The Command of Da Nang Port Border Gate under Da Nang City Border Guard Command is the core force, in collaboration with police force, relevant organs, and local authority, to control and protect sovereignty, security and order in the Da Nang Port Border Gate area and sea border area of Hai Chau district of Da Nang city, including a 30-km coastline under the management of 17 wards and 5 districts. Over the past years, thanks to the direct leadership and direction of the Party Committee and the Command of Da Nang City Border Guard, collaboration and support of local party committee, authorities, organizations, and people, cadres and troops of  the Da Nang Port Border Gate  have overcome all difficulties and hardships to successfully fulfil assigned tasks, contributing to firmly protecting sovereignty, political security, social order and safety in the Port Border Gate and sea border area, facilitating the movement of domestic and foreign ships, as well as activities, particularly tourism, trade at the Port Border Gate.

Da Nang Port Border Gate troops performing task (photo: baodanang.vn)

When performing tasks, the Unit has encountered numerous difficulties and challenges. It is because fishermen, with low level of education, usually move and work on the sea, thus hardly access information. In order to make “the people understand, believe, follow” and support the Unit, cadres and troops should both dedicate themselves to following Uncle Ho’s moral example and have experiences and professional expertise. To meet those requirements, the Party Committee and the Command of the Port Border Gate have encouraged the implementation of the Directive No.3-CT/TW of the Politburo (XI tenure), concretizing it into criteria for cadres, party members and the masses to train and strive for, in line with conducting the Campaign “Promoting traditions, maintaining discipline, heightening love and responsibility” launched by the Party Committee and the Border Guard Command.

Thoroughly grasping the Party’s viewpoints and Uncle Ho’s thought on external affairs, implementing the Directive No.4-CT/TW of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat (XI tenure) on “Continuing to innovate and enhance the effectiveness of people-to-people, military and border guard external affairs in the new situation” and the Decree 89/2009/NĐ-CP of the Government on Border Guard external affairs, Port Border Gate troops have effectively performed border guard external affairs, people-to-people exchange, serving the development of Da Nang city and its relations in the era of international integration. Between 2014 and 2015, Port Border Guard troops had conducted propagation for approximately 70,000 tourists and crew members of military ships. Notably, in February 2014, Port Border Guard troops gently persuaded a taxi driver to return a mobile phone worth about VND 17 million to his/her foreign tourist passenger. Moreover, Port Border Gate troops have proactively worked with other forces stationed in the area to disseminate and educate knowledge on defence and security to people from all walks of life; to strengthen law dissemination and education for the people in accordance with the Project “Strengthening law dissemination and education for cadres and people in border areas and islands in the period of 2013–2016”. Accordingly, it has raised fishermen’s awareness and a sense of responsibility of State law and regulations observance in sea border area, strengthened all people great solidarity, and made contributions to building a strong “people’s heart and mind” posture in the sea.

Performing its function as “an army ready for work” and promoting the tradition of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers – Border Guard”, Port Border Gate cadres and soldiers have proactively given advice to local party committees and authorities to build strong political systems at all levels, well implement Democratic Regulations at grass-roots level, settle claims in accordance with rules and laws, and timely deal with arising issues to prevent “hot spots” in the area. The Unit has also proactively engaged in local socio-economic development plans and tasks, and approached the people to take part in maintaining political security, social order and safety, and protecting sovereignty and sea border security. Besides, it has approached the people to follow the movement “The whole country joins hands to build new rural areas”, “Border Guard joins hands to build new rural areas”. It has thoroughly grasped and seriously implemented the Directive No.24 of the Executive Party Committee of Da Nang on “Working with each other to help households living in extreme poverty, pupils dropping out of school, naughty adolescents violating law”, proactively contributed to “Fund for the Poor”, “Study Encouragement Fund”, “Pink Heart Fund” and other movements and activities to improve living conditions in localities. It has organized classes and given scholarships to excellent poor pupils, supported Vo Thi Sau Primary School to repair and upgrade its facilities before new school year, helped the people prevent natural disasters and overcome consequences, and provided people with free medical examination and treatment. It has also proactively participated in the movements of “Repaying people for their favours”, “When drinking water, think of its source”, taken care of Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, visited and given presents to households with merits in revolution and poor households on national holidays.

In the time ahead, cadres and soldiers of the Da Nang Port Border Gate will continue to further better mass mobilization work in accordance with “Ho Chi Minh’s moral example and his instructions to the Border Guard” contributing to improving people’s living conditions and intellectual standards, stimulating economic, cultural, social development, consolidating defence and security, firmly protecting sovereignty, security in port border gate and sea border area in the new period.

Senior Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thanh Binh

Junior Commissar of Da Nang Port Border Gate