The Provincial Border Guard (PBG) of Ha Tinh is tasked with managing and protecting a border of over 164 kilometres between Vietnam and the two Lao provinces of Bolikhamsai and Khammouane together with a coastline of 137 kilometres. The province’s border areas, especially Cau Treo international border gate economic zone and Vung Ang economic zone have great potential for socio-economic development and hold a position of utmost importance to national defence and security.

Being fully aware of the province’s potential and position, over the years, the PBG’s Party Committee and Command have focused their leadership and direction on drastically, synchronously implementing measures to protect territorial sovereignty and border security and obtained significant results. It should be noted that the PBG has advised the Border Guard Force Command, the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People’s Council, and the Provincial People’s Committee to lead and direct border defence work via synchronous, effective measures. At the same time, the PBG has closely managed and firmly protected territorial sovereignty and border security, while cooperating with relevant forces in opportunely dealing with issues, hot spots, and crime of various types, taking part in COVID-19 and illegal immigration prevention and combat, actively building the posture of “people’s hearts and minds” and the posture of all-people border defence, and proactively, flexibly performing the work of border defence diplomacy. With those remarkable achievements, in 2021, the PBG was given the Second-Class Feat of Arms Order by State President; it was presented with certificates of merit by Prime Minister, Minister of National Defence, and the Provincial People’s Committee. Those rewards act as a great encouragement to cadres and soldiers of the PBG so that they will always successfully fulfil their central political task of firmly protecting national sovereignty and border security.

From its recorded results, the PBG has drawn several lessons which have also been seen as effective measures.

1. Proactively give advice to the Border Guard Force Command, the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People’s Council, and the Provincial People’s Committee on leadership and direction over the management and protection of national sovereignty and border security. Grasping the Party’s guidelines on military-defence tasks and border defence work, the PBG has advised the Border Guard Force’s Party Committee and Command, the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People’s Council, and the Provincial People’s Committee to issue resolutions, directives, and legal normative documents on managing and defending land and sea borders in a timely, effective manner. Emphasis has been placed on helping the province effectively implement action plans and programmes for the Politburo’s Resolution 33-NQ/TW, dated September 28^th, 2018 on the National Border Protection Strategy, develop action plans for the Vietnam Border Defence Law, review the execution of the Government’s Decree 112/2014/NĐ-CP, dated November 21^st, 2014, and foster coordination with Laos’ authorities and border guard force to build a border of peace, friendship, cooperation, and development.

Performing its core role, the PBG has proactively grasped hostile forces’ plots and artifices and border areas’ security situation to opportunely advise the province on effectively settling incidents, avoiding falling into passivity, managing and firmly protecting the national border, and preventing and combating COVID-19 pandemic simultaneously.

Cooperating with the public security force of Laos in patrolling the border

2. Improve immigration control and management and crime prevention and combat to maintain security and order in border areas. Ha Tinh has domestic and international transport arteries, routes connecting our seaports with Laos, and many national and international border gates with a large-scale freight movement. Therefore, the raised quality and effectiveness of immigration work and cross-border crime prevention and combat serve as a determinant to the performance of the PBG’s political tasks. Grasping and seriously realising directions by Prime Minister, the Ministry of National Defence, and the Border Guard Force Command on immigration control and management, the PBG has frequently directed its border guard posts, particularly the Border Guard Post of the Cau Treo International Border Gate and the Border Guard Command of the Vung Ang – Son Duong Port Border Gate to stringently abide by procedures and regulations on immigration in accordance with international law and practices. In addition, due attention has been paid to proactively grasping and correctly anticipating situations from the two sides of the border, patrolling border areas and border gates, closely controlling entries and exits, and opportunely detecting and strictly handling offences. The PBG has directed its offices and units to cooperate with competent forces in developing and carrying out investigations into crime and offences, especially organised, transnational, and armed drug trafficking crime so as to make contributions to maintaining political security and social order and safety within border areas. In addition to collaborating with public security and military forces in protecting national security and ensuring social order and safety, the PBG has proactively designed and synchronously implemented plans for COVID-19 prevention and control in border areas with dozens of checkpoints and the participation of hundreds of its cadres and soldiers.

3. Actively build a firm “posture of people’s hearts and minds” and a solid all-people border defence. Well implementing this measure will provide a solid foundation for bringing into play the combined strength of the whole political system, sectors, and all people to manage and protect national sovereignty and border security. Thus, the PBG has closely cooperated with the province’s departments, committees, sectors, and unions in building and consolidating political bases, attracting investments in constructions and socio-economic development projects to improve the people’s material and mental life in border areas, and effectively maintaining movements regarding the masses’ participation in managing border lines, border markers, and villages’ security and order. It has frequently assigned its staff members to grasp areas and closely cooperate with forces in enhancing law propagation, dissemination, and education to raise cadres and citizens’ awareness and responsibility for the management and protection of national sovereignty and border security.

Moreover, the PBG has collaborated with local party committees and authorities in appointing its staff members to border communes’ party committees and authorities and launching the movement of “all people’s participation in COVID-19 and illegal immigration prevention and combat.” It has actively helped the people with hunger eradication and poverty reduction, while effectively executing programmes, such as “border guard joins hands in new-style countryside construction,” “accompanying frontier women,” “supporting children’s schooling,” and “border guard posts’ adopted children.” Last but not least, it has frequently visited and given presents to families under preferential treatment policies, families in difficulty, and poor students in order to cement the people’s faith within border areas.

Sr. Col. BUI HONG THANH

Commander of the PBG