Clearly recognizing this importance, in recent times, agencies and units within the provincial armed forces have proactively implemented many forms of education and training on ethnic and religious knowledge for officials and soldiers, especially at the grassroots level. Since the beginning of the year, the provincial Military Command has organized 2 training classes on ethnic knowledge for officials, officers, and professional military personnel. This is the core force that will continue to disseminate and educate all officials and soldiers within each unit.

Recently, a training class organized by the provincial Border Guard Command was held with the participation of 46 officers and professional military personnel. Over 5 days, the trainees were taught 7 key topics including: “Ethnic minorities in Vietnam,” “Implementing the Party’s viewpoints, guidelines, and policies on ethnic affairs,” “Some of the State’s policies on socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas,” “Conserving and promoting the values and cultural identity of ethnic minorities to meet sustainable development requirements,” “Promoting the role of the grassroots political system in socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas,” “Some new issues in national defense and security in ethnic minority and mountainous areas,” and “The military’s participation in resolving situations in ethnic minority areas.”

Through these topics, officials and soldiers were updated and equipped with new knowledge about ethnic groups and religion. They were also trained in communication and behavioral skills, and methods of mass mobilization appropriate to the characteristics, customs, and practices of each ethnic group in the area. This helps them know how to apply this knowledge appropriately in communicating and mobilizing people to abide by the Party’s guidelines and the State’s laws, and to actively participate in protecting the border line and markers.

Colonel Nguyễn Đức Long, Deputy Political Commissar of the provincial Military Command, assessed: “Training officials and professional military personnel in ethnic knowledge is a necessary task. It serves as a basis for enhancing their intellect and basic knowledge of the characteristics, customs, practices, and cultural identity of the ethnic peoples, as well as the Party’s viewpoints, guidelines, and the State’s policies and laws regarding ethnic peoples. Through this, they can provide better counsel and proposals to the leaders and commanders of their agencies and units to organize and effectively implement ethnic affairs work in the new situation.”

Besides centralized training, many units in the provincial armed forces also integrate ethnic and religious education into political activities, thematic studies, or through emulation movements. Border posts regularly organize cultural-sports exchanges, learn ethnic languages, and study the customs and practices of the Thái, Mông, Hà Nhì, Cống... groups. This helps officials and soldiers become more attached to and understanding of people, contributing to strengthening the relationship of “the post is home, the border is the homeland, and people are blood brothers.”

In recent years, thanks to strengthening education and training in ethnic and religious knowledge, the contingent of officials and soldiers of the provincial armed forces has shown clear maturity in both awareness and action. In practice, they always show a spirit of being proactive, flexible, and close to the grassroots, knowing how to approach, communicate, and mobilize compatriots in ways suitable for the characteristics of each region and ethnic group. Many effective models have been formed from this, such as “Border Post Loudspeaker,” “Soldier’s Rice Jar,” “Children of the Border Post,” “Officials and Soldiers Speak Ethnic Languages”; and emulation movements like “The military joins hands to build new-style rural areas,” “The Army joins hands for the poor - leaving no one behind”... This contributes to spreading the image of Uncle Hồ’s soldiers as being close, humane, and responsible towards the community.

Lieutenant Colonel Vì Văn Tiên, Deputy Political Commissar of the Border Post of the Huổi Puốc Border Gate, said: “Reality shows that when officials and soldiers clearly understand the life, culture, and beliefs of the ethnic people, they can easily grasp people’s thoughts and aspirations, and promptly detect, fight, and prevent plots and activities that exploit ethnic and religious issues to divide the great national unity bloc. At the same time, it is this understanding and respect for ethnic culture that helps them become a reliable bridge between the Party, the government, and people, creating a solid foundation for local national defense and security work.”

In the current context, as hostile forces continuously step up propaganda, distortion, and exploitation of ethnic and religious issues to incite, divide, and sabotage the great national unity bloc, raising awareness and training the armed forces in ethnic and religious knowledge is of strategic significance. This is not just an immediate requirement but also a long-term task, contributing to building a contingent of officials and soldiers who are “both red and expert” (both politically loyal and professionally competent), have firm political courage, understand people, are close to people, and serve people.