Senior General presents gifts to village elders, village heads, hamlet heads, zone heads, and respected religious dignitaries representing ethnic minority communities at the meeting.

In a morning meeting, the Senior General, Member of the Politburo, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Member of the Central Military Commission Standing Committee, and Director of the General Political Department of the Vietnam People’s Army, met with village elders, village heads, hamlet heads, zone heads, and respected religious dignitaries representing ethnic minority communities in the Southern region.

Over the past five years, thoroughly grasping and strictly implementing the leadership and direction of the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defense, and the General Political Department, agencies and units across the military have effectively coordinated to promote the role of village elders, village heads, hamlet heads, zone heads, and respected religious dignitaries in the Southern region in the cause of building and defending the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland.

Agencies and units proactively coordinated with local party committees, authorities, departments, sectors, and mass organizations to effectively carry out propaganda and mobilization work among village elders, village heads, hamlet heads, zone heads, and respected religious dignitaries in the area through various rich contents and forms, such as: “Military-Civilian Unity” conferences; visits and gift-giving on holidays, Tet, major political events, festivals of ethnic groups, and important religious ceremonies (Christmas, Chol Chnam Thmay, Buddha’s Birthday, Vu Lan, Dieu Tri Cung Festival…); timely commendation of exemplary collectives and individuals; meetings to honor individuals with significant contributions to military and defense work.

Units stationed in the Southern region coordinated to organize 98 training courses on national defense and security knowledge for 10,579 participants; 125 meetings to commend and honor 3,300 exemplary village elders, village heads, hamlet heads, zone heads, and respected religious dignitaries.

In coordination with local party committees and authorities, they promoted the role of village elders, village heads, hamlet heads, zone heads, and respected religious dignitaries to organize 1,441 concentrated propaganda sessions, with over 163,200 attendees; contributing to raising awareness, consolidating trust and affection of ethnic minority and religious compatriots towards the Party, State, and Army.

Through activities, they directly participated in mediating over 4,500 disputes, persuading nearly 600 violators, contributing to resolving over 1,200 security and order incidents, and providing thousands of important information sources helping functional agencies promptly prevent illegal religious propagation, border crossing enticement, and opposition to the government, contributing to stabilizing security and order at the grassroots level.

Simultaneously, they actively participated in people’s meetings, reflected thoughts, aspirations, and proposed solutions for economic, socio-cultural development, new rural construction, sustainable poverty reduction, building grassroots political systems, and developing and introducing outstanding members to the Party.

The meeting was also an opportunity to promptly encourage and commend exemplary village elders, village heads, hamlet heads, zone heads, and respected religious dignitaries from ethnic minority communities in the Southern and Northern regions who have made many contributions to the cause of building and defending the Fatherland.

Senior General speaks at the meeting.

Thereby, continuing to promote their role in propaganda and mobilizing the people to implement the Party’s guidelines and policies, and the State’s laws and policies, raising vigilance, and struggling to defeat the “peaceful evolution” plots and schemes of hostile forces; contributing to effectively implementing ethnic, religious, and mass mobilization work of the Army in the new situation.

Speaking at the meeting, the Senior General affirmed that the Vietnam People’s Army always deeply recognizes that in the country’s general victories, there are particularly important contributions from the compatriots of the Southern ethnic groups, notably the role of village elders, village heads, hamlet heads, zone heads, and respected religious dignitaries – the “spiritual pillars” of villages, hamlets, and congregations, the “bridge connecting the Party’s will with the people’s hearts,” and “living landmarks” in building the all-people national defense posture linked with the people’s security posture.

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Chol Chnam Thmay

Chol Chnam Thmay is the traditional New Year festival celebrated by the Khmer people in Cambodia and other parts of Southeast Asia. It marks the end of the harvest season and is based on the ancient lunisolar calendar, with celebrations typically lasting three days in April. The festival is a time for families to gather, visit temples to make offerings, and participate in rituals like washing Buddha statues and building sand mounds to honor ancestors.

Buddha’s Birthday

Buddha’s Birthday is a major cultural and religious festival celebrated across East Asia, commemorating the birth of Prince Siddhartha Gautama, who became the Buddha. While the exact date varies by region and lunar calendar, the festival typically involves temple visits, ceremonial bathing of Buddha statues, and lantern-lit processions. Its origins trace back over 2,500 years, with the first recorded celebrations in China during the Eastern Han Dynasty (c. 25-220 CE).

Vu Lan

Vu Lan is a significant Buddhist festival in Vietnam, often called the “Ghost Festival” or “Parents’ Appreciation Day,” which originates from the story of Maudgalyayana saving his mother from suffering in the underworld. It is observed annually on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, when people perform rituals to honor ancestors, express filial piety, and make offerings for the souls of the deceased.

Dieu Tri Cung Festival

The Dieu Tri Cung Festival is a traditional Vietnamese festival held annually in the first lunar month in Ninh Bình province, venerating Princess Lieu Hanh—one of the “Four Immortals” in Vietnamese folk belief. It commemorates her legendary descent to earth and her acts of teaching local people weaving and other crafts, blending historical reverence with vibrant cultural performances, processions, and communal rituals.

Southern region

The “Southern region” is a broad term, but if referring to the **American South**, it is a historically and culturally distinct area of the United States, defined by its pivotal role in the plantation economy, the Civil War, and the Civil Rights Movement. Its culture is renowned for its distinctive cuisine, musical traditions like blues and country, and a complex history that continues to shape its identity today.

Northern regions

The “Northern regions” of many countries, such as Scandinavia, Canada, or Russia, are vast areas often defined by Arctic and sub-Arctic climates, indigenous cultures, and unique ecosystems like the tundra. Historically, these regions have been home to indigenous peoples for millennia, with more recent exploration and settlement driven by fur trading, resource extraction, and scientific research. Their cultural significance is deeply tied to traditions of resilience, connection to the land, and distinct languages and art forms shaped by the extreme environment.

Vietnam People’s Army

The Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) is the military force of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, founded in 1944 by Vo Nguyen Gap as the Armed Propaganda Unit, which later evolved into the core of the Viet Minh resistance. It played the decisive role in securing victory in the First Indochina War against France and the Vietnam War against the United States and South Vietnam. Today, it remains a central institution in Vietnamese society, responsible for national defense and often contributing to disaster relief and economic projects.

socialist Vietnamese Fatherland

The “Socialist Vietnamese Fatherland” is not a specific place or cultural site, but a political and ideological concept representing the unified nation of Vietnam under the leadership of the Communist Party. It emerged as a central term following the reunification of North and South Vietnam in 1976, embodying the socialist state, its people, and their collective struggle for independence and development.