General Luong Tam Quang, Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Deputy Minister of Public Security . Photo: Pham Kien/TTXVN

Protecting the Party's ideological foundation and combating 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 incompetence, or laxity in the ideological-theoretical struggle can lead to unforeseen consequences. Resolution No. 35-NQ/TW, dated October 22, 2018, of the Politburo on "Strengthening the Protection of the Party's Ideological Foundation and Combating Erroneous and Hostile Viewpoints in the New Situation" clearly states: "Protecting the Party's ideological foundation and combating erroneous and hostile viewpoints is a fundamental, crucial, and vital aspect of Party building and rectification; it is an important task for the entire political system, the entire Party, the entire people, and the entire army." Practical experience shows that strengthening ideological and theoretical work, protecting and upholding the Party's ideological foundation of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought plays a particularly important role and is a decisive factor in the victory in the struggle against " peaceful evolution," "self-evolution," and "self-transformation."

Deeply aware of the crucial role and importance of protecting the Party's ideological foundation, and stemming from its functions and duties, the People's Public Security force has set an example and taken the lead in implementing Resolution No. 35 of the Politburo , decisively deploying solutions in many directions to protect the Party's ideological foundation, combating and refuting erroneous and hostile viewpoints, making a significant contribution to protecting the Party, the people, and the socialist regime, and safeguarding the cause of reform, industrialization, and modernization.

In this context, the implementation has been synchronized, comprehensive, and systematic, both on a broad scale and in depth, mobilizing the entire force to actively spread and disseminate positive information, creating immense power to overwhelm harmful, false, and distorted information against the Party and the State. Over the past five years, the police force has posted and shared nearly 1.6 million news articles, videos, and over 35,500 banner and poster publications that objectively reflect, warn against, and refute fake news and false information. Police-affiliated press and television agencies have published and broadcast 110,000 news articles and reports, and collaborated with other press and media agencies to create over 5,000 news articles and reports serving the propaganda and fight against fake news, false information, harmful and toxic information against the Party and the State.

The fight against false and hostile viewpoints is closely linked to the fight against reactionary forces, the fight against ideological sabotage, and the protection of internal political security. It focuses on detecting and combating individuals within the Party who have degenerated in terms of morality, lifestyle, and political ideology, who are "self-evolving" or "self-transforming," who violate discipline in speech, spread false information, disseminate illegal documents, cause internal unrest, and undermine the Party's ideological foundation, in accordance with the directives of the Central Steering Committee for Anti-Corruption and Negative Phenomena. From the end of 2018 to the present, the police force has handled thousands of cases/individuals involved in propaganda against the Party and State, spreading fake news and false information. Many of these individuals were "leaders," holding leadership roles, receiving support and patronage from outside, and had a history of extremist opposition and defiance of the law. Internet service providers have been required to remove thousands of websites containing false and harmful content. They disabled tens of thousands of accounts and posts, hundreds of millions of instances of spreading harmful, toxic, fake, and false information, and over 300 fake online portals, pages, and Facebook accounts impersonating leaders of the Party, State, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Central Propaganda Department.

Actively improving the legal framework to protect the Party's ideological foundation and combat erroneous and hostile viewpoints in cyberspace (advising on the promulgation of the Cybersecurity Law, the Decree detailing some articles of the Cybersecurity Law, and the Decree on the protection of personal data). Strengthening theoretical research and summarizing practical experiences, including organizing nearly 400 conferences, seminars, forums, and in-depth professional consultations; researching over 130 scientific topics, monographs, and textbooks, contributing to supplementing theory, raising awareness and responsibility, and proposing policies and solutions for police work to protect the Party's ideological foundation and combat erroneous and hostile viewpoints in accordance with the new context. Building, launching, and effectively organizing the emulation movement "Every police officer is a sharp pen protecting the Party".

In his book, "1999 - Victory Without War," Nixon wrote: "The ideological front is the most decisive front; all our weapons, trade, aid, and economic relations will lead nowhere if we fail on the ideological front." In the context of hostile forces relentlessly carrying out their "peaceful evolution" plot, thoroughly exploiting our country's comprehensive and profound international integration to conduct insidious and cunning subversive activities; using ideological sabotage, directly attacking the Party's ideological foundation, counterattacking and negating to eliminate Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought, considering this the "breakthrough" and "decisive front," the need to firmly protect the Party's ideological foundation is becoming increasingly urgent.

Police officers and soldiers in Phu Tho province demonstrate crime suppression strategies at the 2023 training commencement ceremony. Photo: Trung Kien/TTXVN

To strengthen the protection of the Party's ideological foundation and combat false and hostile narratives, the People's Public Security force continues to thoroughly and effectively implement Resolution No. 35-NQ/TW of the Politburo, maximizing the responsibility of Party committees and organizations at all levels within the People's Public Security force, especially the leaders, in this work. It will intensify efforts to prevent and eliminate early on all causes and conditions that hostile and reactionary forces may exploit to spread subversive propaganda and incite opposition against the Party and the State. It will focus on closely monitoring the situation, strengthening internal political security, and promptly recommending measures to Party committees and organizations to prevent and handle cadres and Party members who fail to comply with discipline in speaking out and spreading false information. Regular inspections and audits will be conducted on the compliance with state secret protection regulations by agencies and units. Promptly detect, verify, clarify, and handle, in accordance with the law, cases of leakage or loss of state secrets. Advise Party committees and authorities to resolve conflicts, grievances, and complaints among the people early and at the grassroots level.

Actively grasp, analyze, and assess the situation; keenly detect early on issues that hostile and reactionary forces may exploit to launch propaganda campaigns aimed at undermining ideology, in order to proactively advise on and guide information dissemination; plan and select key issues, effectively refute false and hostile narratives from various types of groups. Simultaneously, focus on advising Party committees and governments 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 complex issues, contributing to guiding public opinion and minimizing the spread of distorted propaganda against the Party and the State.

Strengthen state management of cybersecurity, intensify the fight against and refutation of misinformation in cyberspace, and promptly and strictly detect and handle all activities involving the dissemination of fake news, false information, and harmful and toxic information against the Party and the State. Enhance consultation and coordination with the Central Propaganda Department and the Ministry of Information and Communications to promptly provide information and guidance to domestic media outlets on political and foreign affairs events, sensitive and complex issues, and matters of public concern. Promote the role of media, press, publishing, and television agencies within the People's Public Security force, especially grassroots media agencies, and the role of cadres and leaders of press agencies and press management agencies within the People's Public Security force in combating false and hostile information and viewpoints.

Strengthening solutions to build a truly clean, strong, professional, and elite police force. Consolidating close coordination and cooperation between units within the People's Police and functional agencies in protecting the Party's ideological foundation and combating false and hostile narratives. Expanding and improving the effectiveness of counter-narrative work in foreign countries and through diplomatic channels and international cooperation. Promoting the role of spokespersons at all levels within the People's Police in guiding information on complex and sensitive issues related to security and public order, in accordance with regulations. Strengthening the provision of official information to refute false and hostile narratives on issues of "human rights," "religious freedom," "freedom of the press," and "freedom of speech" through diplomatic activities and contact with diplomatic representative offices of other countries in Vietnam; Implement plans to combat and expose the reactionary nature and neutralize the anti-Party and anti-State activities of exiled reactionary organizations from outside; mobilize the participation of Vietnamese-American intellectuals, businesspeople, and politicians to refute false and ill-intentioned information and viewpoints against Vietnam.

VNA