Awakening the people's strength in protecting border security and sovereignty

Nghe An Border Guard is responsible for managing and protecting 419 km of land border and 82 km of coastline. Despite its large area and complex nature, over the past time, by effectively implementing Directive 01 dated January 9, 2015 of the Prime Minister on "Organizing the movement of the entire people participating in protecting territorial sovereignty and national border security in the new situation", Nghe An Border Guard continues to mobilize the strength of the force and the entire people to participate in protecting border sovereignty and security.

Border Guards at Nam Can International Border Gate coordinate with the Youth Union of Nam Can commune to patrol and protect the border. Photo: Hoai Thu

PV:Colonel Le Nhu Cuong, protecting sovereignty and border security is the responsibility and obligation of all levels, sectors and the entire population. However, the core force is still the Border Guard. Could you tell us how the Provincial Border Guard Command has implemented this task after the Prime Minister's Directive 01 was issued?

Colonel Le Nhu Cuong:The national border area is an area of ​​important strategic position in terms of economy, politics, society, national defense - security and foreign affairs. Protecting the sovereignty, territorial integrity of the national border, maintaining political security and social order and safety in the border area is the responsibility of the entire Party, the entire people and the armed forces and all levels and sectors, in which the Border Guard is the core force.

Colonel Le Nhu Cuong visited and presented gifts to policy beneficiaries in Dien Chau district. Photo: Le Thach

Therefore, after the Prime Minister's Directive 01/CT-TTg dated January 9, 2015 was issued, the Provincial Border Guard Command advised the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee to lead and direct the serious implementation. Because we determined that in order to effectively implement this content, it is necessary to advise and coordinate with all levels and sectors in leading, directing and mobilizing the strength of the people of the whole province to effectively implement the Prime Minister's Directive in participating in the management and protection of territorial sovereignty and national border security.

Soldiers of My Ly Border Guard Station (Ky Son) guide people to grow passion fruit to develop the economy and reduce poverty. Photo: Hoai Thu

PV:Can you tell us the specific measures, methods and results?

Colonel Le Nhu Cuong:First of all, we have determined to attach great importance to the propaganda and dissemination not only to the Party committees, authorities and people about the role, significance, responsibility and obligation of each organization and individual about the policy and importance of participating in the management and protection of territorial sovereignty and national border security; have mobilized people to establish and maintain teams and groups to self-manage border markers and borders. In 2017, the activities of self-managed teams have basically become regular.

The units coordinated and organized propaganda for 192 times/20,343 listeners, organized forces to go to each village, hamlet, and household to propagate, mobilize, train, and guide legal knowledge, professional skills, and implementation procedures of the signed commitments for the self-management groups. Therefore, in 258 patrols to protect the border and landmarks, 1,601 people participated. Households and individuals of the self-management groups of border and landmarks have combined production tasks well with border protection, and have cleared 8km of border near the production area.

Border Guard forces patrol to protect the maritime border. Photo: Archive.

In 2017, the Border Guard stations advised the People's Committees of the districts to issue decisions to recognize the establishment of 4 new self-managed wharf groups, and to add and replace members of 3 self-managed border and border marker groups. The groups and households registered to self-manage 407.2 km of border; 103 border markers; 6 markers; 18 safe wharfs. The self-managed groups promptly provided 682 sources of information to denounce crimes, helping the Border Guard stations to arrest and prosecute 22 cases/27 subjects, handle 168 cases/233 administrative violations, pay the State Treasury 274.9 million VND, and coordinate to mobilize the recovery of 282 homemade guns.

The fishing boats have promptly detected and reported to the coastal border stations 30 sources of information related to the activities of foreign boats violating our maritime sovereignty to catch seafood and explore resources, helping the functional forces fight effectively. At the same time, the border stations also actively participated in search and rescue at sea, 26 cases/158 crew members having accidents at sea.

The Provincial Border Guard Command allocated nearly 100 million VND to buy communication devices, life jackets, life buoys, fire extinguishers, national flags, etc. to support the safety of boat crews serving activities at sea.

Border guards propagate and mobilize people to participate in protecting sovereignty and border security. Photo: Archive

PV:In the process of implementing this work, did you encounter any obstacles or difficulties, comrade?

Colonel Le Nhu Cuong:The biggest difficulty is that our province has a long border, complex terrain, and the population mainly lives far from the border and landmarks, so self-management activities and grasping the situation on the border by self-management groups and people are difficult and sometimes not timely. Especially in areas with harsh climate conditions, it causes great difficulties in patrolling, controlling, and self-managing border and landmarks by the Border Guard force and local people. Some localities, especially villages and hamlets far from the center, due to difficult travel conditions, many places do not have electricity or phone signals, so cooperation and reporting of the situation to the authorities and functional forces are sometimes not timely.

Besides, the resources to support this work are still very limited, because most of the border localities are poor and extremely disadvantaged.
On the other hand, some units are still confused in advising local Party committees and authorities to link the mass movement to protect border sovereignty and security with socio-economic development, and the quality of the staff of the management boards of villages and hamlets is still limited, so in some places the movement is not really profound.

Border Guard Military Doctor examines people in border areas. Photo: Document

PV:In the coming time, how will the Provincial Border Guard direct the implementation of Directive 01/CT-TTg?

Colonel Le Nhu Cuong:In addition to continuing to closely coordinate with local agencies, departments and branches to develop programs and plans to disseminate and educate the law, especially propaganda and education on territorial sovereignty and national border security for all subjects in the area. We will review, consolidate and improve the quality of village and hamlet security and order teams; wharf teams; boat teams, border self-management teams, and national border markers. Maintain good implementation of the coordination regulations between units and localities on building safe units and safe areas.
In addition, we will direct the Border Guard stations to supplement the coordination regulations between the Party Committees of the Border Guard stations and the Party Committees of the communes, wards, border and coastal areas. Coordinate with the border districts and towns to survey and review the population planning according to Decision 7468/QD-UBND dated December 30, 2014 of the People's Committee of Nghe An province. Develop plans and guide the Border Guard stations to organize training on legal knowledge, professional skills, and operating procedures for key cadres and people in implementing Directive 01 of the Prime Minister.

Nghe An Border Guards coordinate with Lao Border Police to conduct bilateral patrols to protect border security. Photo: Archive

One of the important and core contents to implement Directive 01 that not only the Border Guard force but also all localities and mass organizations have been focusing on is to participate in building and developing socio-economics, strengthening national defense and security in border communes and coastal areas. Specifically, it is to promote the implementation of the Government's Resolution on sustainable poverty reduction orientation for the period 2011-2020 and the emulation movement "The whole country joins hands to build new rural areas"; Replicate pilot models, help people develop the economy, eliminate hunger and reduce poverty in border and coastal communes and wards.

PV:Thank you very much, comrade!