Nhan Dan - A change for the better was seen in fighting crimes, with the number of cases declining, alongside the country’s socio-economic development achievements. However, the fight against crime requires further efforts from authorised forces and the whole society.

In 2007, Vietnam marked a decade high GDP growth rate of 8.44%. Along with this economic success, social issues have been settled in a better manner. However, many difficulties and challenges in the fight against crime remain ahead and need to be settled in the coming period.

The number of criminal cases witnessed a drop of 5.5% against that of 2006. However, serious cases, including murder and robbery, were still on the rise.

Ho Chi Minh City and southern localities were crime hot spots, accounting for 40% of the country’s total number of criminal cases. The region is now home to 251 gangs with 1,254 suspected members, not to mention thousands of others, who move from a locality to another, making it hard for the fight.

There are many subjective and objective reasons, for the rise in crime. The negative aspect of the market mechanism continues to affect all aspects of the society’s life. Taking advantage of poor State management in localities, criminal promote their activities.

In addition, the fact that many localities share borders with neighbouring countries and it is easy to travel between Vietnam and these countries has led to cross-border crimes, such as woman and child trafficking, gambling and weapon trafficking.

Furthermore, rapid urbanisation with the formation of industrial parks in a context of shortcomings in land recovery and compensation has resulted in conflicts between people and local authorities. These conflicts, if are not settled in a timely manner, will lead to complicated situations with long-last petitions.

Since Vietnam has become a member of the World Trade Organisation and has become further connected with the world, many foreign criminal have taken advantage of the country’s integration process to co-operate with locals to implement plots under the mask of companies, hotels, restaurants and entertainment facilities.

Meanwhile, the implementation of the Resolution N0 09/CP and the national programme on the prevention and fight against crimes in many localities has yet to be effective enough to have the whole political system involved in the fight.

From early 2007, the Department of Investigative Police on Social Crimes consulted with the Ministry of Public Security and the General Department of Police to guide police in provinces and cities to improve the effectiveness of the fight against crime.

As a result, co-operation among localities has improved and the effectiveness in cracking crime has increased.

Concretely, the number of criminal cases in Central Vietnam and the Central Highlands, popular places for crimes to hide, dropped by 5.6% against 2006.

In Ho Chi Minh City, police task force was established and has initially stopped armed robbery of gold and jewellery shops after the crime occurred.

The General Department of Police has set up a steering board on investigating and preventing the crime in other localities.

In 2007, tens of thousands of criminal cases were brought to light with more than 4,000 gangs broken. In particular, there were major cases such as an inter-provincial gambling case led by Pham Van Tuan in Thach Hoa commune, Thach That district, Ha Tay province, with more than 100 gamblers charged, and a fraudulent online money trading case, in which, 20,000 people in 23 provinces and cities were victims.

At the same time, investigative police promoted co-operation with other agencies to implement plans within the national programme on prevention and fight against crimes, alongside with a movement ‘the whole people unite and build a cultural lifestyle in their residential areas’.

As a result, the eradication and fight against crimes within families has been promoted. Many people have set examples in maintaining social order in their villages.

The active involvement from people in the fight against crimes has also helped police investigative work.

Crimes are forecasted to became more complicated in the coming period, especially during the forthcoming Tet (Lunar New Year) of the Rat. Therefore, authorised agencies and forces will have to make efforts and take measures to crack them.

Furthermore, the strength of the whole political system is required to improve the effectiveness of the national programmes on the prevention and fight against crimes.

In addition, focus should be given to settling conflicts among people with an improved role for local reconciliation groups.

Co-operation should be promoted among agencies, organisations, families and schools to educate children and young people in healthy lifestyles so as to avoid criminal behaviour.

The system of legal documents and law on the fight against crime should be further perfected.

Investigative police should improve their skills and knowledge on international law and foreign languages, renew their activities, and promote international co-operation, to meet the requirements of the new period.

Tuan Anh