Are security forces at the grassroots level civil servants?

The Lao Dong Newspaper Legal Consulting Office replied:

Clause 2, Article 2 of the Law on Forces Participating in Security and Order Protection at the Grassroots Level stipulates: Forces Participating in Security and Order Protection at the Grassroots Level are forces established by local authorities on the voluntary basis of the people to support the Commune, Ward and Town Police (hereinafter referred to as the Commune-level Police) to assist the People's Committees at the same level in protecting security and order and building a movement for the entire people to protect national security.

Article 3 of the Law on Forces Participating in Security and Order Protection at the Grassroots Level stipulates the position and functions of the forces participating in security and order protection at the grassroots level as follows:

The force participating in protecting security and order at the grassroots level is one of the mass forces, deployed in villages and residential groups, serving as the core to support the Commune-level Police to help the People's Committees at the same level in protecting security and order and building a movement for the entire people to protect national security.

Article 2 of the 2010 Law on Public Employees stipulates: Civil servants who are Vietnamese citizens are recruited according to job positions, working at public service units under the working contract regime, receiving salaries from the salary fund of public service units according to the provisions of law.

Thus, a person participating in the security and order protection force at the grassroots level is not a civil servant as prescribed above.