Located in the Northern part of the Central Highlands of Vietnam, Kon Tum is a mountainous and border province. It covers an area of 9,614.5 square kilometers, with a population of 473,000. 54% of them are ethnics, from 25 minorities. Kon Tum has a border of 142.4 km with Laos and 138.3 km with Cambodia. As a specialized and key force in managing and protecting the provincial borders, the Provincial Border Guard of Kon Tum has identified that the key factor to firmly protect national sovereignty and border security is the successful implementation of mass mobilization. Accordingly, it always thoroughly grasps the military and defence guidelines, foreign policy of the Party, patiently and continuously conducts the task of mass mobilization. In implementation, it has actively collaborated with other departments, agencies, and forces to carry out different models of economic development and build infrastructures which are relevant to the demand and the situation of each locality; multiplied typical examples, creating synergy strength in protecting national sovereignty and border security.

Border guard presenting cow to the poor (photo: baokontum.com.vn)

Kon Tum Border Guard identifies that its most critical task in mass mobilization is to help people living in border areas improve their economic conditions and hunger eradication. This is both the Army’s responsibility and close cooperation with the people, and the key solution to improving the people’s strength and promoting their role in protection of national sovereignty and border security. In order to bring into play all its potentials to successfully and sustainably conduct this task, it has implemented a number of practical and creative measures, of which, the typical ones include: the movement to “Build Dak Nhoong community to be a new rural model of fullness, safety, and strength”; “Cows for the poor in border areas”; “Supporting children to go to school”; “New houses for the poor in border areas”; and “The Border Guard of Kon Tum joins hands to build new–style rural areas”, etc. These movements have directly solved the most challenging and critical issues of the people in border areas; thus they are enthusiastically supported by the local party committees, governments, and the people.

The Kon Tum Border Guard has coordinated with other agencies to help the people borrow money from banks, assisted them with seedlings and breeds, and directly guided them how to feed the breeds and plant the seedlings. Notably, in the times of severe drought, the Border Guard force built an auto-flowing water project (worth about 4,000 USD)  in Dak Xu commune; coordinated with other units of the armed forces to transfer and provide from 10 to 30 cubic meters of fresh water daily for the people; persuaded enterprises and donation organizations to drill water wells for the people in Ro Koi commune, Sa Thay district; built new houses for poor people, and repaired the local community houses. As the main force in disaster relief, the Border Guard has assisted to move 75 families out of the dangerous areas, to new places where they can stay for a long time. On special events such as the Tet, it organized “the green square cake festival for poor people in border areas”. Last Tet, it offered 1,647 square cakes to them. These practical outcomes have directly made contribution to the stabilization and gradually improvement of people’s living conditions so that the people feel happy to live in their localities, communities and border areas, and their beliefs in the Party, the State and the Army are improved. These are important foundations to conduct other contents in mass mobilization.

Clearly acknowledging the role of local government and social organization in protecting sovereignty and border security, the Border Guard of Kon Tum has always paid attention to the consolidation of political system in border communities, and the improvement of people’s knowledge. Implementing the plan of the Provincial Party Committee and the Border Guard Command on the supplementation of border guard personnel to border communities, the Border Guard force has selected officers who are skillful in conducting state management at grassroots level and mass mobilization to join the local party committees and governments. In order to help these officers to successfully carry out their mission, the provincial Border Guard Command has organized training courses on local government, state management, and the missions and functions of these officers. Up to now, it has 09 officers participating in people’s councils in 2016-2021 term (01 at provincial level, 01 at district level, and 07 at commune level); 12 are vice secretaries pf party committees; and a number of party members are in the Party grassroots organizations, etc. in border areas.

In addition, since 2007, the Border Guard of Kon Tum has coordinated with localities to open 18 defence and security courses for cadres at communes; 09 training course for 649 militias and reservists, given advice to consolidate 65 Party cells, admitted 72 new party members, consolidate 08 public security and 10 military branches at grassroots level… By doing so, it has made contribution to the consolidation of political system at border communes, improving the leadership skills and combat strength for party organizations at grassroots level, building a firm all people’s border guard posture along the border areas.

In order to improve the revolutionary awareness for the people, the Border Guard of Kon Tum has adopted the “three joining, four following” measure in persuading the people. It has coordinated with local governments to organize 429 meetings with the participation of 33,380 people, sent hundreds of cadres to every household to promulgate the Party’s guidelines, State’s law and border regulations and agreements, the ‘peaceful evolution’ strategy staged by hostile forces, etc. Thus, the people’s awareness and vigilance are improved. They have actively participated in preventing and fighting against plots and humbugs of hostile forces, and plots to lure ethnics to illegally pass the border to Cambodia.

Implementing the guideline on building the all people’s border guard posture in line with the all people’s defence posture and the all people’s security posture at border areas, the Border Guard of Kon Tum has always focused on building and improving the border protection mass movement, aiming at bringing into play the synergic strength of the whole political system and the whole people to firmly protect sovereignty and border security. Up to now, 95% of villages in 13 border communes have joined the border line and border markers self-control and village security maintenance movement. 681 households with 1,194 people have taken part in self-controlling the borderline of 280.7 kilometers, and 642 households with 1,237 people have taken part in self-controlling 72 border markers, 2,064 households have taken part in 168 security self-controlling groups in their villages.

Through the border protection mass movement, the people have actively detected and provided information for functioning agencies on the matters of illegal intrusion, smuggling, drug trafficking, and human trafficking, etc., making contribution to the maintenance of political stability, security and public safety in border areas.

From the practical activities in mass mobilization, the Border Guard of Kon Tum province has represented its responsibility and strategic vision in the construction of the whole people’s border guard posture. With these achievements, the Border Guard of Kon Tum has got the support of many agencies and personnel, making contribution to its successful accomplishment of their assigned tasks, firm maintenance of the favorable environment for social-economic development, and the construction of the border of peace, friendship, cooperation and development. These are foundations and motives for it to successfully fulfill the task of managing, and firmly protecting the Homeland’s sovereignty and border security in the new situation.

Snr Col. A Mien

Commissar of the Border Guard Command of Kon Tum Province