'Shield' of the southwestern border of Nghe An

Keep the border quiet

My Ly Border Guard Station is assigned to manage the area of ​​2 communes Bac Ly, My Ly with a border of 48.488 km, 9 landmarks, 25 villages with a population of 2,138 households/10,391 people; 04 ethnic groups (Kinh, Thai, Kho Mu, Mong) live. The terrain is rugged and mountainous; roads are difficult to travel, especially during the rainy and stormy season.

People's awareness is uneven, farming practices are backward; criminal activities related to drugs; human trafficking, border violations; theft, public disorder, child marriage... still occur.

Faced with that reality, the Station Command has proactively advised and coordinated with local Party committees, authorities, and forces stationed in the area to strengthen the work of grasping the situation, plots, methods and tricks of the enemy and all types of subjects to proactively fight, prevent, and firmly protect the sovereignty and security of the border. In 2021, the Station presided over and coordinated with forces to successfully fight 16 cases/20 subjects, including 02 drug projects, with evidence seized of 03 heroin cakes; 23,991 synthetic drug pills.

My Ly Border Guard Station coordinated with other forces to arrest drug trafficker Tho Ba Tong. Photo: CSCC

Typically, on June 19, 2021, in Pa Khom village, Tri Le commune, Que Phong district, My Ly Border Guard Station coordinated with the Drug and Crime Prevention Department (Provincial Border Guard), Tri Le Station under Nghe An Border Guard to arrest Tho Ba Tong (born in 1998, residing in Pa Khom village, Tri Le commune, Que Phong district) while illegally transporting drugs. At the scene, the authorities seized 1 heroin cake and 18,000 synthetic drug pills.

In addition, the station also coordinated to successfully fight a special case of illegal immigration, arresting 2 subjects. Specifically, on March 5, 2021, in the Nam Non River area of ​​Xieng Tren village, My Ly commune (Ky Son district), My Ly Border Guard Station, Nam Can International Border Guard Station, Drug and Crime Prevention Department (Nghe An Border Guard) discovered and arrested 2 subjects who organized 5 Vietnamese people to illegally exit the country to Laos. According to the initial investigation results, the two subjects Lo Van Dau (born in 1983) and Luong Du Lan (born in 1988), residing in Xop Tu village, My Ly commune, hired to transport 5 people residing in Tan Thanh commune (Yen Thanh district) by dugout canoe across the border river to exit to Laos for a fee of 4 million VND.

Authorities investigate and verify the illegal immigration of Lo Van Dau and Luong Du Lan. Photo: Le Thach

The subjects were then prosecuted for the act of "Organizing illegal exit for others" and handed over to Nghe An Police for further investigation and handling according to regulations. In addition, in 2021, My Ly Border Guard Station administratively handled 17 cases/19 subjects violating border regulations, illegal entry and exit with the amount of fines and remittance to the treasury of more than 58 million VND. Coordinated with the forces to organize 240 rounds/720 turns of officers and soldiers to participate in patrolling and ambushing to protect the border section from marker 389 to marker 393, contributing to keeping the border area peaceful.

The work of disseminating and popularizing the law is also carried out by officers and soldiers.My Ly Border Guard Stationinterested in implementing in many forms. Implementing the Project "Strengthening the dissemination and education of law for officials and people in border and island areas in the period of 2017-2021", in 2021, the Station coordinated with the authorities of the two communes of Bac Ly and My Ly to organize propaganda and dissemination of contents on: Vietnam Border Law, Decree 34 of the Government on the Regulations on land border areas; Decree 169 of the Government on administrative sanctions in the field of management and protection of national borders; Law on Marriage and Family; Law on Prevention and Control of Domestic Violence; Law on Management and Use of Weapons, Explosives and Support Tools... with 107 sessions/7,820 participants. The Station also continued to maintain and strengthen 25 village and hamlet security teams, 03 teams and 05 households voluntarily registered to self-manage border lines and landmarks; Launching the model of "Self-managed boat teams on border rivers and streams".

My Ly Border Guard Station propagates Covid-19 prevention and control through paintings for women in Bac Ly commune, Ky Son. Photo: CSCC

According to Lieutenant Colonel Hoang The Tai - Political Commissar of My Ly Border Guard Station: Determining that border security must be based on the people, in recent years, through mass mobilization work and close contact with the area, officers and soldiers of My Ly Border Guard Station have effectively promoted the role of "eyes and ears" of the people in the fight against crime.

The self-governing groups are the “eyes and ears” of the border guards. During the year, the Station received 23 sources of information from the self-governing groups related to security and order in the border area and advised and coordinated with local Party committees and authorities to handle, resolve and promptly prevent many incidents from occurring.

Efforts to prevent epidemics

Along with the work of border management and protection, the task of preventing and fighting the Covid-19 epidemic has also been proactively deployed by the station without a moment of negligence. The station has advised and coordinated with the local authorities of 02 communes to establish 05 checkpoints to prevent and fight the Covid-19 epidemic. Currently, the station is deploying 03 checkpoints to manage and protect the border and prevent the Covid-19 epidemic, the farthest of which is the 390 milestone at an altitude of more than 1,800m above sea level, close to the Vietnam - Laos border.

The key team of My Ly Border Guard Station performs the task of preventing the Covid-19 epidemic. Photo courtesy of Le Thach

Despite the harsh weather, officers and soldiers at checkpoints strictly maintained a 24/7 duty regime to protect the border and border markers. At the same time, they did a good job of propaganda to raise vigilance for people in border areas in preventing and fighting the epidemic and protecting border sovereignty. During the year, the post launched and signed a commitment to prevent and combat denunciations of illegal immigration for 2,000 households and installed 25 mailboxes to denounce illegal immigration in 25 villages in the area; distributed 450 leaflets on epidemic prevention and more than 2,000 free masks to students and people.

The station has also coordinated with local authorities to launch the model of "Community Covid-19 Prevention Team" in 25/25 villages in 2 communes; and the model of "Self-managed boat fleet on border rivers and streams and preventing illegal entry and exit" in My Ly commune.

My Ly Border Guard Station installed 25 mailboxes to report illegal immigrants in My Ly and Bac Ly communes. Photo: HT

In addition to the above activities, to provide officials, people on the border, students... with more complete information about the Government's fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, My Ly Border Guard Station previously organized a writing and drawing contest with the theme "The world and the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic". The vivid and easy-to-understand series of paintings provided complete information about the Covid-19 pandemic, had a strong impact, raising awareness for people in My Ly and Bac Ly communes.

My Ly Border Guard Station deployed a display of propaganda posters about the Covid-19 epidemic in villages of Bac Ly and My Ly communes and schools. Photo: TC

“Thanks to the visual propaganda content through the paintings displayed in the villages, everyone has a clear understanding of the Covid-19 epidemic and is clearly aware of their responsibility in complying with the 5K” - Mr. Cut Pho Son, Huoi Cang 1 village, Bac Ly commune shared.

Ensure peace for the people and the area

To ensure peace for the people and the area, to implement the Resolution of the Border Guard Party Committee on assigning Party members of the Border Guard Station to be in charge of households in the border area and the Project of the Provincial People's Committee on "Improving the effectiveness of helping households in the border area, contributing to socio-economic development, associated with protecting the sovereignty of border security in Nghe An province, period 2020-2025 and the following years", the Party Committee and Command of My Ly Border Guard Station have developed, issued resolutions, plans and assigned 26 Party members to help 128 households/674 people in the area; at the same time, assigned specific tasks to each Party member to go directly to help households in economic development, hunger eradication and poverty reduction.

Directed 02 commune-strengthened cadres and 04 temporary Party members to advise the local Party Committee and government to consolidate Party organizations and village and hamlet unions to gradually operate in a disciplined manner. Up to now, 05 new Party members have been advised.

Officers and soldiers of My Ly Border Guard Station patrol to protect the border. Photo: KL

Many social security activities have been effectively maintained, notably the successful construction of the first charity house model "Whoever needs it, come and take it, whoever has it, share it" in the Nghe An Border Guard force, becoming a charity address to support clothes, books, materials, etc. for free for the people and students in the area. The construction and renovation of a Military-Civilian Medical Station in Huoi Bac village, Bac Ly commune is of special importance, contributing to strengthening the military-civilian relationship at the border.

The charity house model "Whoever needs, come and take, whoever has, share" of My Ly Border Guard Station has been replicated in Nghe An Border Guard force. Photo: Gia Huy

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Sy Duc - Head of My Ly Border Guard Station said: The unit has proactively led and directed the implementation of the plan to build and promote advanced models, focusing on new and young factors in areas such as fighting against crime, patrolling and protecting the border, preventing illegal entry and exit, and preventing the Covid-19 epidemic. Typical examples include comrade Xong Ba Co - Soldier attending the National Patriotic Emulation Congress, Ngo Van Binh - an outstanding young party member of Nghe An province. Thereby, promoting the role of personal responsibility in work, building a nucleus to promote the unit's emulation movement to win.

Talking about the role of the green-uniformed soldiers stationed in the area, the leaders of My Ly and Bac Ly communes both expressed, "The officers and soldiers of My Ly Border Guard Station are not only a solid support for the local Party Committee and government, but also a "steel shield" in protecting security and order, national border sovereignty and preventing the Covid-19 pandemic at the border."