Firmly protect the security and sovereignty of the Fatherland's territorial waters

(Baonghean) - With 82 km of coastline, stretching across 5 districts and towns, Nghe An has nearly 4,000 fishing vessels at sea with more than 19,000 workers directly participating, placing great demands on the work of protecting the sovereignty of the sea and islands for the provincial border guards. To better understand this work in the new situation, we recently had an interview with Colonel Dinh Ngoc Van - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Commander of the Nghe An Border Guard.

PV:Could you please tell us about the noteworthy situation and some achievements in protecting the sovereignty and security of Nghe An's sea and island borders recently?

Colonel Dinh Ngoc Van:In recent years, the situation in the East Sea has been complicated, with many unpredictable problems, with China continuously taking actions that increase tension and complexity in the East Sea, such as illegally placing drilling rigs, filling up rocky islands in the Truong Sa archipelago, changing the status quo, violating sovereignty and sovereign rights of Vietnam's sea areas. In the waters of Nghe An province, the situation of storing and using explosives, electric shock to catch seafood, disputes over fishing grounds, smuggling, and trade fraud still occurs, affecting the security and order situation at sea...

Squadron 2, Provincial Border Guard on patrol. Photo: Le Thach

Faced with such developments, the Border Guard Command of Nghe An province has directed border units to regularly organize forces to monitor and control the area, through fishermen and inspection and control work at the estuaries to grasp the situation at sea, especially activities violating sovereignty and sovereign rights of foreign vessels illegally fishing seafood, activities causing instability of security and order at sea. Closely coordinate with local Party committees, authorities, and militias of coastal border communes to organize patrol and control activities to implement Decree 161/2003/ND-CP (now Decree 71/2015/ND-CP dated September 3, 2015, effective from October 20, 2015).

Officers and soldiers of the Border Guard Station of Cua Lo - Ben Thuy port are ready for the task of flood and storm prevention in the area. Photo: Le Thach

Border guards and Squadron 2 organized 146 patrols/834 officers and soldiers; coordinated with the provincial Department of Exploitation and Protection of Aquatic Resources and other forces to organize 72 patrols/313 officers and soldiers to participate in patrolling and controlling the sea areas under their responsibility; inspected and controlled the entry and exit at river mouths and inlets for 41,498 vehicles/208,455 people.

Through that, 29 cases/46 violating vehicles were detected, arrested and handled/administrative violations were fined nearly 450 million VND. In addition, the department also participated in rescue work well, recently using 485 officers and soldiers, 6 ships, 7 boats, 171 motorbikes to participate in rescue, saving 18 cases, saving 17 people, 5 vehicles and repairing 81 houses.

Border Guard Squadron 2 coordinates with Customs forces to deploy tasks to combat smuggling and trade fraud at sea. Photo: Le Thach

Border guard units have also proactively advised Party committees and authorities at all levels on many policies and measures on building, managing and protecting borders and sea areas in the new situation. They have coordinated well in propaganda work, mobilizing people to strictly implement the Party's policies and the State's laws, especially Decree 161/2003/ND-CP of the Government on the Regulations on Sea Border Areas (now Decree 71/2015/ND-CP); the Agreement on the Delimitation of the Gulf of Tonkin; the Vietnam-China Fisheries Cooperation Agreement; organized the signing of commitments for 395 people to strictly comply with the law when passing through and operating in the seaport border gate area; mobilized the building and consolidation of 22 groups with 183 households participating in the movement of self-managed security and order groups.

In 2015, Nghe An Border Guard also coordinated with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to propagate the prevention of illegal immigration and border crossing to Australia in coastal communes. They organized 65 meetings with 13,852 participants; and continued to seriously implement the campaign "Traffic culture with river peace".

PV:To achieve the above results, what are the main solutions of the Nghe An Border Guard force, comrade?

Colonel Dinh Ngoc Van:To achieve the above results, the units regularly train and improve the inspection and control skills of officers and soldiers, especially improving their political qualities, professional qualifications, viewpoints, guidelines and policies of the Party and State on building and protecting the sea and islands. Regularly maintain a good situation reporting regime with the Navy Region 1 and Coast Guard Region 1; coordinate with the provincial Department of Exploitation and Protection of Aquatic Resources (KT and BVNLTS) to guide fishermen in doing business and producing at sea, organize patrols, control, detect and handle violations of exploitation and fishing and maintain security and order; coordinate with forces to grasp, monitor and chase away foreign ships violating sovereignty and illegally fishing in the waters of Nghe An province. Direct coastal border units to effectively implement Plan 378/KH-BCHBP dated June 11, 2011 of the Provincial Border Guard Command on strengthening the work of grasping the situation and coordinating forces to combat violations at sea in the new situation; Plan 549/KH-BCH dated April 27, 2015 on patrolling to protect sovereignty and security at sea.

The Provincial Border Guard Squadron 2 briefs officers and soldiers on their duties before they leave for duty. Photo: Le Thach

PV:To maintain security on the island borders, could you please tell us the key tasks that the force will carry out in the coming time?

Colonel Dinh Ngoc Van:In the coming time, the Nghe An Border Guard Command will continue to direct units to grasp the local situation, the situation at sea, especially the activities of violating sovereignty, sovereign rights and illegal exploitation of seafood by foreign vessels in Vietnam's sea to proactively coordinate forces in prevention, combat and containment. Coordinate with local Party committees, authorities and forces in the area to maintain political security - social order and safety, firmly protect the sovereignty and security of the border and sea; Continue to coordinate with localities to promote the dissemination of laws to the people, especially fishermen in coastal communes; Well implement Plan No. 378/KH-BCHBP dated June 1, 2011 of the Provincial Border Guard Command "Strengthening the work of grasping the situation and coordinating forces to combat violations at sea in the new situation"; Coordinate with the Nghe An Provincial Military Command to inspect, review, and supplement human resources and civilian vessels ready to mobilize to participate in protecting the sovereignty of the sea and islands when ordered. Participate in the aviation rescue exercise (SAREX 2015) organized by the Ministry of Transport in coordination with the Ministry of National Defense. The Nghe An Border Guard will also develop a plan to inspect and supplement large-capacity fishing vessels to the civilian fishing fleet to participate in protecting the sovereignty of the sea and islands.

The Provincial Border Guard Squadron 2 is always ready to fight. Photo: Le Thach

PV:So, to effectively carry out the task of managing and protecting the sovereignty of sea and island borders in the coming time, what recommendations and proposals does the Nghe An Border Guard Command have, comrade?

Colonel Dinh Ngoc Van:Protecting the sovereignty of the sea and islands is the cause of the entire Party, the entire people and the entire political system. Therefore, in addition to the responsibilities and tasks of the specialized and core forces, it is recommended that agencies, departments, branches and organizations regularly take practical actions towards the national sea and islands. Party committees and authorities at all levels promote the implementation of programs and plans for marine economic development; provide material support and spiritual encouragement for fishermen to actively stay at sea to do business and production, contributing to affirming national sovereignty; at the same time, pay attention to investing funds to purchase means and equipment for patrolling, controlling, rescuing, and enforcing the law for forces on duty at sea...

PV:Thank you comrade!

An Nhan