North-western localities must look after the well-being of ethnic groups, ensuring that their cultural and religious activities are in good shape, said Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at a conference in the northern mountainous province of Bac Kan on June 21.

The event came after illegal organisations took advantage of religious faith and practices by ethnic residents in Cao Bang, Bac Kan, Thai Nguyen and Tuyen Quang provinces to entice them to stir public disorder.

Phuc, who also heads the Steering Board for the North-western Region, also directed that provincial authorities are responsible for raising public awareness of wrongful allegations by extreme individuals and lawbreakers.

To ensure public safety there, the board also called for reducing poverty as a means to improving community well-being, both materially and spiritually.

Apart from strengthening the political system right from the grassroots level, it is a requisite task to keep a close eye on all goings-on on the ground, so as to avoid any unexpected event, said the board.-VNA