Over the past 80 years, generations of People’s Public Security has overcome countless difficulties, hardships, and sacrifices, remained loyal to the Party, devoted to the people, always striven and sacrificed for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland, for national security, social order and safety, and for the peaceful and happy life of the people; fought intelligently, bravely, and steadfastly, winning victories in the struggle against the insidious plots of hostile and reactionary forces and other types of criminals. These outstanding feats and fine traditions have written glorious pages of history, becoming valuable and invaluable experiences of the Viet Nam People’s Public Security.
From the earliest days of the revolutionary struggle, the Party organised “red self-defence” and “Viet Minh reconnaissance” teams – the predecessor of the Viet Nam People’s Public Security – with the responsibility of destroying and eliminating evil, fighting against spies, informants, and secret agents of the imperialists, and protecting the achievements of the revolution. The August Revolution succeeded, and the Viet Nam People’s Public Security was born.
At the dawn of the new government, the fate of the country was “hanging by a thread”, but under the direct and absolute leadership of the Party and President Ho Chi Minh, the protection and support of the People, and through their steadfast spirit, intelligence and courage, the Public Security force promptly discovered and proactively crushed many plots of riots and overthrow. These include the discovery and dismantling of the counter-revolutionary organisation at No.7 On Nhu Hau Street, crushing the plot to overthrow the government of reactionary forces.
The Public Security force quickly organised all aspects of work to maintain the free zone, ensuring the absolute safety of the Party and State’s headquarters, resistance bases and key military campaigns, making an important contribution to the historic Dien Bien Phu victory, bringing the resistance war against the French colonialists to complete victory.
Entering the resistance war against the US imperialists, the People’s Public Security force both built and fought, constantly growing in organisation, strongly launching the mass movement of “protecting public security” and “secrecy against espionage”, dismantling the entire spy network planted by France and the US, using professional tactics and bait to capture dozens of US spy commando groups sent to the North, smashing the enemy’s so-called “anti-communism in the heart of communism”.
During the eight years of fighting against the US imperialists’ destructive war, the Northern Public Security force fought side by side with the army and other forces with steadfastness and bravery, protecting state assets, people’s lives, and ensuring transportation to support the front line, maintaining security and order in all situations.
The Southern Security Force constantly developed, together with the masses of people to continuously attack, rise up against injustice, and foil the sinister schemes of the US and the Saigon government; uncovered many espionage cases, protected the Party, protected the revolutionary movement, and contributed with the whole country to the Great Victory of Spring 1975, the peak of which was the historic Ho Chi Minh campaign.
After the country’s reunification, the People’s Public Security force continued to carry out the campaign to build a clean and strong police force and promote the mass movement to protect national security; urgently hunted down the remnants of the enemy, destroyed hundreds of reactionary groups and organizations, and proactively deployed counter-intelligence campaigns.
In particular, from 1981 to 1984, the police force successfully implemented the “CM12 Plan”, foiling the plot of collusion between spies and domestic reactionaries to cause riots and overthrow the revolutionary government; together with the entire Party, the entire army and the entire people, defeated the war of aggression at the southwestern border, firmly protected the northern border of the Fatherland, and fulfilled the noble international duty towards Laos and Cambodia.
During nearly 40 years of renovation, the People’s Public Security force has always been proactive in grasping the situation, avoiding being passive or caught off guard. It has effectively advised the Party and State on domestic and foreign policy related to security and order; ensured the safety of key events, leaders and projects; implemented the Party’s security policies; and protected national interests early and from afar.
The force has resolutely implemented measures to protect all aspects of national security—including internal, economic, social, religious, informational, and cyber security—and has fought various forms of crime, especially organised, drug-related, corrupt, transnational, and high-tech crime. The force has also performed its role in managing social order and building a safe, disciplined, and healthy society.
The loyalty, sacrifice and great dedication of generations of People’s Public Security in the revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation have written the heroic epic of the Viet Nam People’s Public Security force which is “loyal to the Party - devoted to the people - selfless for the country, serving the people”.
The glorious feats and achievements have always been associated with the maturity of the People’s Public Security force. Over the past 80 years, the People’s Public Security force has continuously grown, becoming the core armed force in the cause of protecting national security, ensuring social order and safety as well as protecting the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam.
The 6th National Congress of the Party (1986) determined: “The People’s Public Security must be built to be truly clean, strong, disciplined and modern, absolutely loyal to the Fatherland and the people, with a solid foundation among the masses, with increasingly high professional qualifications, truly a reliable and sharp tool of the Party and the socialist State; at the 7th Congress (1991), our Party clearly stated: “Building a clean and strong People’s Public Security force, worthy of being an armed shock force on the front line of protecting security and order”.
The Party’s guiding viewpoint on building revolutionary armed forces in the period of industrialisation and modernisation of the country continued to develop more comprehensively, clearly demonstrated in the Resolutions of the 8th National Congress (1996) and the 9th National Congress (2001).
In particular, in the Platform for national construction in the transitional period to socialism (supplemented and developed in 2011) also clearly stated: “Building a revolutionary, disciplined, elite, gradually modern People’s Public Security, absolutely loyal to the Fatherland, the Party, the State and the people”.
The 12th National Party Congress clearly defined the goal of building a revolutionary, disciplined, elite, and gradually modern People’s Public Security force. The 13th National Party Congress further elaborated this goal, emphasising the development of certain branches, arms, and units advancing directly to modernity.
By 2025, the force aims to be strong, compact, and elite—laying a foundation to become, by 2030, a revolutionary, disciplined, elite, and modern People’s Public Security force, with strength in political commitment, ideology, ethics, organisation, and cadres.
These views are specified in Resolution No.28 (Session XI) on “Strategy for protecting the Fatherland in the new situation” affirming: Building a revolutionary, disciplined, elite, gradually modernised People’s Public Security, enhancing combat strength, truly a loyal and trustworthy force of the Party, State and people, the core force for protecting the Fatherland.
Article No.67 of the 2013 Constitution clearly states: The State builds a revolutionary, disciplined, elite, gradually modernized People’s Public Security, as the core in performing the task of protecting national security and ensuring social order and safety, fighting and preventing crimes. Noteably, for the first time, the Politburo (13th tenure) issued Resolution No.12-NQ/TW dated March 16, 2022 “on promoting the building of a truly clean, strong, disciplined, elite, modern People’s Public Security force, meeting the requirements and tasks in the new situation”.
The entire Party, people, and army are striving to compete to implement the Party’s strategic policies to bring the country into a new era. The world and the region are changing rapidly, strongly, and unpredictably. The multipolar, multi-centred, and multi-level situation is increasingly taking shape. Major countries are both cooperating and competing, while also struggling to restrain one another, and showing readiness to intervene and influence the internal affairs of other nations. Conflicts, local wars, sovereignty disputes, ethnic and racial conflicts are taking place in many regions in many different forms and scales. Traditional and non-traditional security issues continue to evolve in a complex, intertwined, and mutually transforming manner…
For Viet Nam, after nearly 40 years of renovation, its position and power have been increasingly strengthened, and the country’s position and prestige in the international arena have been enhanced. However, the country is still facing many intertwined difficulties and challenges. Hostile, reactionary, and political opportunists at home and abroad have intensified their “peaceful evolution” activities, promoted “self-evolution”, “self-transformation”, and demanded the “depoliticisation” of the armed forces… with increasingly open and direct sabotage plots and tactics.
In that context, thoroughly grasping the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, Resolution No.12-NQ/TW of the Politburo; Party committees and leaders of the public security at all levels need to focus on implementing the following core tasks and solutions effectively:
First, strengthening the direct and absolute leadership of the Party in all aspects of building a clean and strong People’s Public Security force in terms of politics and ideology. Building Party bases in the entire People’s Public Security force to be clean, strong, and have high fighting capacity; regularly taking care of political and ideological work; fighting against moral and lifestyle degradation; proactively fighting to defeat the plot to “depoliticise” the armed forces, separating the People's Public Security force from the leadership of the Party.
Focusing on reviewing, amending, supplementing and strictly implementing the working regulations of Party committees at all levels; strengthening the implementation of Party inspection and supervision, measures to manage cadres and party members in conjunction with improving and enhancing the quality of Party cell activities, promoting democracy in Party activities and in the activities of Party committees. Strictly implementing the Party's principles, especially the principle of democratic centralism.
Continue to “promote studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, morality and lifestyle”; resolutely fight against individualism, prevent and repel the degradation of political ideology, morality, lifestyle, manifestations of “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” within the Party; educating traditions, fostering patriotism, fighting spirit, raising the spirit of revolutionary vigilance, and acting according to “Six teachings of Uncle Ho to the People’s Public Security”.
Strengthening the tightening of discipline, order, work orders and regulations of the People’s Public Security. Building a beautiful image of the People’s Public Security officers and soldiers who are brave, humane, and serve the people.
Second, build a team of cadres that is first and foremost modern in terms of human resources guided by the motto “people first, guns later”, capable of meeting new requirements and tasks; and efficiently operate the 3-level Public Security model in accordance with the orientation of “elite ministry, comprehensive provinces, strong communes, and close to the grassroots”.
Pay attention to building a team of “modern” cadres and party members with strong political will, pure revolutionary ethics, a firm grasp of the law, proficient in professional skills, capable of working in an international environment, with a sense of organisation and discipline, mastering science and technology; daring to think, daring to do, daring to take responsibility, daring to innovate for the common good; always putting the interests of the nation, the people, and the legitimate interests of the people above all, first and foremost, always wholeheartedly serving the Fatherland and the people.
Research and develop specific professional titles and standards to perfect the staffing and implement the cadre policy. Step by step, build a team of cadres at all levels, especially strategic-level leaders and commanders with sufficient qualities, capacity and prestige to match the tasks, ensuring a continuous and steady transition between generations of cadres, associated with the development and completion of processes and regulations on planning, training, rotation, appointment and reappointment of leaders and commanders.
Strictly implement regulations on resignation and dismissal if leaders and commanders do not have enough qualities, capacity and prestige; at the same time, pay attention to building a team of intellectuals, scientists, good experts, a team of cadres working in the international environment, participating in the United Nations peacekeeping force.
Focus on reviewing, adjusting and supplementing security and order assurance plans in line with new strategic orientations, on the basis of new development and administrative management space; eliminate fragmented thinking and shift decisively toward holistic coordination—linking two-tiered local police work, integrating forces, and maintaining regular provincial-level oversight—to build strong communes capable of handling grassroots security and order issues.
Continue to review, propose amendments and supplements to legal documents, regulations, rules, and professional processes that are still inadequate and contradictory, creating a solid legal basis for the effective, efficient and effective functioning of the three-level police model.
Third, promote the application of science and technology and digital transformation; perfect the administrative model serving in state management of security and order, best serving the people and businesses; strongly promote digital transformation in the People’s Public Security, aiming to complete the digital transition of the Public Security force by the end of 2025. This includes active use of AI and big data technology, particularly to enhance professional work areas and ensure security and safety.
Continue to advise and implement the Government’s Project No.06 on “Developing the application of population data, identification and electronic authentication to serve national digital transformation in the 2022-2025 period, with a vision to 2030”, creating national databases, specialised databases, and establishing a basis for maximum reform of administrative procedures, contributing to the completion of the goal that by 2025, all enterprise-related administrative procedures are implemented online—smoothly, transparently, and effectively; 100% of administrative procedures are implemented regardless of administrative boundaries within the provincial level.
Complete the integration and provide the entire process on the National Public Service Portal of all online public services within the scope of state management of security and order.
Fourthly, strengthen national security potential; increase contributions to maintaining peace in the region and the world. Maximise external resources, effectively combine with domestic resources to strengthen the potential for national security protection, build and develop an autonomous, self-reliant, modern, dual-use security industry in accordance with Conclusion No.158-KL/TW, dated May 26, 2025, of the Politburo on building a security industry in the era of national development and growth, focusing on cooperation in developing cyber security industry, digital technology, automation, big data, artificial intelligence, production of equipment, technical means, ensuring security, safety..., contributing to making Vietnam an Asia-Pacific power in security industry.
Maximise the potential and unique advantages of the People’s Public Security’s foreign affairs in ensuring security and national interests, mobilise maximum external resources for national development, strengthen the nation’s comprehensive strength, including security potential.
Proactively and responsibly contribute to the common efforts of the international community in maintaining peace, ensuring human security, humanitarian activities, rescue, disaster prevention and mitigation, and overcoming the consequences of natural disasters, catastrophes and emerging non-traditional security issues of strategic importance, in accordance with the requirements, capabilities and specific conditions of the country and the People’s Public Security Force.
Increase the number, diversify the forms, and improve the quality of police officers who successfully run for leadership and management positions at the ASEANAPOL Secretariat, the INTERPOL General Secretariat, and the Missions and cooperation organisations in the field of security, crime prevention and control, international and regional, of which Viet Nam is a member.
Proudly looking back on the glorious 80-year journey, the People’s Public Security force continues to promote the heroic revolutionary tradition, unite with one heart, make constant efforts, promote the sense of responsibility, political courage and creative intelligence, and is the core force in the cause of ensuring security and order, protecting the peaceful and happy life of the people, contributing significantly to bringing the country forward rapidly and strongly into a new era – an era of peace, development and prosperity.
