The son of the border village, wearing a military uniform.

Efforts for border peace

Born and raised in Na Loi commune (Ky Son district), a border town, Lo Van Khay (born in 1993), a young man of the Thai ethnic group, has harbored the dream of becoming a soldier, a skilled marksman protecting the border and his homeland since childhood.

Therefore, even though no one in his family pursued a career in border guard service, in February 2012, Lo Van Khay volunteered to enlist and became a soldier in Battalion 19 (Nghe An Border Guard).

After that, he was transferred to Keng Du Border Guard Post (Ky Son), and then continued his studies at the Army Officer School 1 and the Border Guard Intermediate School 2.

After completing his studies in 2016, Lo Van Khay returned to work at Keng Du Border Guard Station and joined the Party. In June 2022, he was transferred to work as an armed officer at My Ly Border Guard Station (Ky Son).
Always considering "the outpost as home, the border as homeland, and the people of all ethnic groups as brothers and sisters," Lieutenant Lo Van Khay has always strived to complete all tasks well, regardless of his position.

From participating in patrols and protecting the border, boundary markers, and protective forests; participating in combat readiness duty and patrolling the area around Border Marker 390 and the Nhọt Lợt and Xốp Dương checkpoints during the Covid-19 pandemic; to working with teammates to effectively maintain the "Community Covid Team" model in 25 villages; strictly managing trails and openings on the border; and installing suggestion boxes for reporting illegal entry and exit in border villages of Mỹ Lý and Bắc Lý communes (Kỳ Sơn).

Throughout his service, Lieutenant Lo Van Khay consistently demonstrated a spirit of self-study and self-improvement, enhancing his political theory, professional skills, and expertise, while closely monitoring the local situation. He participated in preventing and combating various types of crimes (drug trafficking, smuggling, illegal timber transportation, human trafficking, etc.) to ensure border security.

Over the five years from 2018 to 2023, Lieutenant Lo Van Khay, along with his unit, handled 71 criminal cases involving 80 individuals, seizing 102.36 grams and 2 blocks of heroin, 106,016 methamphetamine tablets, 2 kg of crystal methamphetamine, 36,994 synthetic drug tablets, one grenade, two modified military firearms, 20 K56 bullets, and 34 cubic meters of various types of wood. They also imposed administrative penalties in 33 cases involving 41 individuals, imposing fines totaling 77,500,000 VND and seizing 38 cubic meters of wood. In 2023 alone, he directly participated in the arrest of three individuals involved in the illegal possession of narcotics, seizing 4,000 synthetic drug tablets and 0.8 grams of heroin; and successfully encouraged the public to voluntarily surrender 15 homemade firearms.

At the same time, they directly participated in 6 patrols and inspections of the border, border markers, and border areas under their responsibility; coordinated with the police and commune militia forces to conduct 13 mobile patrols and inspections, contributing to the firm protection of national border security and sovereignty.

The My Ly Border Guard Post, where Lieutenant Lo Van Khay is currently stationed, is tasked with managing the two communes of My Ly and Bac Ly (Ky Son district), comprising 25 villages, with a border length of 48.468 km and 9 border markers; the total population is 2,167 households/10,512 people, mainly ethnic minorities such as the Thai, Mong, and Kho Mu. The people's lives are still difficult, and their level of education and awareness, including their understanding of the law, is limited.
As a member of an ethnic minority group with a deep understanding of local customs and traditions, Lieutenant Lo Van Khay always strives to build a strong "bridge" connecting border guards with ethnic minority communities along the border. He actively works with his comrades to stay close to the people, in the villages, to disseminate information and encourage them to strictly adhere to the Party's guidelines and policies, and the State's laws, and to participate with border guards and local authorities in managing and protecting the national border.

The propaganda materials are compiled concisely, easy to understand, easy to remember, and skillfully integrated into community meetings, disseminated through loudspeakers, billboards, posters, slogans, and leaflets; combining general propaganda with individual propaganda in the local languages.

At the same time, actively enlist the support of village elders, community leaders, and influential figures in villages and hamlets to launch a widespread mass movement to participate in protecting border sovereignty and security; self-managing border lines, markers, security, and order. This will contribute to building a strong national border defense system.

Harnessing the power of youth for the community.

We first met Lieutenant Lo Van Khay when he was participating in activities helping people repair roads with the Keng Du Border Guard Post, and we had the chance to meet him again when he was diligently working with young soldiers of the My Ly Border Guard Post to renovate and upgrade the computer room, connecting it to technology to serve the information retrieval and internet usage needs of students and village officials.

Next to it is a charity house with the slogan "Take what you need, share what you have" and a small room with a sign that says "Friendly barbershop" offering free haircuts to the public.

Speaking with us, Lieutenant Lo Van Khay said he felt very happy to be able to contribute to the community, especially to the younger generation, the children of ethnic minorities in the area.
He has consistently demonstrated the enthusiasm and pioneering spirit of youth throughout his career.

As a member of the Executive Committee of the Youth Union of My Ly Border Guard Station, he proactively advised the Youth Union to take care of and guide students participating in the "Helping Children Go to School" and "Children Adopted by Border Guard Stations" programs sponsored by My Ly Border Guard Station in their studies, daily life, and life skills development.

In addition, he regularly advises the Youth Union Executive Committee on effectively carrying out activities to support young people in establishing themselves and their careers; poverty alleviation; and the construction of new rural areas in the unit's stationed area. In 2023, the Youth Union of My Ly Border Guard Station coordinated with the local Youth Union to mobilize 321 man-days of labor, planting 974 trees of various types in the area; and repairing 2.9 km of rural roads.

At the same time, participate in disseminating information to the people, especially union members and young people, to effectively implement the "National Unity Movement for Building a Culturally Rich Life in Residential Areas"; build cultural bright spots in mountainous areas, eradicate backward customs, and awaken and promote the cultural identity of each ethnic group.

In particular, during the devastating floods in Ky Son border district (October 2022) that caused heavy damage, Lieutenant Lo Van Khay stood side-by-side with his comrades and the people in rescue and disaster relief efforts in his assigned area. He participated in relocating 7 houses at risk of collapse, erecting 1 semi-permanent house and 3 temporary houses, cleaning up 1 school; and clearing landslides that had encroached on the homes of 7 households and the Ky Son District Forest Protection Management Board.

At the same time, we call on charitable organizations to donate supplies and necessities to the people and flashlights to the rescue and relief forces.
"Everyone chooses the easy work, who will take on the hardships?" Like his comrades, Lieutenant Lo Van Khay always believed: "Helping the people is a command from the heart of every border guard. Moreover, as a son of the village, I always want to contribute and dedicate myself to my homeland and to my fellow ethnic people."

Commenting on Senior Lieutenant Lo Van Khay, Lieutenant Colonel Hoang The Tai - Political Officer of My Ly Border Guard Station, said: "Comrade Lo Van Khay always has a high sense of responsibility, is exemplary and takes the lead in performing his duties, and is one of the shining examples for his comrades in the unit to learn from and emulate."

Thanks to his efforts in his work and in the Emulation Movement for Victory, in 2023, Senior Lieutenant Lo Van Khay was honored to be awarded the title of "Outstanding Soldier at the grassroots level" by the Provincial Border Guard Command, and was recognized as one of the 10 "Outstanding Young Faces" in the entire border guard force.

He was also one of five outstanding individuals in the entire province to receive a Certificate of Commendation from the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee for his excellent achievements in the five-year implementation of the National Border Guard Day (2019-2024); and a Certificate of Commendation from the Vietnam Youth Union of Nghe An province for his outstanding achievements in the youth movement.