Senior Lieutenant General Luong Tam Quang, member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Minister of Public Security . Photo: Pham Kien/VNA

Protecting the Party's ideological foundation and fighting against erroneous and hostile viewpoints is a class struggle on the ideological and political theoretical front. This is a long-term, fierce, continuous and uncompromising struggle; any manifestation of negligence, lack of vigilance, political immaturity, or loosening of the ideological and theoretical battleground can lead to unpredictable consequences. Resolution No. 35-NQ/TW, dated October 22, 2018 of the Politburo on "Strengthening the protection of the Party's ideological foundation and fighting against erroneous and hostile viewpoints in the new situation" clearly stated that "Protecting the Party's ideological foundation and fighting against erroneous and hostile viewpoints is a fundamental, important and vital content of the Party building and rectification work; it is an important task of the entire political system, of the entire Party, the entire people and the entire army". Practice shows that strengthening ideological and theoretical work, protecting and maintaining the Party's ideological foundation of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh thought plays a particularly important role and is the decisive factor for victory in the struggle to prevent and combat " peaceful evolution", "self-evolution", and "self-transformation".

Deeply aware of the role and special importance of protecting the Party's ideological foundation, based on its functions and tasks, the People's Public Security force has been exemplary and taken the lead in implementing Resolution No. 35 of the Politburo , resolutely deploying in many directions solutions to protect the Party's ideological foundation, fighting against erroneous and hostile viewpoints, making an important contribution to protecting the Party, the people and the socialist regime, protecting the cause of innovation, industrialization and modernization.

In particular, it has been deployed synchronously, comprehensively, methodically, both on a large scale and in depth, mobilizing all forces to actively spread and cover positive information, creating great strength to overwhelm bad, toxic, false information, and propaganda against the Party and the State. In the past 5 years, the Public Security force has posted and shared nearly 1.6 million news, articles, and videos; over 35,500 banners and posters objectively reflecting, warning, and refuting fake news and false news. The Public Security press and television agencies have posted and broadcast 110,000 news, articles, and reports, and coordinated with press and media agencies to create over 5,000 news, articles, and reports to serve propaganda, fight against fake news, false news, bad news, toxic news, and anti-Party and State news.

The work of fighting against wrong and hostile viewpoints is closely linked to the work of preventing and combating reactionaries, combating ideological sabotage, and protecting internal political security; focusing on detecting and combating internal subjects who have degraded in morality, lifestyle, political ideology, "self-evolution", "self-transformation", violating speech discipline, spreading false information, spreading illegal documents, causing internal disturbances, and sabotaging the Party's ideological foundation in accordance with the direction of the Central Steering Committee for the Prevention and Control of Corruption and Negativity. From the end of 2018 to present, the police force has handled thousands of cases/subjects of propaganda activities against the Party and the State, spreading fake news, false information, many subjects are "flags", playing the role of leaders, receiving support and sponsorship from outside, having a history of extreme sabotage, and challenging the law. Requesting network operators to remove thousands of websites with false and toxic content; disable tens of thousands of accounts, articles, hundreds of millions of times spreading bad, toxic, fake, untrue information and over 300 electronic information portals, pages, fake Facebook accounts, using the names of leaders of the Party, State, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of National Defense, Foreign Affairs, Central Propaganda Department.

Actively perfecting the law as a basis for protecting the Party's ideological foundation, fighting against erroneous and hostile viewpoints in cyberspace (advising on the promulgation of the Law on Cyber Security, Decree detailing a number of articles of the Law on Cyber Security, Decree on personal data protection). Strengthening theoretical research, summarizing practices, including organizing nearly 400 conferences, seminars, forums, talks, and in-depth professional consultations; researching over 130 scientific topics, monographs, and textbooks, contributing to supplementing theories, raising awareness, responsibility, and proposing policies and solutions for public security work to protect the Party's ideological foundation, fighting against erroneous and hostile viewpoints in accordance with the new situation. Building, launching, and effectively organizing the emulation movement "Each police officer is a sharp pen protecting the Party".

In the book: “1999 - Victory without War”, Nixon wrote: “The ideological front is the most decisive front, all our weapons, trade activities, aid, economic relations will go nowhere if we fail on the ideological front”. In the context of hostile forces vigorously implementing the plot of “peaceful evolution”, thoroughly taking advantage of the comprehensive and extensive international integration process in our country to conduct insidious and cunning sabotage activities; using ideological sabotage, directly attacking the Party’s ideological foundation, counterattacking, denying to eliminate Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh thought, considering this as a “breakthrough”, “decisive front”…, the requirement to firmly protect the Party’s ideological foundation is increasingly urgent.

Phu Tho police officers and soldiers demonstrate crime suppression combat plans at the 2023 training launch ceremony. Photo: Trung Kien/VNA

To strengthen the protection of the Party's ideological foundation and fight against false and hostile arguments, the People's Public Security force continues to thoroughly grasp and seriously and effectively implement Resolution No. 35-NQ/TW of the Politburo, promoting the highest responsibility of Party committees and Party organizations at all levels in the People's Public Security, especially the leaders in this work. Strengthen the work of prevention and early elimination of all causes and conditions that hostile and reactionary forces can take advantage of to propagate ideological sabotage and incite against the Party and the State. Focus on firmly grasping the situation, strengthening the protection of internal political security, promptly recommending Party committees and Party organizations to take measures to prevent and handle cadres and Party members who do not comply with the discipline of speaking and spreading false information. Regularly inspect and examine the implementation of the protection of state secrets by agencies and units; promptly detect, verify, clarify and handle according to the law cases of disclosure and loss of state secrets. Advise the Party Committee and government to promptly resolve, from the grassroots, conflicts and concerns among the people, disputes and complaints.

Proactively grasp, analyze, and evaluate the situation; promptly detect issues that hostile and reactionary forces can take advantage of to launch propaganda "campaigns" to sabotage ideology in order to proactively advise on the orientation of propaganda information; have plans, select key issues, and effectively fight against false and hostile arguments of various types of subjects. At the same time, focus on advising Party committees and authorities at all levels on solutions to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of state management in all areas of social life; provide timely and accurate information on complicated cases, contributing to orienting public opinion and minimizing propaganda activities against the Party and the State.

Tighten state management of cyber security, step up the fight and rebuttal in cyberspace, promptly detect and strictly handle all activities of reporting fake news, untrue news, spreading bad and toxic information against the Party and the State. Strengthen consultation and coordination with the Central Propaganda Department and the Ministry of Information and Communications to promptly provide information and guide domestic press agencies on political and foreign affairs events, sensitive and complicated cases of public concern. Promote the role of media, press, publishing and television agencies in the People's Public Security force, especially grassroots media agencies, cadres and leaders of press agencies, and press management agencies of the People's Public Security to participate in the fight against false and hostile information and viewpoints.

Strengthen solutions to build a truly clean, strong, disciplined, and elite police force. Strengthen the close coordination and cooperation between units in the People's Public Security with functional agencies in protecting the Party's ideological foundation and fighting against false and hostile arguments. Expand and improve the effectiveness of the fight against and refuting in foreign areas and through foreign affairs and international cooperation channels. Promote the role of Spokespersons at all levels in the People's Public Security to orient information on complicated and sensitive cases of security and social order of public concern in accordance with regulations. Strengthen the provision of official information to refute false and hostile arguments on the issues of "human rights", "religious freedom", "freedom of the press", "freedom of speech" through foreign affairs activities and contacts with diplomatic representative agencies of countries in Vietnam; Implement plans to fight, expose the reactionary nature, neutralize anti-Party and anti-State activities of reactionary organizations in exile right from the outside; mobilize the participation of intellectuals, businessmen, and politicians of Vietnamese origin to refute false information and viewpoints, and lack of goodwill towards Vietnam.

VNA