The people's will is the deep and enduring root.

Stepping foot onto the majestic Central Highlands, one might wonder why this land has such vast houses, such long benches, and such large ensembles of gongs and drums?

It's a breathtaking sight of communal houses, longhouses, and gươl houses, endlessly long kpan chairs, and sets of 12-20 gongs of various sizes clustered together…

It's simple: the people of the Central Highlands always need each other, always want to stand side by side, gathering together, from sacred festivals, nights when the whole village sits around a bonfire listening to the elders tell stories of the khan, ho ri, ho mon… to every joy and sorrow of everyday life. Even celebrating the new rice harvest is shared. The water source, the stream, and even the ancient tree at the edge of the village are all shared, without a hint of personal ownership.

The epics of the Central Highlands always feature heroes with extraordinary feats. But how could there be a hero like Dam San if, in his battles, there weren't scenes of "the villagers throwing all their fish and nets into the river, following Dam San in swarms like ants and termites..."? Conversely, Dam San wholeheartedly guided the villagers in choosing land to clear for farming, taught them how to fish, hunt, and raise livestock. He even bravely ascended to heaven to ask for rice seeds for the villagers to cultivate so that everyone could be well-fed and prosperous. These heroes, whose talent and intelligence could rival that of the gods, originated from the community, were closely connected to the community, and represented the strength and will of the community.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong attends the National Unity Day celebration in Dur Kmal commune, Krong Ana district. Photo: Hoang Gia.

This shows that, although each ethnic group in the Central Highlands has different customs and traditions, the spirit of community cohesion among all the people here is one. This has become a value, a driving force nurturing the millennia-old cultural heritage of the ethnic groups on this vast plateau. And this is nothing less than the highest expression of the spirit of solidarity, of brotherhood, which from the earliest times has helped small communities in the deep forests overcome natural disasters, wild animals, and wars, growing stronger and stronger to reach the era of progress and civilization as it is today. And it has merged into the spirit of solidarity and new strength of the Ho Chi Minh era.

On April 19, 1946, in a letter to the Congress of Ethnic Minorities in Southern Vietnam held in Pleiku, President Ho Chi Minh wrote: “…Whether Kinh or Tho, Muong or Man, Gia Rai or Ede, Sedang or Bana, and other ethnic minorities, all are descendants of Vietnam, all are brothers and sisters. We live and die together, share joy and sorrow together, help each other in times of plenty and scarcity… Rivers may dry up, mountains may wear away, but our solidarity will never diminish…”

On November 30, 1968, in a telegram sent to the people and soldiers of the Central Highlands, after praising the army and people of the Central Highlands, old and young, men and women, Kinh and ethnic minorities, for their unity in overcoming all difficulties and hardships and wholeheartedly fighting the American invaders and achieving great successes, President Ho Chi Minh instructed: “The people and soldiers of the Central Highlands, having already united, must unite even more closely, strive tirelessly, strongly promote the victories already achieved, always maintain vigilance, and be ready to crush all enemy conspiracies…”

The attack by several individuals using weapons on the People's Committee offices of Ea Tiêu and Ea Ktur communes (Cư Kuin district) in the early morning of June 11th, which resulted in the deaths of 9 commune officials, police officers, and civilians, and injured 3 others, once again reminds us of the lesson of unity and vigilance. This has been identified as a "terrorist act against the people's government," with the participation and "orchestration" of individuals from an overseas organization who infiltrated Vietnam. As confirmed by Major General Lê Vinh Quy, Director of the Dak Lak Provincial Police: In this incident, some people from other localities were lured and manipulated by foreign reactionary organizations using tactics that exploited minor conflicts and shortcomings in the locality, spreading rumors about "injustice in ethnic and land policies causing division and disunity" to gather forces to carry out the terrorist act.

At the recent conference reviewing the leadership, direction, management, and implementation of the Party's guidelines and policies, and the State's laws related to the Central Highlands region, organized by the Party Committee of the Central Public Security, the Ministry of Public Security in coordination with relevant ministries and agencies and the five Central Highlands provinces, Politburo member, Standing Secretary of the Central Party Committee, and Head of the Central Organization Department Truong Thi Mai emphasized the goal set by the Ministry of Public Security: "to prevent similar incidents from happening again; no matter how difficult or challenging, this goal must be achieved." Comrade Truong Thi Mai requested that leaders of ministries, sectors, and provinces in the Central Highlands pay special attention to the most fundamental solutions, namely socio-economic development, the organization and implementation of religious and ethnic policies, the building of the political system at the grassroots level, the development of a team of ethnic minority cadres suitable to the local situation, ensuring national defense and security, and maintaining political stability in the Central Highlands. "We must wholeheartedly and diligently strive to ensure that the ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands escape poverty sustainably," Comrade Truong Thi Mai emphasized.

Recalling his visit to the people and soldiers of Gia Lai and Dak Lak provinces on November 11, 2018, General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong attended the National Unity Day celebration in Dur Kmal commune (Krong Ana district, Dak Lak province). There, the General Secretary and President affirmed that all the achievements we have today stem from one crucial cause – the spirit of strong unity. He emphasized that individual people must be brought together, reorganized, and the masses must be united to achieve this strength of solidarity… The General Secretary and President earnestly urged the people and the government: Families and hometowns must not be allowed to fall behind other regions due to poverty. Even more importantly, hunger and poverty must not overshadow love for the country or lead to the mistakes of the past…

Equality, solidarity, mutual respect, and mutual assistance among all ethnic groups, along with leveraging internal strengths for national development – ​​this is the consistent policy of the Party, the State, and all levels of government and organizations. It is crucial to remember that the strength of national unity is always based on harmoniously resolving the conflicts of interest among different social strata, classes, and components, with particular emphasis on continuously improving the material and spiritual lives of the people.

The people's will is the deepest and most enduring root of the great family of Vietnamese ethnic groups. This truth has been proven through the practical struggles of nation-building, national defense, national development, and the protection of peaceful life. This includes the Central Highlands, with nearly 2.2 million people, home to 52 out of 54 ethnic groups nationwide, including 51 minority groups.

Tran Tuan