According to statistics from the provincial police, the entire province has 15 out of 45 communes that are key and complex in terms of security and social order, and 32 wards and communes that are key areas for drug-related social evils. Therefore, ensuring a close combination of security and social order and socio-economic development in the province is identified by the provincial police as an extremely urgent task. Faced with this reality, the Party Committee of the provincial police has led and directed the entire force to synchronously implement measures to consolidate people’s security posture, contributing to maintaining political stability and creating a favorable environment for socio-economic development.

The work of advising party committees and authorities has been carried out proactively and effectively. The police force has coordinated to build and maintain 34 self-governing models for security and social order with more than 4,200 points of activity. Ninety percent of localities meet the “Safe in terms of security and social order” standard, and 100% of key, complex areas have been successfully transformed. To date, the force participating in protecting grassroots security and social order has more than 4,300 people, becoming an “extended arm” of the police force. The assignment of 1,477 officers and soldiers to commune-level police helps to stay close to the grassroots, promptly grasp and resolve situations from the very beginning.

In parallel with the task of ensuring security and social order, the police force has actively participated in socio-economic development, poverty reduction, and new rural development programs. Since 2020, through the “Joining hands to eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses” movement, the provincial police force has built and handed over 1,653 houses to poor households and policy-beneficiary families. They have also built houses for 20 households affected by floods and for 43 village elders and reputable individuals. At the same time, they have built many public welfare projects such as “Lighting up the countryside,” school sites, semi-boarding houses, kitchens, sanitation areas, rural concrete roads, and domestic water tanks with a total value of over VND 20 billion, making a practical contribution to improving people’s lives and consolidating the “people’s hearts” posture.

On the national security front, the provincial police have proactively grasped the situation, detecting and promptly handling arising issues. Over the past five years, they have detected and handled 55 cases of foreigners violating the law, received 740 Vietnamese citizens who violated foreign laws, rescued 59 victims who were deceived and forced into labor, and investigated and prosecuted 15 cases with 47 defendants related to illegal immigration and emigration. The police force has detected and dismantled a reactionary group that was beginning to form a “Hmong State.” They have also successfully organized many counter-terrorism drills and ensured absolute safety for major political events, especially the 70th anniversary of the Điện Biên Phủ Victory.

The work of crime prevention and suppression, especially drug crime, and the prevention and fight against crime and legal violations on transport routes have been a focus. This involves a close combination of professional prevention with social prevention and the continuous organization of high-intensity campaigns to attack and suppress crime. In the 2020 - 2025 period, the number of criminal offenses was reduced by 17.1%. Organized crime and dangerous criminal gangs operating with impunity and causing public outrage were not allowed to form. The number of detected and arrested drug-related offenses increased by 73.4% compared to the 2015 - 2020 period.

The provincial police have focused on ensuring economic security and combating corruption and negativity. Since 2020, they have detected and recommended handling violations in 13 macadamia planting projects, participated in appraising 124 projects, detected 9 complex cases and 19 violations in the economic field, and recovered over VND 46 billion in misappropriated assets.

State management of security and social order has seen many innovations with the strong application of digital technology. The entire province has provided 113 online public services, collected 100% of citizen identification card applications, and activated 464,000 electronic identification accounts, contributing to social management, administrative reform, and creating convenience for people and businesses. Foreign affairs and international cooperation on security and social order have been strengthened, with cooperation with the police of the northern provinces of Laos becoming deeper, more practical, and effective. Cooperative relations have also been maintained with the Public Security Bureau of Pu’er City, Yunnan province (China).

Besides these outstanding results, the work of ensuring security and social order in Điện Biên still faces many difficulties: subversive activities in cyberspace and crimes related to drugs and high technology are becoming increasingly sophisticated; grassroots management capacity in some places is still limited; the lives of people in remote areas are difficult, making them easily susceptible to incitement; and the funding and facilities for the police force are still insufficient to meet the requirements.

From this reality, the provincial police recommend that the Government and ministries and sectors continue to support the province in implementing socio-economic development and poverty reduction programs. At the same time, they propose that the province prioritize resources for investing in facilities and equipping the police force, especially at the grassroots level, to successfully complete the mission of protecting security and social order, creating a stable environment, and promoting the sustainable development of Điện Biên province in the new era.

* Abridged from the presentation by the provincial Police Party Committee at the 15th provincial Party Congress.