Nghe An Border Guard: Leaving a proud mark on the border.

Strengthening the political base in border regions.

We have visited the Cao Veu area of ​​Phuc Son border commune (Anh Son district) many times, but on our most recent return, we were surprised by the changes here. These changes include improved transportation, new economic models, and the positive results of the coordination between the local Party committee, government, and officers and soldiers of the Phuc Son Border Guard Post.

According to Comrade Nguyen Cong The, Head of the Anh Son District Party Committee's Mass Mobilization Department, since the commune's health station was relocated to a center near National Highway 7 five years ago, residents of Phuc Son have had to travel more than 20 kilometers through mountainous terrain to reach the health station for medical examinations and treatment. However, thanks to the strong support and attention of the Phuc Son Border Guard Post in establishing the "Borderland Medicine Cabinet" model, military doctors and medical staff have been directly soliciting donations and personally examining and treating patients for more than a year now.

Officers and soldiers of Phuc Son Border Guard Station provide medical examinations, treatment, and support to local people in economic development. Photo: Hoai Thu

Through meaningful actions, the Phuc Son Border Guard Station, together with the Party Committee and local authorities, has connected with many organizations, individuals, associations, and groups at all levels in Anh Son district and other localities to support the people of Phuc Son. Currently, the district is investing in the construction of several transportation routes in Phuc Son; several economic models for the people have also been established; and the Border Guard Station officers have effectively assisted in resolving land encroachment issues. In addition, the Phuc Son Border Guard Station also organizes the "Border Region Lesson" model, creating effective learning and fostering connections between schools and local authorities...

On a general level across the province, in the areas where more than 20 Border Guard Posts are stationed, each unit has its own effective and creative approaches, suited to the actual situation of the area, creating a positive impression in the hearts of the people. At the same time, this helps to effectively implement the emulation movements for building and consolidating the political foundation, developing the economy, culture, and society, eradicating hunger and poverty, building new rural areas, and border guard diplomacy that the Provincial Border Guard Command has deployed.

Specifically, this includes coordinating with local authorities to review the results of the past four years of implementing Government Directive No. 01 on the nationwide movement to protect national territorial sovereignty and border security in the new situation; and advising the Provincial People's Committee on the continued implementation of the Project."Strengthening the dissemination of legal education to officials and people in border and island areas";Directing units to register and develop models in carrying out political tasks, building a regular army, training discipline, and participating in socio-economic development, contributing to poverty alleviation in the managed area; Implementing Directive 681/CT-BTL of the Border Guard Command, directing units to assign 575 Party members to assist 2,739 households in border areas.

Provincial leaders and the Provincial Border Guard Command visited the model project for assisting local people in economic development at Hanh Dich Border Guard Station, Que Phong district. Photo: Hoai Thu

In implementing the emulation movement"Nghe An Border Guard soldiers join forces to build new rural areas"As part of the plan to assist three impoverished communes (Mon Son, Bac Ly, and Tam Hop) as assigned by the Nghe An Provincial People's Committee, the Provincial Border Guard Command mobilized its officers and soldiers to donate 827.65 million VND to poor households, families of policy beneficiaries, and meritorious individuals in the border area. In addition, they mobilized agencies, units, organizations, businesses, and philanthropists inside and outside the province to support poor households, families of policy beneficiaries, and poor but academically gifted students in the border area of ​​Nghe An province with a total value of gifts and cash exceeding 10.307 billion VND.

In addition, the Nghe An Border Guard force regularly mobilizes the public to monitor and understand the local situation; advises and coordinates with local authorities to propagate and encourage people to raise their vigilance, not listen to the incitement and instigation of hostile forces, and strictly abide by the Party's guidelines and policies and the laws of the State. Together with various departments and agencies, they develop and implement coordinated activity plans; for example, they continue to cooperate with the Provincial Farmers' Association to effectively implement the project of building local breeding sow farms to provide piglets to people in the western border area of ​​Nghe An province at 20 grassroots units, thereby donating 484 piglets to 242 households.

Officers and soldiers of the Nghe An Border Guard Command disseminate legal information to the people. Photo: Hoai Thu

Officers and soldiers from various units organized forces to assist the people with 1,736 man-days of labor; harvested and cared for 57.25 hectares of crops; dredged and dug 26.2 km of irrigation canals; guided the people in applying scientific and technical achievements to livestock farming and production; and built and repaired 42.85 km of rural roads.

In addition, continue to implement the program effectively."Helping children get to school"107 students from disadvantaged families (including 19 students from the neighboring village of Laos) who are sponsored by the Provincial Border Guard have all achieved good academic results and strived for excellence. In their gratitude and repayment activities, the force has helped and supported families with particularly difficult circumstances, policy beneficiaries, and contributed to the Fund."For the poor"98.733 million VND; visits, encouragement, and gifts for policy beneficiaries worth 198.45 million VND. Organized free medical examinations, treatment, and medication for 8,267 people worth 71.85 million VND.

Strengthening people-to-people diplomacy

Regarding the advisory and coordination activities with local authorities to implement the twinning movement between residential clusters (villages) on both sides of the Vietnam-Laos border in Nghe An province, the reporter also had the opportunity to directly participate in the signing ceremony of the twinning agreement between Pung Vai village, Pha Danh cluster, Muong Quan district, Hua Phan province (Lao People's Democratic Republic) and Pha Chieng village, My Ly commune, Ky Son district of Nghe An province on May 22, 2018.

Vietnamese border guards and village officials met and exchanged views with representatives of the Lao police and local officials on the regulations for coordinating border protection. Photo: Hoai Thu

This was the 19th pair of villages in neighboring Laos and Nghe An province to sign a fraternal agreement, and the first such ceremony to take place on Laotian soil. During our three-day trip with the Border Guard forces and local authorities in Ky Son, traversing mountainous terrain to reach Laos, we witnessed and fully appreciated the hard work, effort, and effectiveness of the provincial Border Guard forces in implementing the policy of establishing fraternal ties between villages on both sides of the Vietnam-Laos border. To date, 20 pairs of villages on both sides of the Vietnam-Laos border, sharing a border with Nghe An, are like "brothers in one family," fulfilling President Ho Chi Minh's wish: "Vietnam and Laos, our two countries, share a bond deeper than the Red River and the Mekong River."

Along with establishing sister village relationships between pairs of villages on both sides of the border, the Nghe An Border Guard Command also annually organizes conferences to review border management and protection, maintain security and order, and signs cooperation plans between the Nghe An Provincial Border Guard Command and the Military Commands of three provinces: Hua Phan, Xieng Khouang, and Bolikhamsai/Laos. In 2019, the Nghe An Border Guard Command coordinated with the People's Committees of border districts to maintain good diplomatic relations with Laos, including organizing 10 delegations/43 people to visit and extend New Year greetings for Bun Pi May (Laos), with a total value of gifts and money worth 175 million VND. They also organized and ensured the safety of 38 delegations/308 people from Laos who visited, offered congratulations, exchanged information, held regular meetings, participated in training courses, and attended conferences. Maintain and effectively implement the fraternal relationship between 20 pairs of villages and 8 pairs of units on both sides of the border.

Authorities and people of Pung Vai village, Pha Deng cluster, Hua Phan province of Laos, and Pha Chieng village, My Ly commune, Ky Son district of Nghe An province, held a ceremony to establish a fraternal relationship. Photo: Hoai Thu

Colonel Le Nhu Cuong, Political Commissar of the Nghe An Provincial Border Guard, affirmed that the "Determined to Win" emulation movement of the Provincial Border Guard is actively and comprehensively implemented annually, achieving many accomplishments. Emphasis is placed on closely combining regular and surprise emulation campaigns with Party building and unit building movements to effectively implement the set emulation contents and targets, especially in the task of protecting border sovereignty and security, maintaining political security and social order in border areas. In addition, this includes combating various types of crime, training for combat readiness, rescue operations, and participating in socio-economic development and strengthening the grassroots political system in border areas.

Identifying the focus of work in 2020, building the image of the green-uniformed soldier, and consolidating a strong political foundation in conjunction with local Party committees and authorities, Colonel Le Nhu Cuong added that the Nghe An Border Guard Command will continue to thoroughly and effectively implement the Directives, Resolutions, plans, and guidelines of the Party, State, Ministry of National Defense, Border Guard Command Headquarters, Nghe An Provincial Party Committee, Nghe An Provincial People's Committee, and the Party Committee and Border Guard Command of the province on emulation and reward work, in conjunction with effectively implementing Resolution 4 of the Central Committee (12th Congress) on strengthening Party building and rectification.

Promote the implementation of Directive No. 05-CT/TW of the Politburo, Directive No. 87-CT/QUTW of the Standing Committee of the Central Military Commission on studying and following the ideology, ethics, and style of Ho Chi Minh; and Directive 788-CT/QUTW of the Standing Committee of the Central Military Commission on the campaign "Promoting traditions, contributing talents, and living up to the name of Ho Chi Minh's soldiers".