The Second Regional Coast Guard performs duties in the waters covering six central provinces of Vietnam. Over the past years, under the direct leadership of the Party Committee and High Command of the Vietnam Coast Guard (VCG), with the coordination, assistance and support of local Party committees, authorities and people, the Regional Coast Guard (RCG) has overcome difficulties and fulfilled all its assigned tasks, making contributions to maintaining a peaceful, friendly and cooperative environment, order and security, firmly protecting the maritime boundary and islands of the Homeland.

The Ceremony to receive the Third-Class Feat-of-Arms Order

In 2017 and the first half of 2018, the RCG conducted a series of tasks, such as patrolling to protect sovereignty, fighting against crime; detecting, monitoring, and fining thousands of foreign vessels violating Vietnam’s law; dozens of ships with hundreds of smugglers and trade fraudsters. At the same time, it cooperated with the police in fighting against a number of drug trafficking cases and cases related to maritime order and security, with the total amount of confiscated goods and penalties worth hundreds of billions of VND. It also conducted search and rescue, and provided medical services for dozens of ships and fishermen. The above mentioned achievements were mainly attributed to the RCG’s Party Committee and Command’s adoption of comprehensive and unified solutions to improve the effectiveness of law enforcement.

At present, the task of building the "revolutionary, regular, seasoned, modern, and highly professional" VCG and the cause of protecting the Homeland’s sea and island sovereignty impose new and higher requirements. The situation in the East Sea in general and the seas under the RCG’s management in particular, has complicated developments. Meanwhile, RCG is confronted with numerous difficulties, such as the insufficient professional cadres and military personnel, and limited equipment, etc. Thus, the RCG’s Party Committee and Command determine to focus on three following key points as the solutions to improving law enforcement capacity.

Firstly, to promote law propaganda, dissemination and education among the armed forces and fishermen in coastal provinces and cities. On the basis of the resolution on the law propaganda, dissemination and education by the VCG’s Party Committee, monthly, quarterly and annually, the RCG’s Party Committee requires its junior Party committees and organizations to include this task in the leadership resolutions while commanders are asked to make plans and carry out this task in a manner that is appropriate and practical. At the same time, attention is paid to strengthening and promoting the role of the councils (teams, groups) for law dissemination and education, grasping resolutions and instructions of the party committees at all levels, the functions and tasks of the Coast Guard, the responsibilities and tasks of individuals, legal professional documents and regulations by the Ministry of National Defence on interacting with foreigners, guiding principles and rules for dealing with situations occurring at sea during the law enforcement process.

The RCG requests units to strictly maintain the daily, weekly, and monthly regulations, especially on duty and report; the regulations on democracy at grassroots level, Law Day, and Political and Cultural Day. In order to effectively conduct the law propaganda, dissemination and education, importance is attached to combining patrol with the propaganda about Vietnam’s law, regulations and defence diplomacy policy in our sovereign and related waters; printing books, brochures (in Vietnamese and foreign languages) which are easy to remember, to understand and to read for distribution to fishermen and other related figures. In order to raise a sense of responsibility of the leading and key officers, attention is paid to maintaining the order for learning the "Coast Guard Law Enforcement Manual" associated with the organization of the models of "learning a law each day" and "Psychological - legal counseling group", etc.

Secondly, successfully implementing the Resolution 120-NQ/ĐU by the VCG’s Party Committee on "Building the revolutionary, regular, seasoned and modern VCG, meeting the requirements in the new situation ". This is the basic and focal task of party committees and commanders at all levels. In the process, it is required to achieve the objective of building the revolutionary, modern and professional RCG with proper organizational structure and synchronous equipment to meet the tasks of national sovereignty protection, maritime law enforcement and international cooperation. Importance is attached to building a contingent of cadres with firm political spirit, good moral qualities, capability, and professional qualifications; in-depth knowledge of the law; to training them to master modern weapons and equipment in all circumstances. Accordingly, the RCG’s units should  well implement the Project on "Renewing political education in units in the new period"; improve the quality of tactical and technical training and combat readiness; combine the building of clean and strong party organizations with that of comprehensively strong units. In the process, units need to coordinate the establishment of regular and discipline units with the Party building and rectification in accordance with Resolution No.4 by the Party Central Committee (XII tenure), the Directive No.05-CT/TW by the Politburo (XII tenure) on "Acceleration of studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, morality and lifestyle" and the campaign "Promoting the tradition, dedicating talents, and deserving Uncle Ho’s soldiers”, etc.

Firmly grasping the "Basics, practicality and thorough grasp" training guideline, units at all levels have vigorously renewed training methods, content and programs to make them relevant to their tasks and the responsibility of individuals; increased practical and professional training as well as foreign language training for officers and soldiers; attached importance to improving the quality of exercises, inspection and re-examination tasks; combined professional training with physical training and regularity building. Attention is also paid to building technical infrastructure and preparing material sources, ensuring the good performance of regular and extraordinary tasks; fostering scientific research and application of  science and technology, especially information technology to management and administration; promoting internal strength and cooperating with other forces in handling all situations, etc.

Thirdly, closely cooperating with local authorities in law enforcement and fulfilling the Coast Guard diplomacy. This coordination is carried out in the seas, from the baseline to the outer boundary of the exclusive economic zone, the continental shelf and within the internal waters, seaports.  To be effective, great attention is paid to developing plans, implementing plans, and drawing lessons, etc. The coordination must stay close to the characteristics, functions, tasks and requirements for each force; strictly follow Vietnam’s law and international practices; bring into full play the comprehensive strength to protect maritime sovereignty, sovereign rights, jurisdiction, security and order, peaceful environment, friendship and cooperation.

Thoroughly grasping the Party and State's guidelines, strategy, policies on external relations, international cooperation and defence diplomacy, party committees and commanders at all levels should well conduct external affairs and give sound advice to higher echelons on signing and effectively maintaining foreign relations and cooperation agreements and plans, establishing hotlines with maritime law enforcement forces of Vietnam’s neighbours to opportunely inform and cooperate with them in solving cases when necessary.

Successfully implementing these three measures will help enhance the law enforcement capacity of Second Regional Coast Guard, contributing to maintaining a peaceful and friendly environment and firmly protecting the sea and island sovereignty of the country.

Sr. Col. Dao Hong Nghiep, Commander of the Regional Coast Guard