Difficulty in planting border markers
(Baonghean) - These days, when the final work of the plan to increase the density and restore the Vietnam - Laos border marker system is almost completed, we have the opportunity to meet and talk with members of the Marker Planting Team - those who have made important contributions to building a solid and unified national "fence" system not only for today's generation but also for the future.
Captain Lieutenant Colonel Phan Van Hong said: Starting from the end of 2008, the team was established with a staff of 18 people. "Although the marker team is a "joint force" from the construction, finance, natural resources and environment, foreign affairs, border defense... sectors, over the past 5 years, the whole team has united to overcome difficulties to complete the sacred mission assigned by the State". He smiled gently, recalling the first days of taking on the new "role": "As border guards assigned to demarcate and plant markers, we had to deal with completely unfamiliar tasks: from surveying, measuring to construction, then negotiating... at first, we were also bewildered".
Nghe An province has 419.5 km of border line with 105 locations, 116 border markers and 6 border posts adjacent to the three provinces of Hua Phan, Xieng Khouang and Bolikhamxay (Laos). To be able to determine a location and build a border marker is not a simple task. This is a job that requires patience, meticulousness, carefulness, science, precision, and especially no mistakes because each border marker is the sacred sovereignty of the Fatherland.
Mr. Nguyen Cong Sach, Deputy Head of Technical Team 1 - a "soldier" of the Department of Surveying and Mapping under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, said: In the process of increasing and restoring border markers, the restoration work is simpler because there are already old markers between us and our friends, but determining the locations of increasing and restoring (planting new markers) is more complicated. Because according to old documents and maps, the border is sometimes just a river, a mountain, mainly in high mountainous terrain, dense forests, so recognizing the border in the field is very difficult. Over time, rain, wind, climate, natural erosion, changing traces, to agree on the location of the markers sometimes takes months with many bilateral surveys. Then we have to use modern technical means such as GPS locators, 2-frequency measuring devices, maps, treaties... to ensure absolute accuracy.
Mr. Hong said: Every time we built a marker, the Vietnam - Laos marker planting team surveyed, measured, and calculated carefully and accurately before laying the foundation. All materials for building the marker were transported entirely by baskets and shoulder poles. Dozens of cubic meters of stone, sand, tons of cement, steel, and monolithic granite markers were transported to the cleared site. After using machines to carefully measure and align the markers, the team poured concrete to complete the final stage. The markers had to be placed in the exact location, under the supervision of both us and our friends.
The marker must not have an error of even one millimeter. On average, not including the time for surveys to determine the location, clear the way and determine the location of the marker, it will take more than 3 days from the start of construction to complete the marker. Mr. Kham Phoong Xi Bun Ma La, the marker planting team leader of Xieng Khouang province, Laos, shared: “Solidarity and friendship are strengthened through each marker planted. We share all the hardships and difficulties in the mountains and forests. We stand side by side with our Vietnamese friends to complete the tasks assigned by the Fatherland of both sides.”
Since the work of renovating and increasing the thickness of the Vietnam - Laos border markers was carried out by 2 teams of Nghe An province (due to the requirement to speed up the progress of demarcation and marker planting according to the plan, team No. 2 was established in October 2010), the Provincial Marker Planting Steering Committee, agencies, units, localities, and especially the masses have actively helped. Each completed marker is the result of countless sweat and efforts of officers, soldiers and the masses.
Because the marker locations are all in dangerous, high-altitude locations on mountain tops, the roads are extremely difficult and arduous to travel to (some locations even require traveling by boat on the river). Just transporting a medium-sized marker requires 4-5 dozen people.
Of which, about 20 people are responsible for carrying the monolithic granite block on their shoulders, about 10 people use ropes to keep the marker from slipping down the slope. It is not easy for that many people to coordinate smoothly and in harmony in the mountainous terrain. Besides, the strict requirements are the process of moving and fixing the marker, not allowing any impact to scratch, chip, or damage... But with solidarity and unanimity, 116 border markers and 6 Vietnam - Laos border posts on the Nghe An border section adjacent to 3 neighboring provinces of Laos have been renovated, increased in density, and completed on schedule.
Hung Phong
