VietNamNet held an online discussion to mark the 80th anniversary of the state management agency for ethnic affairs.

The discussion included Hoang Xuan Luong, Be Trung Anh, and Ha Van Sang, who are all experts in ethnic minority affairs.

Mr. Sang talked about Facebookers, showing the impact of the digital age. Digital transformation gives many opportunities for ethnic minority areas to access public services, education, and healthcare.

Be Trung Anh said that before digital transformation, people talked about the internet as a way to give everyone access to information.

At that time, there was a term 'digital divide', which meant places without internet or electricity were left behind.

Now, the internet is more common, but many villages still lack information infrastructure. Digital transformation is not just about using apps, but about how it is done.

For officials, especially in ethnic minority areas, understanding digital transformation is still difficult. They need 'digital capacity'.

First, officials must understand what digital transformation means. It's not just putting old procedures online, but changing the whole working process.

When officials understand digital transformation, people's digital capacity will also improve. They won't be misled by false information about ethnic and religious policies.

We must build 'digital trust', especially in ethnic minority areas where people have different beliefs and religions.

In the digital environment, ethnic and religious affairs must be renewed to serve people better and identify risks in cyberspace.

Be Trung Anh said that we are acting mechanically, trying to block harmful information online, but it's not enough.

We must provide more information, practical lessons, in ways that are easier to understand and absorb. Blocking alone is not enough.

We need to approach this in a fair and systematic way. Local authorities are close to the people, and if we make information richer and more accessible, we can achieve the goal.

As ethnic and religious affairs enter a new stage, what message or priority would you emphasize over the next 10 years?

Hoang Xuan Luong said that when speaking of ethnic minorities, we are speaking of culture. We must build a contingent of ethnic minority officials and preserve cultural identity.

These two elements are crucial to ethnic and religious affairs. We must implement ethnic policies comprehensively, with a focus on human resources and cultural identity.

Cultural identity should not be understood from an old perspective. Culture is an economy of emotions, and we must turn cultural identities into products that can be sold and generate income.

Ha Van Sang said that we must 'accompany' and 'create'. We must stand with ethnic communities, move alongside them, and share in solving problems.

Creation means the state must create what is needed, when it is needed, and where it is needed. The two words 'accompany' and 'create' are enough to achieve success.

Be Trung Anh said that developing ethnic minority regions is not about support, but about unlocking potential.

It's not just about support or investment, but about empowering people and creating space for ethnic communities to develop through their own strength.

Our policy must shift from 'policy for ethnic communities' to 'policy with ethnic communities'. It must be about accompaniment and creation.

The state's role is to create space and ecosystem, while people have the right to autonomy in their activities.