Vietnamese defence minister calls for tougher security steps

ITAR-TASS News Agency
By Yuri Denisovich

Vietnamese National Defence Minister Phan Van Tra has called for tougher security measures in order to guarantee stability within the country and to prevent disorders. He made this statement to the army newspaper "Quan Doi Nhan Dan", which published the interview with him on Monday.

"Hostile-minded forces are still endeavouring to turn Vietnam into their battlefield," Pham Van Tra stated. "They are striving to jeopardise the construction of socialism in Vietnam and to harm the country's national interests. Their strategy is to turn back the course of reforms, intended to renew the country's policy and economy, which is being implemented by the Communist Party of Vietnam, and, in the final count, to change the country itself," the minister said.

In order to prevent this, Pham Van Tra believes, it is necessary "to pay more attention to political and ideological control, and also to the task of enhancing the combat readiness of the Vietnamese army. "

The minister did not indicate clearly what he meant by "hostile-minded forces. " However, local analysts believe that his pronouncements were directly linked with the recent disorders in the South Vietnamese Province of Dong Nai, where clashes between the local Catholic population and the provincial authorities had continued for several days running.