CP of Vietnam, Struggling to prevent plots and tricks of hostile forces which take advantage of ethnic issues in Highlands today

3/21/23 2:46 PM
  • Vietnam, Communist Party of Vietnam En Asia Communist and workers' parties

Struggling to prevent plots and tricks of hostile forces which take advantage of ethnic issues in Highlands today

 

Assoc. Prof. Dr. DOAN TRIEU LONG

Member of the Central Theoretical Council, Director of the Political Academy, 3rd Area, the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics

COMMUNIST REVIEW - The Highlands area has occupied an especially important strategic position in the economic and social development, ensured the national defense and security of Vietnam. This is also the area having the complicated, sensitive ethnic relationship, so the hostile forces have done their utmost to exploit so as to divide the great national unity block and sabotage against the Vietnamese revolution. That is why, it is necessary to have a lot of synchronous solutions to resolve to the roots the ethnic problem and prevent the sabotageous plots and tricks of the hostile forces.

Plots and tricks of the hostile forces to take advantage of the ethnic issue in the Highlands today

The Highlands region comprises 5 provinces (Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Bak Lak, Dak Nong and Lam Dong) with the total land area of 54, 472 square kilometres, its population is 5.8 million people; it is one of 4 peculiar ethnic and religious regions of the whole country. The Highlands has now got 54 ethnicities, in which there are the indigenous ethnicities and the ethnicities from other places, with the total population of 2.2 million ethnic minorities people, accounting for 37.6% of the population of the whole region (1). The process of diverse residential communities of the ethnic minorities people has created the abundant, fine features for the culture and brought about many characteristic values for the Highlands region. However, in that cultural exchange, the Highlands region is now facing with a lot of complicated problems, particularly the plots and tricks of the hostile forces to take advantage of the ethnicities issue to sabotage the Party and the State of Vietnam. This is the cause that has led to the instabilities to the Highlands region (2). The plot and trick of the hostile forces have been manifested in the following fundamental contents:

Firstly, the hostile forces have looked for a way to set up the new illegal organizations to assemble forces and excite the narrow-minded, extreme and secession ethnic ideologies in the areas of the ethnic minorities people.

This is the continuity of the plots and tricks that had failed in 2001, 2004 and 2008 in establishing the so-called “Dega independent state”, “the autonomous state” or “the Dega protestantism”, in recent yeaars, the hostile forces have set up the new reactionary groups, especially the Vietnam Christ Protestantism and the Highlands Christ Protestantism:

The Vietnam Christ Protestantism was set up by Y-Hin Nie in May 2017. To support the activities at home, “an administrative committee” had been established with Y-Jol B-krong as the head; he was the son of Y-Hin Nie and the members were A-Dao, A-ga, A H-lum, A H-muk, A-Trung, A-xa, A Vi-ei, Y-Huy, A-Doan, A H-luih, A-Chang, Y-Bet and so on. After te functional force had discovered and handled it (in early 2018), the members had resorted to many new tricks to revive this organization. Uncer the direct leadership of Y-jol B-krong (Cu Kuin District, Dak Lak province) the members of the Vietnam Christ Protestantism had relied on the Vietnam Protestantism denomincations recognized by the State of Vietnam so as to carry on their open activities. Y-jol B-krong together with the members had actively collected information on ethnicities and religion at home, after that he sent it to foreign countries with the content that had distorted and slandered the authorities for violating democracy, human rights and repressing religion. From May 2017 to late 2018, this illegal organization had set uo 27 groups in 5 provinces (Dak Lak, Kon Tum, Binh Phuoc, Lam Dong and Tra Vinh) with ndarly 700 followers (4).

In September 2019, A-Ga, a key member of the Vietnam Christ Protestantism had mobilized more members to set up a new illegal organization. Until September 2020, this organization was appeared with the name the Highlands Christ Protestantism with A-Ga being self-assumed as the representative, at the same time, he had appointed “the Provisional Representative Committee” with 5 members headed by A Dao. The chief aim of this organization is similar to “the Dega Protestantism”: To excite the idea of secession and autonomy so as to set  uo “a separate state, a separate religion” for the ethnic minorities people. A-Ga and A-Dao had actively assembled the followers who were the ethnic minorities people to take part in the religious actiiviities that seemed being merely singing hymns, praying, sharing the Holy Scriptures, at the same time, it had linked with the domestic and foreign reactionary elements to mobilize the resources to serve their sabotageous activities. Since September 2020, the Highlands Christ Protestantism has developed a number of followers in Dak Lak, Kon Tum, Gia Llai, Dak Nong, Lam Dong and Phu Yen Provinces (5).

Secondly, the reactionary forces have made full use of the social media to enhance their sabotageous activities in the ethnic minorities people’s areas in the Highlands.

To support the access to the ethnic and religious problems in the Highlands from outside, the hostile forces have taken advantage of the boom of the social media, like tiktok, facebook, Instagram, twitter, wechat, youtube to set up many “forums” in different forms, in which some forums oppose openly the line of the Party and the State; there are other forums hidden under the name of protecting “religious freedom”, “democracy”, “human rights” for the ethnic minorities people in the Highlands; these forum have always published the distorted information in the Highlands so as to sabotage the authorities. More sophisticated, the hostile forced have also set up a number of secret forums to oppose the authorities, apart from the general information on doctrines, faith, while the category of “religious freedom” has always supplied the video clips and images that have distorted the religious situation in the Highlands so as to accuse the authorities.

Apart from that, the hostile forces have always followed closely each change, even the smallest, in the Highlands region. The “hot” information in society, particularly the negative measures have been exploited by the hostile forces to serve their calculation. Particularly, as for the key events that have attracted the attention of domestic and international public opinion, the hostile forces have often set up an exclusive category on religion, beliefs, ethnic minorities in the Highlands. Of late, the hostile forces have also set up additional category to publish information in the form of “letter”, “personal letter”, petition, “contributed”ideas of the objects – in essence, it conveys “ideas” of the discontented elements, the political opportunists to excite the ethnic minorities people to lodge petitions and claims so that the international organizations can meddle with.

The hostile forces in the Highlands have also taken advantage of cyberspace I to consolidate and enhance the relationship between the illegal organizations, provide information relating to the ethnic and religious issues in the Highlands for the foreign opposing objects. In recent years, the objects have also used the on-line form to organize the meetings, personnel training, drawing the ethnic minorities people in the Highlands to participate in the sabotageous activities. Typically, “the Christ Protestantism” has approved the social web pages to assemble nearly 400 followers in 15 groups (Dak Lak, Tra Vinh, Khanh Hoa, Lam Dong, Quang Ngai, Phu Yen, Binh Phuoc, Gia Lai and Kon Tum).

Thirdly, to enhance to form “confidence” in the ethnic minorities people’s areas.

This trick of the hostile forces are aimed at two basic targets: 1- To determine the foothold, to assemble the oarticioating force; 2- To win the s upport of the people so as to protect and develop the sabotageous activities. In recent time, they have used a lot of different scenarios to draw the attention and the “confidence” from the ethnic minorities people in the Highlands. Apart from the influencing tricks of religious faith, the objects have also attempted to dig deep and exaggerate the difficulties on the daily life of the people, expedite the activities such as to promote many “charity” programs, financial “support”, animals and plants or send their people to the hamlets to “help” the people. On the other hand, they are active to advertise the role of the organizations, the leading forces in “helping” the ethnic minorities people improve their lives and develop economy. After having built ther “images”, the hostile forces have come to build their establishments, distribute materials, disseminate their sabotageous ideas. From their cheating and drawing a number of ethnic minorities people in Dak Lak, from 2017 to 2021, they have expanded their operational scope to almost all the provinces in the Highlands, even spreading to Phu Yen and Tra Vinh provinces. Having approved the “aid” program, the hostile forces have propagated “the beautiful image” of the promised land. They have also called on the ethnic minorities people to cross the border illegally to Cambodia and Thailand, even to make applications for refugee in the western countries, thus causing the illegal border crossing of the ethnic minorities people, especially the areas bordering on Kon Tum and Dak Lak.

Fourthly, to enhance their plots in dividing and breaking the great national unity block through their distortion of information.

First of all, the hostile forces have looked for a way to distort th historical issues relating to the process of traditional immigration, culure, customs of the ethnic minorities people. In history, the form of immigration of the ethnic minorities people in the Highlands was mainly the mountain  hamlets and villages and a number of inter-village areas of the E-de, Ja-rai and Xo-dang people. However, recently the hostile forces have taken advantage of this problem to restore the old image of “water king”, “fire king”, the Xo-dang kingdom”. The function and role of the “kings” are not like that in the past; they are transferred from “theocracy” to subrogation. Besides, they have enhanced to push aheadthe strategy “peaceful evolution” to excite the ethnic minorities people to struggle to claim the so-called “territorial sovereignty”. To support this wicked plot, the hostile forces have availed themselves of the some clauses in the “Declaration of the rights of indigenous nations” approved by the UN General Assembly on September 13, 2007.

These objects had also financed the “seminars”, “international workshops” on the origin of ethnic people. The hostile forces had also placed orders to the researchers on the subjects concerning the psychology of ethnic people, the power of “the water king”, “the fire king” and “the Xo-dang kingdom” in the Highlands. Through these “scientific acvitieis”, the hostile forces had sped up the collection of information, the seasrch for the evidences so as to excite the idea of nationalism and autonomous separation of some ethnic people” (6).

Fifthly, to exaggerate the issues on the ethnic minorities people to win the support and help of the foreign forces.

The hostile forces at home and abroad have always made their fullest use and promoted the politicize and internationalize the ethnic and religious issues, human rights and sovereignty in order to cause social instabilities, create pressure and interference in the internal affairs of Vietnam. Taking advantage of the international forums, the hostile forces have accused Vietnam of repressing religion, restricting the democratic freedom, the religious freedom; slandered the authorities about “oppressing”, “chasing away” the ethnic minorities people when they have illegally crossed the border. Esspecially, in recent years, they have also organized a lot of hearings, seminars, press briefings and issues the stastement distorting the actual situation, slandered the Vietnamese administration to imprison and ill-treat the “people who have political dissent”, the “dignitaries” and “the religious followers”, ban “the freedom of speech”, “the exchange of information” and so on.

Apart from the above-said problems, the hostile forces have also resorted to a lot of other wicked plots and tricks, such as bribing or drawing the prestigious people in the ethnic minorities people’s areas; planting their people in the political system at different levels; promote the false democratic forms through the illegal organizations to hoodwink public opinion.

A number of solutions to improve effectiveness of struggle to prevent the plots and tricks of the hostile forces which take advantage of the ethnic issues in the Highlands today

To prevent the effectiveness of the plots and tricks of the operation of the hostile forces which have taken advantage of the ethnic issue in the Highland, it is necessary to carry out wells a number of the following solutions:

Firstly, to enhance the building of the system of theoretical and practical basis to support the process of the struggle to prevent the hostile forces which have taken advantage of the ethnic issue in the Highlands.

At present, the theoretical and practical system to support the process of the struggle to prevent the hostile forces which have taken advantage the ethnic issue already taken shape in various aspects. However, the society has increasingly developed, the plots and tricks of the hostile forces’ sabotageous activities have become ever more diverse and sophisticated with a lot of new tricks.  Therefore, it is necessary to step up the research work to build and equip the system of theoretical as well as practical basis so as to support the process of the struggle to prevent the hostile forces to make use of the ethnic issue in the Highlands as well as the whole country.

Theoretically, it is necessary to focus on the research and make it clearer the issues: 1- The origin, the process of formation, location, residential areas of the ethnicities in the Highlands/; 2- Psychology of ethnic people, the ethnic consciousness in the relationship with security and national sovereignty; 3- The manifestation of separatism, autonomy, extreme nationalism, ethnic conflicts; 4- The issue of “Delcaration on the rights of indigenous nations” of the UN General Assembly in the correlation with the advocacies and lines of the Party and the policies and laws of the State of Vietnam today.

Practically, it is necessary to carry out the following advocacies: 1- To make clear the practical value of the advocacies and lines of the Party, the policies and laws of the State towards the ethnic minorities people; the superiority in the vewpoints, advocacies and policies on ethnicities of the Party and the State as compared with many countries in the world.; the problems in building the national communities of unified Vietnam; 2- The echievements in the economic, political, cultural, social, educational, health, defence-security building and development of the ethnic mimorities people in the historical process; the importance of the resources in the areas of the ethnic minorities people in the national renovation; 3- The customary law, institution of the traditional mountain hamlets and villages of the ethnic minorities people and the issues in building enforce the law of Vietnam now; 4- The problem of permanent agriculture and permanent settlement, construction of mountain hamlet and village in the current areas of the ethnic minorities people; 5- Social evils, free emigration, illegal border corssing and the impacts on the sustainable development of ethnic people; 6- The space of existence and livelihood of ethnic people in the process of renovation and international integration. On the other hand, it is also necessary to make clear the problems that the hostile forces are concentrating on to sabotage in the Highlands now, like: History and origin of ethnic people, the relationship between ethnicities, between ethnicities and religions; the process of planning and enforcing the policy on ethnicities in combination with the restrictions and inadequacies in the political system. At the same time, to study well the characteristics and ways of operation of the reactionary organizations at home and abroad.

That the above-said problems have been made clear, on the one hand, has contributed to the scientific basis to the functional agencies in affirming with the public opinion at home and the world about the correctness, legality, constitutional character when enforcing  the policies on ethnicities in the Highlands; on the other hand, to create the firm basis to launch direct attack on the plots and tricks that the hostile forces are using to sabotage against the Party, the State in the current Highlands region.

Secondly, to improve effectiveness of carrying out the ethnicities policy of the Party and the State in the ethnic minorities areas in the Highlands.

As of the end of 2020, there were 118 policies being implemented in the areas of ethnic minorities people, in which 54 policies were for the ethnic minorities people and their areas, 64 policies had also prioritized them. Apart from the policies that have made direct impacts on the areas of the ethnic minorities, 21 target programs that have the indirect content making impacts on this region (7). It can be seen that the Party and State h ave great efforts in studying and issuing the policies to give active support to the ethnic minorities people in the economic development and sustainable poverty reduction; in the educational, training, health and cultural development; in the development of human resources and the building of the political system in the grass-roots establishments. Threfore, the issues not only lie in the attention paid by the Party and State to the life of the people, but also promote the caspoacities and practical values of the policies in the areas of the ethnic mimoorities people. This is really the important basis to foil the sabotageous and distorting plots and tricks of the hostile forces against the ethnic policies of the Party and State.

In the coming time, to imoprove effectiveness in the process of enforcing the policies on ethnicity, the authorities at all levels in the Highlands need to pay attention to the following basic points:

1- It is necessary to keep close watch over the economic development level, the cultural characteristics, customs and habits of each ethnicity so as to apply the suitable policies; 2- To study well the possibility of accepting and preparing of each ethnicity so as to have the correct orientations for the people to enforce and operate the policies; 3- it needs to have the concrete classification for implementation with important and key points and effectivenss, particularly for the important and urgent policies; 4- To build the roadmap, plan and the concrete requirements for each policy for convenient check, assessment or timely adjustment, addition and development to be conforming to the peculiarities of each ethnicity, each locality; 5- To promote completely the function and task of the political system at the grass-roots level in the role as the guide to help the ethnic minorties people to enforce and apply the policies to life; 6- In the process onf enforcing the ethnicity policy, it is necessary to ensure equality concerning the right to enjoyment among ethnicities, among localities; to avoid absolutizing the characteristics of an area, a definite object; at the same time, to avoid aopplying the general policy that lacks concreteness.

Thirdly, it is necessary to pay attention to the propaganda to help the ethnic minorities people in the Highlands to recognize the sabotageous plots and tricks  of the hostile forces.

Based on the development foundation of the mass media, the authorities at all levels in the Highlands need to supply enough and timely information on the hostile forces’ sabotageous and enciting plots and tricks to the ethnic minorities people; increase the broadcasting time in the languages of the ethnic minorities people with the simple, short, understanble contents suitable to the ethnic minorities people. To promote the role of the village elders, village chiefs, the prestigeous people, scholars and intellectuals who are the ethnic minorities people and the dignitaries and religious ranking people in the propaganda, mobilization and persuasion to make people observe seriously the lines and advocacies of the Party, the policies and laws of the State and the stipultions of the local authorities. To be proactive in discovering and taking measures to stop in time the reactionary elements which have estasblished illegal organizations or taken advantage of religion and beliefs to rally the ethnic minorities people to serve the political purposes, doing harm to human security and national security, particularly the struggle to stop the illegal activities and step by step eliminate “the Dega Protestantism”. To resolutely handle the ring leaders, to take measures to follow and control the obstinate objects; to create conditions for the belief estasblishments which are suitable to the spiritual, traditional and identity aspirations of the people and which abide by the stipulations for the building of cultural life, against bad practices in the grass-roots areas; to keep the legal evidences to struggle against the distorting allegations that Vietnam “represses religion”. To seriously carry out the Regulations on Democracy in the grass-roots, respect and promote fully the people’s rights to mastery; not to do the wrong things to cause indignant public opinion among the people that the hostile forces will take advantage to distort, excite and sabotage.

Fourthly, to settle the remaining problems in the spirit of ensuring the legitimate interests and benefits for the people and ensuring the compliance with the law.

In the immediate, the authorities at all levels in the Highlands need to settle rapidly the contradictions relating to the land and housing problems, to promote quickly the pace of allocation of land, forest contract, reorganization of production for the ethnic minorities people, creating stable jobs, helping the people to live and work in peace. To make the best of all resources, promote advantages and inherent potential to develop the economy in the direction of commodities production, conforming to culture and customs of each ethnicity. When there is the contradictions in the interests among the ethnicities, among the parts in the communities, it is necessary to settle them in the spirit of reconciliation; against national discrimination and division. Together with it, it needs to display the anti-foreign agressors patriotic tradition of the ethnic minorities people; to closely coordinate with the mass organizations of the people in the struggle to foil all the plots, tricks and sabotageous activities of the hostile forces in the areas.

Fifthly, to promote the vanguard role of the political system in the grass-roots in the struggle to foil the plots, tricks, sabotageous acvities, and the schemes of taking advantage of the ethnic minorities problems of the hostile forces.

The political system at the grass-roots is the closest managing level with the daily life  of the ethnic minorities people. This managing level is easy to follow the changes as well as the plots and tricks of the hostile forces when they want to penetrate into the areas of the ethnic minorities people. Therefore, the display of the vanguard role of the grassroots political system can be able to stop it from a far and at an earlier time the hostile forces’ plots and tricks that take advantage of the ethnicity problems, to limit to the maximum the unpredictalbe consequences caused by the hostile forces. To promote the role and capacities in the struggle against the hostile fordes that take advantage of the ethnicity problems, the authorities at all levels in the Highlands need to perfect the grass-roots political system; to pay special attention to building and developing the contingent of cadres and party members who are the ethnic minorities people; contantly follow the grass-roots, promote the spirit of unity of the people in implementing the advocacies of the Party, the policies and laws of the State, to develop economy, culture and society in localities. At the same time, to enhance the competent, moral cadres for the grass-rootss in the areas of ethnic minorities people, particularly in the key and important areas. The cadres who work in the areas of the ethnic minorities people have to know the local languages, understand well the customes, habits and beliefs of the people; to implement well the mass mobilization, “respect the people, to keep close contact with the people, understand the people and to be responsible for the people”; say “no” to bureaucracy, corruption. To be active in implementing the renovation, in the mass mobilization in the areas of the ethnic minorities people in accordance with the motto “To be sincere, active, cautious, persistent, considerate and firm” in conformity with the peculiarities in each ethnicity (8)./.

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(1) The Central Steering Board of Census of the Population and Housing: The results of the Census of the Population and Housing at 0 hour on April 1, 2019, the Statistics Publishing House, Hanoi, 2019, p. 54

(2) See: The Cenral Theoretical Council: The new poins in the documents of the Party 13th  Party Congress, the National Political Publishing House Su That, Hanpi, 2021, p. 26

(3) Y-hin Ni-e is the Protestant priest, the E-de ethnic minority people, former “Colonel, Foreign Minister of Funro III0, now living in exile in the USA.

(4) See: Thanh Liem: “The appearance of the reactionary organization under the cloak of religion in the Highlands”, on September 22, 2021, https://vtc.vn

(5) See: Song Thuong: “Exposing the face of the reactionary organization “The Christ Protestantism”, the online Public Security newspaper, on September 24, 2021,https://cand.com.vn/Chong-dien-bien-hoa-binh/lat-tay-bo-mat-cua-to-chuc-phan-dong-tin-lanh,dang-christ-i629216/

(6) See: Nguyen Van Minh: “A number of theoretical and practical issues on ethnicities of the hostile forces that take advantage of to distort and sabotage our country and initially build the refuting information system”, The electronic information page of the Academy of Social Sciences of Vietnam, on June 16, 2022, htttps://vass.gov.vn/bao-ve-nen-tang-tu-tuong-cua-dang/Mot-so-van-de-ly-luan-va-thuc-tien-ve-dan-toc-cac-the-luc-thu-dich-loi-dung-xuyen-tac-chong-pha-nuoc-ta-va-buoc-dau-xay-dung-he-thong-thong-tin-phan-bac-57

(7) See: Nguyen Thi Thu Thanh: “The policy onf ethnicity of Vetnam through 35 years of renovation”, Electronic Communist Review, on April 3, 2021, https://www.tapchicongsan.org.vn/web/guest/van_hoa_xa_hoi/2018/821701/chinh-sach-dan-toc-cua-viet-nam-qua-35-nam-doi-moi.aspx

(8) See: Tran Quang Phuong: “Struggling with the plot to take advantage of the ethnicity and religion problems to cause violent revolt and separation in he Highlands”, The National Defence Magazine, on July 8, 2019, http://m.tapchiqptd.vn/vi/phong-chong-dbhb-tu-dien-bien-tu-chuyen-hoa/dau-tranh-voi-am-muu-loi-dung-van-de-dan-toc-ton-giao-gay-bao-luan-ly-khai-o-tay-nguyen-14012.html

Source COMMUNIST REVIEW No. 1001 (November 2022)