Thoroughly aware of its functions and tasks, in the past years, Ho Chi Minh City’s Border Guard has adopted various measures to implement border defence tasks, with management and protection of sovereignty, security, and order at border gates, sea (river) ports and sea routes as the focal ones.

Ho Chi Minh City’s Border Guard is assigned to manage and protect sovereignty, security, and social order at border gates, sea routes, and sea ports, at a length of almost 30 km, with 44 ports, 88 quays, and 84 pairs of mooring buoy along Sai Gon, Nha Be, Soai Rap, Long Tau and Dong Nai rivers. In recent years, the city’s port system has been expanded with increased number of people, ships and vehicles getting in and out. In addition, in the City’s Border Guard’s area of responsibility, there are 117 sea transportation agencies, 77 sea services companies, and 55 corporations and companies with more than 7,000 employees.

Moreover, due to the international integration trend, more and more tourists and crews are pouring into the city to spend their holiday and do businesses. Besides positive factors, there also appear social issues causing complexity in the social order and security situation, particularly at the border gates and sea routes. Several illegal activities include: drug trafficking, petrol smuggling, trade frauds, fishing ground disputes, explosive and electricity shock using in fishing activities. Against this backdrop, it is necessary for the border guard to set out new measures to firmly protect sovereignty, security, and order at border gates and sea routes. One important measure to be implemented is renovating and enhancing the quality of situation awareness and anticipation. Under the motto “prevention is the main task while coping with emerging issues is an important one, the City’s Border Guard has stepped up the task of the regional situation awareness, bringing into play the role of the recce forces and the people in maintaining security, particularly at border gates. From the information collected, the Border Guard forces have opportunely analyzed and set out measures to solve emerging issues. During the course of task implementation, attention has been paid to the collaboration with the Customs, Coast Guard, Public Security and Naval forces at all levels.

To effectively conduct its tasks, the Border Guard has actively developed and supplemented regulations for coordination on information sharing and regular brief and review; identifying the responsibility and scale of collaboration with other agencies. Up to now, it has successfully worked with the border guard forces of Ba Ria – Vung Tau and Tien Giang provinces to protect the provincial border routes; cooperated with the Naval Region 2, and Coast Guard Region 3 in protecting maritime sovereignty and security, and with the Public security and the Customs forces in coping with social evils such as drug trafficking, smuggling, and trade frauds, etc.

As regards immigration, the City’s Border Guard has strictly followed the regulations, deployed forces to safely protect military vessels and tourist boats. Implementing the guideline on administrative reforms set by the Government, the force has actively reformed the management procedures at the border gates to make it relevant to international regulations; applying electronic applications so that the immigration procedures would be shorter and easier for the people and enterprises. Up to now, all enterprises, agents and border guard posts have received their account to access the internet portal of the City’s Border Guard. 100% of enterprises and agencies have declared and received online approvals for Vietnamese and foreign vessels’ immigration activities. The city’s border guard has applied software, such as visa printing, code checking, and issuance of cards for getting on and off the ships, thereby creating favorable conditions for the crews and tourists.

In addition, units have been active in conducting propaganda and disseminating the information about the security situation to ship owners, crews, and tourists, providing leaflets introducing historical sites, and asking the tourists to inform the police in case their property is stolen. Moreover, the force has also collaborated with the Customs and other forces to conduct quarantine inspection to opportunely identify epidemic diseases, while supporting enterprises in doing businesses in accordance with the law.

The City’s Border Guard has paid attention to giving advice to the local party committees and administrations on measures to build the whole people’s border defence posture, laying foundation for managing and firmly protecting sovereignty, security and order at border gates and sea routes. The Border Guard Command has closely cooperated with local party committees, administrations, and agencies in encouraging the people to participate in “the whole people’s border defence day”, while raising their responsibility for the building and protection of sovereignty and security at border gates, ports and sea routes. It has also worked with other forces to conduct propaganda and education to render border guard cadres and troops fully aware of the danger of drug abuse and social crimes as well as the methods to prevent them. The building of the border defence posture is associated with the characteristics and the task of social-economic development of the city and connected with the whole people’s national defence posture and the people’s security posture. The responsibility of agencies and all people for protecting sovereignty, security and order at border gates and sea routes has been heightened. In 2017, the City’s Border Guard has worked with localities to conduct propaganda for more than 29,000 people, employing media to disseminate the Law on National Borders, the Law of the Sea of Vietnam, and regulations on management of fishing activities, plots and activities of hostile forces, and crimes of all types, etc.

Moreover, the Border Guard Command has cooperated with other related agencies and forces in disseminating agreements, treaties, legal documents related to the task of border sovereignty and security protection, thus making contribution to raising people’s awareness of national sovereignty and encouraging them to actively participate in border defence activities.

The force has also made use of military-civilian medical infirmaries to take care of the people’s health; while successfully implementing movements, such as “homes for the poor in border areas and islands”, “the Border Guard joins hand to build new-type rural areas”, etc.

By successfully performing its functions and tasks, the City’s Border Guard has directly made contribution to the consolidation of the “people’s hearts and minds posture”, raising awareness and responsibilities of the people for border defence tasks, and encouraging them to participate in the protection of sovereignty, security, and order at border gates, sea routes, and localities.

Ho Chi Minh City’s Border Guard’s task performance has been highly appreciated by local party committees, administrations, and people, making more contribution to the tradition of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers”. That is also a motivation for the force to successfully fulfil its functions and tasks of managing and protecting sovereignty, security, order, and safety at border gates and sea routes, creating favorable conditions for Ho Chi Minh City to develop and become more modern and civilized.

Senior Col. To Danh Ut, Commander of the City’s Border Guard Command