Firmly maintain the people's border defense posture on the sea route

Border Guard officers help fishermen clean up fishing gear when storms come. Photo: Nhat Tuan

Connect with the people

In August 2017, Major Vo Cong Bac - an officer of the Mass Mobilization Team, Border Guard Station of Cua Lo Ben Thuy Port was assigned by the Party Committee of the Station to temporarily conduct Party activities at the Party Cell of Tan Lap 1 Hamlet - a Catholic hamlet of the coastal commune of Nghi Quang, Nghi Loc District. Originally from a mountainous Border Guard unit, he had just transferred to work at the unit not long ago, so Mr. Bac was not familiar with the customs and practices of the coastal area, and was still unfamiliar with the religious beliefs of the local people.

Mr. Bac said: "To complete the assigned tasks well, I myself have to try to learn everything, including understanding the Catholic doctrine to create closeness and convenience in grasping the situation as well as the aspirations of the people. From there, I have done a good job of advising the Party cell on policies related to mobilizing the masses to develop the economy, build a cultural life, and ensure security and order."

The Border Guard Station of Cua Lo Ben Thuy Port is in charge of 14 communes and wards of Nghi Loc district and Cua Lo town with a total length of 20 km of sea and coastline, including 7 communes of Nghi Loc district. The work of mobilizing the masses and building political bases is identified by the Border Guard Station of Cua Lo Ben Thuy Port as the fundamental measure among the 6 working measures of the unit.

The station gives gifts to policy families in difficult circumstances. Photo: Nhat Tuan

Therefore, for more than 10 years now, the Party Committee of the Station has assigned many party members to temporarily work at 6 party cells in difficult religious areas in coastal communes and wards of Nghi Loc district and Cua Lo town according to Notice 394 - TB/TU dated August 23, 2007 of the Standing Committee of Nghe An Provincial Party Committee.

Here, Border Guard Party members have the responsibility to advise the Party cell committee to build a system of records, build resolutions that are appropriate to the actual situation in the hamlet, organize regular activities, and improve the quality of the Party cell's activities. Border Guard Party members also advise Party committees at all levels to strengthen the political system in the hamlet and help people develop the economy, eliminate hunger and reduce poverty.

The activities of Border Guard Party members in temporarily living in Party cells in difficult religious areas have been highly appreciated by the Party Committee. The Steering Committee of the "Skilled Mass Mobilization" Emulation Movement of Cua Lo town has made this work a model of "Skilled Mass Mobilization" of the Party Committee.

Along with increasing the number of party members temporarily participating in activities at the Party cells in the religious areas, the Border Guard Station of Cua Lo Ben Thuy Port has coordinated with local Party committees and authorities to do a good job of propagating to the people to comply with the Party's guidelines and policies and the State's laws.

Accordingly, over the past years, in the coastal communes of Nghi Loc district, the Station has organized thousands of concentrated propaganda sessions, hundreds of individual propaganda sessions, tens of thousands of propaganda sessions through the local loudspeaker system. In particular, the unit has paid attention to propagating laws related to fishermen's activities at sea such as: not fishing in the wrong area, not using prohibited fishing gear, using explosives to destroy aquatic resources.

Medical examination and treatment for fishermen. Photo: Nhat Tuan

Ensure security, help people develop the economy

On the other hand, the Station has focused on building facilities at sea, through legal support and material support for fishermen to carry out search and rescue work, detect violations at sea to protect the security and sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland. Mr. Dau Thanh Kinh - owner of fishing boat NA 90667 - TS in Xuan Duong hamlet, Nghi Xuan commune, Nghi Loc district, in December 2018, was given a walkie-talkie worth 5.3 million VND by the Border Guard Station of Cua Lo Ben Thuy port.

After 3 months of use, this communication device has helped Mr. Kinh perform better in his work at sea. Mr. Kinh shared: “Equipped with the Icom device, I feel more confident when going to sea. In addition to understanding the weather, I have contributed more actively to protecting the sovereignty of the sea and islands. In the past 3 months, I have discovered 10 times foreign fishing vessels illegally exploiting in our country's waters. At those times, I used the Icom radio to report to the Border Guard and handle the situation.”

Through propaganda and mobilization work, people in coastal and sea communes have provided the Station with many valuable sources of information so that the Border Guard can have policies and measures to effectively combat illegal activities, maintain security and order, and organize search and rescue.

Distributing leaflets and propagating the law to fishermen. Photo: Nhat Tuan

Particularly in 7 communes of Nghi Loc district, in 10 years of implementing "People's Border Guard Day", the period 2009 - 2019, the Border Guard Station of Cua Lo Ben Thuy Port coordinated with the District Police to detect and handle 224 criminal violations with 529 subjects, administratively sanctioned 4,000 cases and 10,600 subjects.

Over the past 10 years, the unit has participated in consolidating and improving 94 village security teams; established, consolidated and maintained 3 safe harbors for fishermen to anchor their vehicles. Along with ensuring security and order in the coastal border area, the unit has also participated in 15 search and rescue missions and has rescued 27 people and 21 vehicles at sea; called 12,800 vehicles to safe shelters; reinforced 168 houses and repaired 114 houses with blown-off roofs.

Over the past years, the Border Guard Station at Cua Lo Ben Thuy Port has focused on coordinating with localities to implement projects and models to help people eliminate hunger and reduce poverty, ensuring social security. The Party Committee and the Command of the Station have assigned officers to be in charge of helping policy households, poor households, and Catholic households in difficult circumstances. Accordingly, each officer of the Command of the Station is in charge of 2-3 households; officers at the Team level and Border Guard Station are in charge of 5-7 households. This assistance must be reported weekly to the Party Committee and the Command of the unit.

Every year, on holidays and Tet, the unit organizes visits and presents gifts to Heroic Vietnamese Mothers and policy families. Implementing the program "Helping children go to school" launched by the Border Guard Command, the Border Guard Station of Cua Lo Ben Thuy Port has sponsored and supported 500,000 VND/child/month for 6 students of Nghi Loc district and Cua Lo town. In addition to financial support, the unit also sends officers to the children's homes to directly help them improve their studies.

Many students are rumored to receive help in their studies. Photo: Nhat Tuan

Major Nguyen Ngoc Tan - Political Commissar of the Border Guard Station of Cua Lo Ben Thuy Port said: "The unit continues to coordinate well in propaganda work to raise awareness and sense of responsibility of local people in participating in protecting sovereignty and security of the sea and island border. Promote activities to build local political bases, build a national border defense posture, and build a strong national border defense."

In addition, the station continues to assign party members to be in charge of households. Strengthening the grasp of the situation in all aspects, especially the construction of political bases at sea, strengthening the work of grasping the situation from afar to provide the border guards with appropriate policies, measures to handle and fight.