Việt Nam’s latest national security draft law seeks to place even the most mundane police facilities under strict state protection.
The Latest: On the morning of Nov. 5, the National Assembly discussed the draft Law on Protection of Important Works Related to National Security, which is expected to pass this session.
- Led by the police ministry, one of the most notable proposals in the draft is the classification of police housing and kitchens as national security facilities.
- Under the draft, police facilities that serve “daily living, study, and regular work” would fall into this category and receive special protection.
The draft is expected to take effect in 2027, with no specific date.
The Details: Article 2 of the draft defines important works related to national security as “important works and areas that require protective measures to ensure secrecy and safety and whose failure or sabotage would directly affect national security.” The ministry sorts these into groups:
- Key national security works
- Security works and security zones
- Other important works related to national security
Article 6 further divides security works and zones into three types:
- Type A serves leadership and command of national security protection.
- Type B serves police activities such as training, drills, and research.
- Type C serves police officers’ daily living, study, and regular work, including office buildings, dining halls, kitchens, auditoriums, hospitals, cultural and sports centers, official housing, police museums, and more.
Under Section 2, Chapter 3 of the draft, security works and zones would be monitored continuously by equipment that transmits live images and sound to the protection unit.
- Each area type—prohibited areas, protected areas, and protective corridors—would have its own controls.
- Prohibited areas, for example, would control people and vehicles entering and leaving and ban audio or video recording without permission.
From Lawmakers: At the Nov. 5 discussion, lawmakers “basically agreed” on the need for the law to meet practical demands. However, many asked the police ministry to clarify several points:
- The powers and protective measures that would restrict citizens’ rights, such as freedom of movement and access to information;
- How protection forces would coordinate to ensure full control;
- The list of other works related to national security.
Notably, some lawmakers asked the government to set specific technical criteria for identifying which works need protection.
- These lawmakers want to avoid an expanding list and unnecessary costs.
Why It Matters: Compared with the 2007 Ordinance on Protection of Important Works Related to National Security, the draft is a full overhaul that expands the police ministry’s powers in this area.
- Article 18 makes the police ministry the appraisal authority for Type I national security works, removing the Defense Ministry’s role.
- Article 20 makes the police the sole force protecting important works related to national security—a duty previously shared with the Defense Ministry.
- The police ministry would also be granted the authority to decide the list of Type II works—something that, previously, only the government could do.
Lê Sáng wrote this news article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on Nov. 5, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine translated it into English.
