Building a solid "people's heart and mind posture" in the whole country in general and in each maritime area in particular is the strategic policy of the Party and State in the cause of national construction and defence. This is also an important and cross-cutting content that the Party Committee and the Command of Coast Guard Region 2 have paid attention to leading and directing with many synchronous and effective solutions, contributing to promoting the synergy of the whole region in maritime law enforcing at sea and protecting the country's sacred maritime and islands sovereignty.

Propaganda and education are key

Building the "people’s heart and mind posture" is in fact the consolidation of political and spiritual factors, of which, the patriotism, the sense of national resilience, the people's confidence in the Party, State and the socialist regime are at the core. They shape the posture, serving as the foundation for promoting the strength of the entire nation in the cause of national defence. Being thoroughly aware of that, in recent years, the Command of Coast Guard Region 2 has focused on promoting propaganda and raising awareness for its local officials, party members and people about the importance and role of the sea ​​and islands, as well as the Party's viewpoints and guidelines, and policies and laws of our State and the international laws on seas and islands. As a result, the local patriotism, the pride in the nation's traditions, and the loyalty and indomitableness have been strengthened; the awareness and responsibility for the implementation of guidelines, policies and goals on marine economic development in association with consolidating national defence and security have been consolidated, and the country's sacred maritime and islands sovereignty has been firmly protected in the new situation.

On the basis of thoroughly grasping the higher levels’ resolutions, directives, plans and instructions, the Regional Coast Guard’s Party Committee and its Command have concretised into guidelines and measures. In particular, attention has been paid to identifying appropriate content, actively renewing propaganda forms and methods in the direction of diversity and creativity, that are relevant to functions and tasks of the Region and each unit. In addition to the content of propaganda, aiming at equipping fishermen with basic knowledge of Vietnam laws and international laws relating to seas and islands, such as the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea; the 2012 Law on the Sea of ​​Vietnam, the Law on Fisheries; the Law on Prevention of Drug Crimes; and the Law on Vietnam Coast Guard, etc. The Regional Command has also strengthened propaganda on illegal fishing in foreign waters, destructive fishing and destroying the marine ecological environment; policies of the Party and State in encouraging and supporting the people to settle down on islands, actively being present on fishing grounds, the sea and islands situation; and the functions, tasks, and tradition of the Vietnam Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Region 2, etc. Regarding the objects of propaganda, importance has been attached to fishermen operating at sea, officials, party members and people who are living in coastal localities, on the islands, schools’ teachers and students, and ethnic minorities and religious groups in the area of responsibility.

In order to achieve practical effectiveness, the Regional Command has set high requirements on diversified, visualised, understandable, and attractive manner of propaganda forms and methods that are relevant to different objects. Accordingly, the Region Command has focused on directing its units to closely combine oral propaganda with other forms of propaganda, such as: cultural and artistic exchanges, twinning activities; delivering leaflets, brochures, publishing books, manuals and video clips, etc. It has deployed propaganda teams to conduct propaganda to fishing boats at sea, combining comprehensive with specific propagandas on each object, each location, and at each time. Especially, a number of "I love the sea and islands of my homeland" contests with rich, diverse and attractive contents have been successfully held at schools, attracting a large number of teachers and students to participate, creating a strongly spreading effect in communities. In addition, attention has been paid to successfully implementing propaganda work on the national and local broadcasting agencies. It is the first unit in of the Coast Guard Command to complete the deployment of the column "For sovereignty, security and safety of the sea and islands" monthly on television stations of coastal provinces and cities in the area. For regular and effective propaganda, the Regional Command has promoted the comprehensive strength of different agencies, organisations, and forces; focusing on improving the quality of the reporters; closely coordinating with Party committees, authorities, mass organisations and local people, from signing regulations, formulating plans to implementation.

Since 2021 to date, the Region Command has coordinated with Party committees and local authorities to conduct propaganda to more than 11,800 officials, fishermen, teachers and students; delivering over 17,300 leaflets of all kinds, 200 books on "the work of providing information and conducting propaganda of Vietnam's sovereignty over Truong Sa and Hoang Sa Islands", 100 manuals on beliefs and religions,... to hundreds of fishing boats in the waters under the Regional Command’s area of responsibility. With the motto "small rain lays great dust", the persistence of the forces in the propaganda work has contributed to raising the patriotism, national pride, creating social consensus among people of all strata. , arousing and raising the spirit of revolutionary vigilance, the sense of sovereignty protection, and security and safety in the sacred waters and islands of the Fatherland.

Presenting national flag to fishermen

Successfully performing its functions and tasks in association with strengthening the mass mobilisation work are the core contents to consolidate the "people's heart and mind posture" at sea.

The maritime area where Regional Command performs its tasks is large and sensitive, imbedding potentials for many complicated and unpredictable factors. It is also an undemarcated area where unsafe maritime traffic accidents due to natural disasters and coercive actions of foreign law enforcement vessels often occur. Therefore, the Regional Command has regularly conducted patrolling, inspecting, managing and maintaining law enforcement, safeguarding security and sovereignty of the sea and islands. By performing this task, it has timely identified and promptly handled acts of illegal fishing, exploration and exploring mineral resources by foreign vessels in our waters; resolutely fighting against acts of chasing, crashing, stealing fishing equipment, causing social and political disorder and insecurity at sea; at the same time, it has persuaded our fishermen not to violate foreign waters. The presence of officers and soldiers of Coast Guard Region 2 at sea is really a solid foundation for fishermen to go offshore, contributing to protecting maritime and islands sovereignty, and exercising "civil sovereignty" on the country's traditional fishing grounds.

The task of conducting search and rescue, and ensuring safety for fishermen have been considered the combat duty in peace time by the Regional Command and an order from the heart of each officer and soldier. Therefore, regardless of hard weather conditions, stormy weather or in remote waters, the region's forces and vessels are still present in time to help fishermen. Particularly since 2020 to date, the Regional Command has mobilised 18 ships and boats to carry out search and rescue missions, towing 18 ships and boats with 57 crew members in distress at sea. Agencies and units of the Regional Command has actively coordinated with the local authorities to successfully organise training courses, guide and foster the work of ensuring safety, first aid skills to save distressed people, and provide advice on controlling the ships in bad weather conditions. It has also actively participated with local authorities in guiding boats to anchor, evacuating people to safe shelters, and helping people to prevent, combat and overcome consequences of natural disasters, and soon stabilise their living conditions. In particular, the Regional Command has done a good job in coordinating and synergising with the Party Committees and local authorities of the regional provinces and cities to well implement the Decree No. 30/2010/ND-CP, dated 29/05. 3/2010, Decree No. 130/2015/ND-CP, dated December 18, 2015 of the Government and Circular No. 153/2016/TT-BQP, dated September 30, 2016 of the Ministry of National Defence on mobilising human resources, ships, and civil means to participate in protecting the country's maritime sovereignty and sovereign rights.

Along with that, importance has been attached to actively giving advice and helping localities in building a strong grassroots political system, developing the marine economy, supporting infrastructure construction, and participating in hunger irradiation and poverty alleviation, improving the material and spiritual life for people in the area, especially in difficult places, and island communes and districts. To mitigate the decreasing trend in fishery human resources due to the labour migration and difficulties and dangers in fishing at sea, the Regional Command has coordinated with local Party committees and authorities to conduct propaganda, persuade and support fishermen to keep up with their traditional jobs, love the sea, stick to the fishing grounds, develop their family economy, and have a better living condition.

The Regional Command has directed its agencies and units to proactively and actively coordinate with forces in island communes, island districts and coastal areas to successfully implement the movement "All people stay united to build cultural life at their residential areas", "Building a new countryside", helping people with practical activities, such as: concreting inter-village roads; upgrading martyrs cemetery; clearing village roads, alleys and beaches; and planting storm protection forests. At the same time, emphasis has been placed on regularly conducting medical examination and providing free medicines to people in difficulties in island communes and districts; implementing the program "Joining hands to clean up the maritime environment" with thousands of participants. In order to effectively implement these program and movement, the Regional Command has persuaded businesses, socio-political organisations and benefactors to participate in supporting both materially and spiritually, along with the Command’s officers and soldiers to accompany fishermen, connecting the mainland with the islands by many practical and meaningful activities, such as: visiting, encouraging, giving gifts to policy beneficiary families, poor fishermen, sponsoring poor students with good studying results; donating national flags; life vests; medical tools, epidemic prevention supplies and many other practical items to fishermen. As a result, the living condition of the fishermen has been improved, and there are more national flags in our waters. They are the “living landmarks” to affirm the maritime and islands sovereignty of the Fatherland. The efforts made by officers and soldiers of the whole Regional Command have been reciprocated by the affection of the people, so that the people are really important "eyes and ears" of law enforcement forces at sea, providing valuable information for the fight against crime, and the protection of sovereignty, security and safety at sea.

The above mentioned practical and effective activities are an important premise for Coast Guard Region 2 to continue promoting the construction of a solid "people's heart and mind posture" at sea, serving as a foundation to promote the whole people power in managing and firmly protecting national sovereignty, security and safety in the assigned maritime area.

Sr. Col. LE HUY SINH, Commissar of Coast Guard Region 2