to be fostered. The two forces have stayed united, closely coordinated, and regularly exchanged information, firmly grasped situations of the country, the region, and the world and together served as excellent advisors to the Party, State, and Government in defense and security. They proactively and effectively advised the Party and the State to devise and direct the implementation of defense-security policies. At the same time, they served as the core forces in directly and effectively implementing those policies.

In recent years, facing new and complicated developments of situation in the world, the region, and the country, the Party and State have issued various documents directing the coordination between the VPA and the PPSF, including the 8th Resolution of the 11th Central Party Committee on the Strategy of National Safeguarding in the new context, the Law on Defense 2018, and Article 11 of the Public Security Law 2018.

Closely grasping the Party’s guidelines and policies and the State’s laws, the VPA and the PPSF have regularly exchanged information, coordinated in grasping situational developments, evaluating situations and forecasting scenarios that may occur. The results of the two forces’ coordination created favorable conditions for the party, State, and Government to proactively adjust and supplement defense and security polices and plans. The two forces have effectively advised the Party and State in devising defense and security and foreign relations plans and strategies.

At the same time, they have proposed measures to effectively solve arising and complicated problems. Along with that, the VPA and PPSF have actively advised the national defense and security education councils at all levels to effectively implement defense and security knowledge education programs for different groups of trainees. From 2013 to 2019, the whole country saw nearly 2.7 million cadres of all groups attending defense and security knowledge education programs.

To create a solid foundation for early protecting the Fatherland from afar, the VPA and PPSF usually advised local Party committees and authorities at all levels in building provinces and central cities into strong defensive areas while consolidating the people’s defense posture and people’s security posture.

In terms of socio-economic development, the VPA and the PPSF have actively coordinated in the assurance of economic security in building the ASEAN Community, the negotiations to join regional and international organizations and forums, and the signing of bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements.

The VPA has cooperated closely with the PPS force to promote information dissemination and mobilize people to implement the Party’s guidelines and policies and State’s laws, thereby, helping raise people’s awareness and trust in local Party committees and authorities, and tighten the relations between the people and State officials. The coordination has also helped people raise vigilance against the “peaceful evolution” strategy of the hostile forces.

Facing the complicated development of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the VPA and the PPS force are the two core forces taking the lead in the epidemic prevention and control as well as in protecting health and a peaceful life for the people. They are acting in line with a concerted plan and close agreement between the two forces, reaching the common goal of “fighting for the people and serving the people.”

The world and regional situations may see more complicated developments, apart from advantages, Vietnam will have to face and deal with various challenges. The VPA and the PPSF have to constantly raise their strengths and capabilities in all aspects, especially in political awareness, professional expertise while they should always perceive the meaning, importance, contents, and principles of their coordination in implementing defense-security missions.

Promoting the tradition of solidarity and close and effective coordination between the two forces, the officers and troops of the VPA vow to stand side by side with the PPSF in protecting national security and maintaining public order and security, and together build strong, regular, elite, and gradually-modernized people’s armed forces, deserving to be a reliable political force of the Party, State, and the people.

Translated by Huu Duong