Managing and firmly protecting national sovereignty and border security are regular and critical tasks of the Party, the people, the army, and the entire political system, among which the Border Guard plays a core and specialised role. Being aware of this, Lai Chau Provincial Border Guard (PBG) has taken resolute, synchronised, and effective measures to implement these tasks, meeting the requirements of firmly protecting the locality.

Lai Chau is one of the ten largest provinces in our country, with a border length of over 265 km adjacent to Yunnan province of China. This province belongs to the headwaters and critical protective zones of the Da River, Nam Na River, and Nam Mu River, thus holding strategic significance in terms of national defence, security, and the protection of national sovereignty and border security. Besides, Lai Chau has abundant potential for developing service and commerce, import and export, and tourism. However, this province faces numerous challenges, such as dangerous mountainous terrain, a high proportion of ethnic minority groups, uneven educational levels, and thin and dispersed Border Guard forces carrying out tasks over a vast area. At the same time, the requirements for safeguarding national sovereignty and border security are increasingly high.

From that reality, in recent years, the Party Committee and Command of Lai Chau PBG have vigorously implemented border guard tasks and affairs with different measures, achieving comprehensive results. Notably, they have consistently advised the local party committee and authority on effectively implementing legal documents regarding border management and protection. Additionally, the propaganda and mass mobilisation of the people to protect border lines and boundary markers have shown positive changes, and the management, supervision, and resolution of violations have been seriously conducted. Furthermore, they strictly maintain processes and procedures for inspection, entry and exit control, and border supervision and attach importance to foreign affairs and information exchange with China. Last but not least, the PBG’s Party Committee and Command coordinate with functional agencies in launching peak crackdowns to suppress criminal activities, law violations, smuggling, commercial fraud, and unauthorised transportation of goods across the border, thus contributing to maintaining regional political security and firmly protecting territorial sovereignty without being stunned or passive.

Patrolling with the locals

In the coming time, it is forecast that the political security situation in the province will remain stable, and economic, cultural, and social development will continue, gradually improving people’s lives. However, reactionary and hostile forces are predicted to continue to intensify subversive activities, while crimes related to drugs, human trafficking, smuggling, commercial fraud, illegal entry and exit are becoming increasingly sophisticated and complex. Therefore, to firmly protect national sovereignty and border security, the PBG has emphasised key tasks and measures as follows:

Firstly, the PBG regularly grasps, studies, assesses, and accurately forecasts the internal and external border situation early and from afar, timely advising the Party Committee and High Command of the Border Guard, the Provincial Party Committee, and the Provincial People’s Committee to adopt appropriate policies and measures, thus ensuring proactive and prepared responses in all situations. To realise this, the PBG proactively conducts comprehensive research and assessment and accurately forecasts the internal and external border situation, religious activities, and subversive behaviour in border areas. Hence, it can develop plans, establish detailed strategies, and implement scientific and effective countermeasures, focusing on combating the subversive activities of hostile forces, especially the schemes of secession and self-governance, such as the establishment of “Hmong State” and “Evangelical Mong Church” as well as propaganda activities such as “Madame Co Do” and “Eastern Lightning”, etc. Moreover, the PBG actively coordinates with functional agencies and China’s border management and protection forces in exchanging and verifying information, assessing situations, and effectively handling issues related to national sovereignty and border security.

In addition, the PBG intensifies propaganda efforts and mobilises officers, party members, and the people to enhance their awareness and responsibility in implementing the Party’s and State’s foreign defence policies and strategies. Besides, it continues to effectively implement the movements, namely “All people participate in protecting national sovereignty and border security in the new situation” and “All people participate in preventing and combating crimes, maintaining political security, social order, and safety in border areas”, socio-economic development models to help eradicate poverty. and national programmes and goals in border areas. Indeed, the PBG enhances the role and responsibility of border post officers participating in the party committees at districts and communes in border areas; party members of border posts participating in party meetings at village and hamlet party branches or overseeing households; village chief, religious dignitaries, and respected individuals in advising party committees and mobilising the people to participate in managing and safeguarding national sovereignty and border security.

Secondly, the PBG maintains strict procedures and regulations for entry, exit, and border supervision. Given the complex and dangerous terrain of the province’s border areas, characterised by numerous trails and paths, effectively implementing procedures and regulations for entry, exit, and border supervision is of paramount importance in managing and protecting national sovereignty and border security. To accomplish this, the PBG’s Party Committee and Command enhance measures to improve the professionalism of personnel, focusing on proficiency, specialisation, alignment with functions and tasks, and compliance with legal provisions. Moreover, they leverage their core and specialised roles, coordinating with other forces to maintain political security, social order, and safety; actively formulate plans; regularly or irregularly launch peak crackdowns to prevent and combat crimes, drug trafficking, and illegal transportation of goods across the border. They also strengthen cooperation with China’s functional forces to timely detect, prevent, decisively, and persistently resolve violations of agreements, legal documents, and violations of border and boundary markers. Agencies, units, and border posts strictly adhere to processes and procedures for inspection, entry and exit control, and border supervision while applying information technology, reforming administrative procedures at border gates, and timely handling violations in line with principles, policies, and laws.

Border mark salluting ceremony

Thirdly, the PBG proactively carries out border guard foreign affairs work. As it is an important task with high synthesis, directing impacting border security and safety, its successful implementation will contribute to the successful execution of defence foreign affairs tasks. Based on higher echelons’ directions, tasks, and border guard foreign affairs work, the PBG concretises programmes and plans and advises the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People’s Committee to effectively direct local departments, sectors, and branches to implement these programmes and plans. Additionally, the PBG advises on the construction and upgrading of border gates, the establishment of border market areas (points), and the re-establishment of bilateral patrol activities with the border guard forces of Mong Tu region, China, and organises programmes for friendship exchange, people-to-people diplomacy, and twinning of communities across the border. The PBG directs its agencies, units, and border posts to enhance cooperation with China’s border management and protection forces in strictly implementing cooperation agreements and memoranda of understanding in building, managing, and protecting borders, as well as in preventing and combating crimes. The PBG effectively implements the “Comprehensive project to combat violations by China in building containment barriers in the Vietnam-China mainland border area”, contributing to constructing a peaceful, stable, friendly, cooperative, and developed border.

Fourthly, building the PBG with comprehensive quality, high combat strength, and excellent professional skills, worthy of being the core and specialised force in managing and protecting national sovereignty and border security. This is a decisive factor, ensuring that regardless of the circumstances, the PBG is always ready to accept and successfully complete any assigned tasks. Therefore, the PBG’s Party Committee and Command continue to thoroughly grasp and strictly implement higher echelons’ resolutions and directives regarding the reorganisation of forces, especially focusing on the three breakthroughs in the spirit of the Resolution of the 11^th Military Party Congress and the theme “Year of basic completion of force reorganisation”. The PBG reorganises its force as per the new organisational structure, in accordance with the Vietnam Border Guard Law, meeting the requirements and tasks in the new situation. Importance is attached to building a team of officers and party members with unwavering political will, good moral qualities, competent working abilities, and excellent professional skills, capable of receiving and successfully completing all assigned tasks. The PBG also puts emphasis on improving the quality of training and exercises for all personnel; organises comprehensive, specialised, and location-specific training sessions to enhance technical, tactical, legal, and border guard skills for officers and soldiers, especially young ones. In addition, the PBG continues to effectively implement the Project entitled “National foreign language learning programme for officers, civil servants, and employees for the 2019 - 2030 period” and the programme encouraging officers and soldiers to learn ethnic minority languages within the PBG. Besides, the PBG prepares forces and resources to be ready to participate in disaster prevention and response, search and rescue, and handling of situations that arise in border areas.

Senior Colonel TRIEU QUOC NGUAY, Commander of Lai Chau Provincial Border Guard Command