Actively implementing the work of increasing the density and embellishing the Vietnam - Laos border markers

(Baonghean) -Implementing Decision No. 137/QD-TTg, after 3 years of survey and construction (officially started from September 5, 2008), up to now, the increase and restoration of border markers between Vietnam and Laos in Nghe An has achieved many positive results. This is an important premise to complete the target of marker planting in 2012.

Nghe An has 419 km of land border, adjacent to 3 provinces of Laos (Hua Phan, Xieng Khouang and Bo Ly Kham Xay). The border area stretches over 6 districts, 27 communes, 205 villages and hamlets of the province; with a population of about 21,592 households/111,859 people, mainly ethnic minorities. According to the plan, there will be 105 locations surveyed and 115 national border markers needing to be renovated and increased (114 markers according to the master plan, 1 new marker for additional survey).

Lieutenant Colonel Phan Van Hong, Head of the border marker planting team of Nghe An province, said: After having a plan to plant markers, in December 2008, the province established a border marker planting team with a staff of 18 people, operating on the border line adjacent to Xieng Khouang province. However, due to the task requirements to speed up the progress of demarcation and planting markers according to the assigned plan, in October 2010, the province's border marker planting team No. 2 was established, then team No. 1 was assigned to carry out the task on the Hua Phan line (including 39 positions/39 markers), team No. 2 carried out the task on the Bolykhamxay line (including 39 positions/39 markers).

Understanding the position and importance of the work of renovating and increasing the density of national border markers, the Nghe An Border Guard Command always strengthens leadership, direction, urging, guiding and effectively implementing the task of surveying and supervising the construction of border markers, regularly reporting the situation to competent authorities according to regulations. The Provincial Border Marker Planting Steering Committee has also issued implementation regulations, assigned specific tasks to members of the Steering Committee, and coordinated responsibilities of departments, branches, districts, communes and villages in the land border area.

Comrade Huynh Ngoc Son - Vice Chairman of the National Assembly visited the landmark at Nam Can border gate.



Border guards patrol and visit landmarks.

Based on the annual training content on embellishing and increasing the thickness of Vietnam - Laos border markers, the Provincial Border Guard Command coordinated with the Provincial Border Marker Planting Steering Committee to organize 4 training courses for 200 officers in the unit and participating sectors, organized 66 training courses for 252 officers and soldiers at border stations, teams and teams to help officers and soldiers and forces participating in this work better understand the methods and ways of organizing and implementing tasks and fostering skills in applying advances of modern science and technology in embellishing and increasing the thickness of border markers as well as managing and protecting to ensure the safety of the current border and the following years.

Along with that, the functional departments and offices, with the core being the Political Department - Provincial Border Guard, regularly send officers to grasp the area, coordinate with the Border Guard stations, teams and working groups to go to the villages and each household, especially the households with fields and fields close to the border and those who regularly visit relatives and do business on both sides of the border to know the contents related to the policy and plan to implement the Project to renovate and thicken the border markers of the two countries Vietnam - Laos, considering this as one of the key tasks of regular or ad hoc plans. Coordinate with the units of the Provincial Police to grasp the situation, ensure security, social order and safety during the process of the marker planting teams performing their tasks. Coordinate with the Provincial Military Command to deploy mine clearance work according to plan, ensuring time, progress and technical safety, creating favorable conditions for the process of organizing surveys and constructing markers to achieve high efficiency...

Upgrading and increasing the thickness of border markers is an important task, aiming to affirm the legality of the territorial sovereignty of the two countries, demonstrating the determination to build a peaceful, friendly, cooperative, stable and sustainably developed border. Therefore, after completing the construction or renovation of a border marker, the Provincial Border Guard Command has directed the marker placement teams to promptly hand over the marker to the local Border Guard Station to maintain management and protection work according to regulations. In particular, the Border Guard Stations of Nam Can, Muong Tip, and Na Ngoi have detected and reported signs of landslides (Marker 409), and loss of the upper part of the lightning rod (Markers 404, 408, and 422) so that the competent authorities can promptly take remedial measures.

However, according to Lieutenant Colonel Phan Van Hong, because the terrain of the border area in Nghe An is often high mountains, dense forests, harsh weather, frequent floods in many places, most of the markers that have been renovated and increased in density are located in dangerous locations. From that difficulty, many other difficulties arise such as: difficulty in transporting food, drinking water, especially transporting markers to the construction site. Because the markers are monolithic, to ensure that they cannot expand when the weather suddenly changes and the project is permanent, so for small markers (1.2m high, 200kg in weight) it is still bearable, but for medium markers (1.5m high, 400kg in weight) or large markers (2.1m high, 1 ton in weight) in dangerous locations, precarious on the top of the mountain, it can take a whole month to complete a marker, of which the transportation time accounts for more than half. Having to deal with slugs, leeches and even thirst during prolonged hot weather is also an obstacle. Even though all measures have been applied such as: applying anti-leech medicine, stretching tarps to catch dew, hiring locals to carry drinking water..., it is still not effective. Not to mention the social order and security situation in the border area is always complicated, causing great difficulties for the border marker planting activities.

Furthermore, for a long time, only one border marking team was established, the organization and staffing were stabilized and deployed slowly; Equipment and means for the team's operations were not timely; The implementation of policies and regimes for officers and soldiers directly participating in the border demarcation and marking tasks in the field at the border in the early days was not suitable, affecting the implementation of the border marking team's operational plan. Hopefully, in the coming time, the difficulties in the process of implementing the border marking work will be limited, in order to complete the set targets and plans.

Quang An