Law enforcement at sea is the most important mission of Vietnam Coast Guard in general and the Coast Guard Region 3 in particular in order to effectively prevent criminals, maintain the security, order and safety of sea regions, firmly protect the sovereignty over sea and islands of the Homeland. As a result, strengthening the implementation of this mission has been attentively led and directed by the Party Committee and Command of the Coast Guard Region 3 with many effective and synchronous solutions.

Coast Guard Region 3 has been assigned a core mission to enforce the law and protect the national security, order and safety; participate in protecting the sovereignty, sovereign rights, jurisdiction, natural resources and environment over the sea waters and islands from Cu Lao Xanh (Binh Dinh province) to the Northern coast of Dinh An gate (Tra Vinh province), including the Spratly Islands and the continental shelf in the North of Vietnam. These are large areas where have existed a severe environment: the violation of the sovereignty, illegal exploitation of natural resources and fishing by foreign boats, crimes and law violations have been happening frequently with complicated plots. The problems of Vietnam fishing boats encroaching on foreign waters, IUU fishing still occur, affecting the security, order and safety at sea and the development of marine economy.

Fully understanding its functions and the assigned missions, especially the difficulties and challenges, in recent years, the Region’s Party Committee and Command have thoroughly grasped the resolutions, directions and guidelines from the seniors, especially the 1389 Steering Committee of Vietnam Coast Guard, proposed many synchronous solutions on leading and directing the improvement of law enforcement at sea for cadres and soldiers. Offices and units have attentively conducted education to raise the awareness of law, connected with specifically training for forces; seriously maintained the grasp of situation, patrol and check at sea; enhanced the cooperation among functional forces in the Region to carry out the mission; promoted the propaganda, popularisation and education of law for fishermen, pupils and students. As a result, there is an increase in cadres’ and soldiers’ awareness, responsibility and capability; they are united to overcome difficulties, enhance the patrol, check and struggle against crimes and law violations; closely cooperate with other forces to improve the law enforcement at sea, contributing to the protection of security and order in managed seas and islands, and creating a stable condition for the socio-economic development.

Law dissemination for fishermen

In the coming time, it is estimated that there are potentially complicated factors in the waters managed by the Region. Countries in the Region strengthen their military and executive vessels anchoring in the illegally-occupied positions; enhance their patrol and control in order to affirm and protect their sovereign claims in bodering and overlapped waters. Besides, the problems of foreign fishing boats violating Vietnam waters, Vietnamese ones violating foreign waters and doing the illegal fishing may still happen; crimes and violations at sea may occur, especially in the conditions that the economic, production, trading and goods transportation activities by countries and Vietnam have been recovered, etc. In order to well accomplish the assigned missions, the Region’s Party Committee and Command need to continuously lead and direct the synchronous implementation of solutions to improve the capability of law enforcement at sea for cadres, soldiers, offices and units, focusing on the following contents:

Firstly, build the Region strong in politics; with cadres and soldiers owning the moral quality and firm political spirit. This is an important content and the basis to enhance the ability, leading skill and the effectiveness of the law enforcement; especially in the condition that cadres and soldiers often do their duties at sea for a long time, suffering from difficulties, hardships, even facing dangers and negative effects of the market economy, etc. Consequently, the Region’s Party Committee and Command should enhance the implementation of policies and solutions to build the unit really strong in politics, focusing on the maintenance and effective implementation of the political and thinking education, the popularisation of legal education to all participants, making cadres and soldiers understand the characteristics of the Region’s missions, the enemies’ plots and the difficulties, challenges to overcome, etc. in order to build up their skills, will and high determination in their task performance. Besides, it is necessary to enhance the grasp and serious implementation of resolutions, directions and regulations on building and reorganising the party, things that party members must not do, responsibility for setting good examples by cadres and party members; connect the construction of party member staff with the proper implementation of Resolution No. 847-NQ/QUTW, dated 28/12/2021 by the Central Military Commission on Promoting the qualities of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers”, being determined to struggle against individualism in the new situation; Direction No. 212/CT-ĐU by the Standing Party Committee of the Coast Guard on continuously improving the movement of “4 goods, 4 don’ts, 4 againsts” to make a firm basis for the accomplishment of assigned missions.

Secondly, improve the knowledge of law, ability of struggling and handling the situations at sea for cadres and soldiers. This is the important sollution, which directly decides the ability and effectiveness of enforcing the law, maintaining the security, order, safety and sovereignty over seas and islands. It has been clearly seen from the reality of activities at sea that cadres and soldiers have shown many limitations in complicated situations, especially in the struggles against traffickings, trading frauds and activities of violating the national sovereignty. As a result, the Region has asked offices and units to give various further training on the knowledge of law, ability, experience in struggling against and handling situations at sea for soldiers. In particular, it is necessary to focus on the knowledge of law, procedure and experience of struggling against and handling cases at sea which are relevant to each office and individual’s responsiblity and missions. Units need to improve their training for combat readiness, patrol, check, control and law enforcement at sea, contributing to the improvement of practical capability and making sure that all cadres and soldiers could successfully accomplish their missions in all situations.

Thirdly, advise the completion of legal documents on managing and protecting sea waters and improve the effectiveness of specialist methods. Completing the system of legal documents is the important basis to manage, protect security, order, safety and sovereignty over seas and islands in the condition that on the East Sea still exist potential risks of instability and complications; many activities are relevant to foreign affairs. Basing on the thorough grasp and understanding of the Party’s policies and guidelines, Vietnam’s law and the international laws which Vietnam has participated, the Region has continuously advised all levels to complete their legal documents which are related to the management and protection of seas and islands, the punishment of crimes and violations at sea, making sure the concretisation of rights and duties of our country, clearly specifying the functions, missions and power of the Coast Guard and making favourable conditions for the Region’s forces to improve their capability and effectiveness of the law enforcement at the marine Regions managed by them.

Fourthly, propose the support of weapons, equipment, technical means and policies on the law enforcement at sea. Besides humans as the decisive factor, weapons and equipment are also important parts directly contributing to the effectiveness improvement of law enforcement at sea by the Coast Guard in general and the Region in particular. Together with the education on promoting the will, determination and further training on law for on-duty cadres and soldiers, the Region needs to strictly maintain the regulations of effectively managing, exploiting and using all kinds of existing weapons, equipment and means. At the same time, it is necessary to propose to purchase new and modern  weapons, equipment and technical means to meet the demands for protecting security, sovereignty over seas and islands, preventing illegal fishing, struggling against crimes and legal violations at sea, timely handling all cased effectively and avoiding the passive and sudden situations.

Fifthly, make close cooperation; bring into play the general strength of all forces and means on the sea waters under the management; synchronously and effectively carry out solutions; at the same time, support one another to deal with all violations of marine law. Accordingly, the Region need to enhance the close coordination and cooperation with the Border Guards, the Navy, the Police, Market Control, Fishery Surveillance, etc. in the area to exchange the information, firmly investigate all activities by any suspects and means infringing upon the sovereignty over seas and islands in order to suggest suitable solutions. Simultaneously, it is necessary to strengthen international coordination and cooperation to improve the ability of forecast, advise correctly and timely, quickly detect and effectively deal with all illegal violations according to the law.

Finally, renovate the forms and contents of the propaganda and dissemination of law for people. Offices and units of the Region need to frequently cooperate with the local agencies, departments and branches in the area to propagandise and disseminate the law for all-class people with suitable forms and methods; focus on the combination between direct propaganda with the one in the mass media, social networks; propagandise while doing the mission at sea, etc. It should be focused on educating and propagandising the Party’s policies and guidelines, the State’s law on the security and sovereignty over seas and islands, crimes and legal violations at sea so that all people could fully understand their duties and responsibilities for protecting the security and sovereignty over seas and islands. It is also necessary to effectively promote people’s or fishermen’s discoveries and denouncement of violations to the Coast Guard, making contribution to the maintenance of security, order and safety on the assigned sea waters.

Major General NGO BINH MINH, Commander of the Coast Guard Region 3