National security protection agencies in Vietnam

What is national security?

Based on the provisions of the Law on National Security 2004, national security means the stability and sustainable development of the socialist regime and the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the inalienability of the independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the Fatherland.

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam State adopts the policy of peace, friendship, expanding exchanges and cooperation with all countries on the basis of respect for each other’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit.

The State adopts the policies of building the national unity bloc; strongly developing economy, culture, society, sciences, technologies, security, national defense and external relations, firmly maintaining the political stability in order to ensure the national security.

Principles for national security protection activities:

- To abide by the Constitution, the law, ensure the interests of the State, the legitimate rights and interests of organizations, individuals.

- To be placed under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the unified management of the State; to mobilize the integrated strength of the political system and the entire nation with the national security protection specialized forces acting as the core.

- To closely combine the tasks of national security protection with the tasks of economic, cultural, social construction and development; to efficiently coordinate security, defense and external activities.

- To actively prevent and struggle to foil all schemes and acts of infringing upon the national security.

National security protection agencies in Vietnam (Internet image)

National security protection agencies in Vietnam

Pursuant to Article 22 of the Law on National Security 2004, national security protection agencies in Vietnam include:

- The directing and commanding agencies and security, intelligence or guard units of the People’s Police;

- The directing and commanding agencies and army security protection, army intelligence units of the People’s Army;

- The border guards, the coast guards are agencies specialized in protection of national security in land border and sea border regions.

Powers and responsibilities of agencies specialized in protecting national security in Vietnam

The powers and responsibilities of agencies specialized in protecting national security in Vietnam are specifically stipulated in Article 24 of the Law on National Security 2004 as follows:

(1) The national security protection agencies shall have the powers:

- To resort to professional measures according to law provisions;

- To request agencies, organizations and/or individuals to supply information, documents and/or things when there are grounds to determine that they are involved in activities of infringing upon the national security;

- To request finance bodies or organizations, treasuries, banks to inspect and block accounts and/or financial sources related to activities of infringing upon the national security;

- To request post, telecommunications agencies or organizations, customs offices to open or hand over mails, telegraphs, postal matters, parcels, commodities for inspection when there are grounds to determine that they contain information, documents, explosives, weapons or other articles harmful to national security;

- To check traffic means, communications means, computers, computer networks, objects, documents, commodities, residences, working places or other establishments of agencies, organizations or individuals when there are grounds to determine that they are related to activities of infringing upon the national security;

- To requisition according to law provisions communications means, traffic means or other means and the users or operators thereof in emergency cases for the performance of national security protection tasks or the stoppage of consequences harmful to the society, which are occurring or threaten to occur;

- To suspend or stop the use of communications means or other activities in the Vietnamese territory when there are grounds to determine that such activities cause harms to the national security; to demand the cessation of transportation by Vietnamese traffic means or foreign traffic means in the Vietnamese territory in order to protect the national security and ensure safety for such means;

- To apply necessary measures to protect collaborators, denouncers, witnesses, victims in cases of infringing upon the national security.

(2) The national security protection agencies shall have the responsibility:

- To carry out activities to protect the national security within the scope of their respective functions, tasks and powers as provided for by law;

- To abide by law provisions on protection of the interests of the State, the legitimate rights and interests of organizations and individuals; in cases where those rights and interests must be restricted due to national security protection requirements, such must be decided by competent persons;

- To keep secret the assistance rendered by agencies, organizations or individuals to the work of national security protection.

Mai Thanh Loi

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