The uprising for power

Eighty years ago, on August 19, 1945, the successful August Revolution wrote an immortal epic in Vietnam’s history. News of victories from many places spread to the Northwest like a fresh wind, igniting faith and the yearning for freedom. At that time, Lai Châu province (including present-day Điện Biên, Lai Châu, and Quỳnh Nhai district of Sơn La) was a remote mountainous region still under colonial-feudal rule. In particular, Lai Châu had neither Party organizations nor Việt Minh bases, so the revolutionary movement for power had yet to develop strongly.

Only Quỳnh Nhai succeeded in seizing power, while the rest of the province remained under colonial and feudal control. Although the people had not yet directly taken power, with their tradition of resilience and indomitable struggle against invaders, they kept their faith in the Party and the Government. From that turning point, the flame of revolution spread, ushering in a new era for ethnic communities to determine their destiny. This was an important premise for revolutionary forces to mobilize and awaken the people, build bases, and eventually establish the provincial Party Committee.

From the spark of the August Revolution, the revolutionary movement expanded, paving the way for the birth of Party organizations locally. On October 10, 1949, the Lai Châu Party Committee was founded, marking a turning point in the political life of all ethnic groups in the province. Within a short time, revolutionary bases in Quỳnh Nhai, Tuần Giáo, and Điện Biên were consolidated and expanded. Several communes established revolutionary authorities (Pú Nhung, Tỏa Tình, Phiêng Ta Ma, etc.) and the Tỏa Tình guerrilla squad. In liberated zones, the Party Committee mobilized people to reclaim land, boost production, and stabilize their lives.

During the resistance war against the French, the provincial Party Committee creatively applied the line of people’s war: comprehensive resistance, self-reliance, mobilizing all social strata to fight, achieving many outstanding victories. The pinnacle was the historic Điện Biên Phủ Victory in 1954 that “resounded across five continents, shook the globe,” ending nine years of resistance against the French, and opening a new era for Vietnam’s revolution. That victory provided tremendous encouragement for the provincial Party Committee and the people of all ethnic groups to build and consolidate revolutionary government, overcome war devastation, restore production, and stabilize livelihoods.

Toward a two-tier government

Through resistance, construction, and renewal, Điện Biên’s people’s government has grown steadily. Especially from January 1, 2004, when Điện Biên province was officially established after being separated from the former Lai Châu, the Party, government, and people entered a new stage with immense difficulties: outdated infrastructure, poor transportation, poverty rate above 40%, and average income just VND 10.7 million per person per year. The government had to both consolidate its apparatus and focus on socio-economic development and security-defense.

With comprehensive solutions, the province gradually modernized infrastructure, roads, electricity, irrigation, schools, clinics, implemented poverty reduction and production support programs, attracted investment, developed commodity-based agriculture and tourism. Over more than two decades, under the comprehensive leadership of the Party and the responsive governance of authorities, Điện Biên has transformed strongly: a modern new airport, improved transport infrastructure, the Sơn La-Điện Biên expressway under preparation, extensive telecommunications coverage; agricultural economy tied to key crops like rubber, coffee, macadamia, and high-quality rice; poverty rate reduced to 19.3% (as of June 2025).

Yet amid rapid social development, the three-tier government model (province-district-commune) in Điện Biên revealed limitations: overlapping tasks, multiple intermediate levels, prolonged handling time, higher management costs, and reduced grassroots initiative. Meanwhile, national reform trends demand streamlined, effective, efficient state apparatuses. From this reality, and implementing Central guidelines, Điện Biên launched the two-tier government model as a breakthrough toward lean, effective governance.

Together with the nation, since July 1, 2025, Điện Biên has implemented the two-tier local government model (province-commune) with 45 communes and wards (instead of 129 as before). Nguyễn Tiến Đạt, Director of the Department of Home Affairs, stated: the two-tier government is streamlined, reduces management costs, enhances grassroots initiative, and shortens the distance between government and people. This is not only an organizational reform but also a shift in governance mindset, from vertical administration to direct, transparent, people-centered management. In practice, after just over a month, Điện Biên achieved important results: many administrative procedures were resolved immediately at the commune level, reducing burdens for people and businesses, no longer requiring transfers to district level, thereby enhancing satisfaction and trust.

Eighty years, from the historic autumn of 1945 to today, vividly demonstrate the vitality of Điện Biên’s people’s government: from its humble, inadequate beginnings to today’s scientifically organized, increasingly modern two-tier apparatus. It is a constant process of renewal to adapt to each era’s demands, yet always true to the nature of a revolutionary government: of the people, by the people, for the people, close to and serving the people.

When the August Revolution erupted, Điện Biên’s people rose to claim mastery and establish their government. Today, it is still the people who are the firm foundation for the government to pursue great goals: building a prosperous, civilized Điện Biên, safeguarding the Fatherland’s frontier, and by 2030, making Điện Biên a relatively developed province in the northern midlands and mountainous region, and one of the region’s centers of tourism, services, and healthcare. That historic autumn remains an enduring source of strength, inspiring Điện Biên’s government and people of all ethnicities to unite and move firmly forward on the path of renewal and integration, continuing to write golden pages in the cause of nation-building and defense.