Ensuring public peace and stability is the highest priority.

General To Lam - Member of the Political Bureau, Minister of Public Security, member of the Steering Committee, and Head of the Sub-committee - chaired the meeting.

The meeting was conducted online via a conference room at the Ministry of Public Security's Command Information Center in the South.

At the meeting, Lieutenant General To An Xo, Chief of the Office of the Ministry of Public Security, announced Decision No. 1438/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister on the restructuring of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 prevention and control; announced Decision No. 7178/QD-TBANTTXH dated September 7, 2021, of the Head of the Sub-committee on the restructuring of the Deputy Head and members of the Sub-committee, and approved the working regulations and assignment of tasks to the members of the Sub-committee.

Lieutenant General To An Xo also presented a summary of the Sub-committee's operational plan, which identified five objectives and requirements, eight key task groups, and assigned specific responsibilities to each ministry and agency that is a member of the Sub-committee and related ministries; the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities will coordinate according to their functions in ensuring security and order to serve the prevention and control of the Covid-19 epidemic.

In his concluding remarks, General To Lam affirmed that, in the past period, following the direction of the Prime Minister, the Sub-committee on Security and Social Order has proactively reorganized its members; issued working regulations and assigned tasks to members; and directed the issuance of many plans and measures to ensure security and order in the context of the complex developments of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The police force has promptly detected, combated, and thwarted many plots and activities of exiled reactionary organizations and extremist opposition groups both domestically and internationally; strongly promoted the role of grassroots police forces, decisively implemented security and order maintenance, and crime prevention; and stayed close to the community to disseminate information and mobilize the public to strictly comply with disease prevention and control measures.

In the coming period, the Sub-committee aims for the highest goal: maintaining political and social stability, ensuring national security, guaranteeing public peace and security, protecting the health and lives of citizens, preventing political and social instability, and absolutely avoiding social conflicts. Therefore, the Minister of Public Security requests that members of the Sub-committee, based on the plan, assigned tasks, and working regulations, effectively organize implementation in the spirit of "fighting the epidemic like fighting an enemy"; and to highly demonstrate responsibility and proactively advise and propose to the Head of the Sub-committee measures to carry out tasks within their assigned areas.

Leaders of Nghe An province inspect COVID-19 prevention and control work in Quynh Luu district. Photo: Nguyen Hong Tuan.

Focus resources and measures on thoroughly understanding the situation from early on, from afar, and at the grassroots level; prioritize advising the Party and State on disease prevention and control measures; mobilize international and domestic resources to participate in disease prevention and control; avoid being passive or caught off guard in any situation. Proactively and promptly resolve complex security and order issues related to the epidemic and disease prevention and control, preventing them from escalating and creating a chain reaction.

In addition, the armed forces need to intensify attacks and suppression of crime, especially crimes stemming from socio-economic difficulties and unemployment, and crimes committed while the whole country is focused on fighting the pandemic; preventing crime from running rampant or creating complex social order situations.

General To Lam stated that the members of the Sub-committee will regularly review, summarize, adjust, and supplement plans and measures to ensure security and order serving the Covid-19 prevention and control efforts, adapting them to the evolving situation; promptly addressing shortcomings and inadequacies, and promoting positive aspects and achievements to ensure the most effective security and order for epidemic control.

Nhat Nam