Firmly protecting the sovereignty and security of the border in general, and that of the sea and islands in particular, is of strategic significance, and both urgent, fundamental and long-term task. In order to successfully execute this important mission, the Quang Nam Provincial Border Guards have focused on leading and directing the synchronous implementation of solutions to firmly protect the sovereignty and security of the sea border, contributing to building the province stable in politics, rich in economy, and strong in defence and security.

Quang Nam is a South Central coastal province, boasting a 125-km-long coastline, 02 island communes, 02 world cultural heritages (Hoi An Ancient Town and My Son Sanctuary), Cu Lao Cham World Biosphere Reserve, etc. This makes the province an important position in many aspects, including the protection of the sovereignty and security of the sea border. In order to successfully implementing the socio-economic development goals, strengthening national defence and security, firmly protecting the sovereignty and security of the sea border, in recent times, the Party Committee and Command of the Provincial Border Guard have actively advised the Party Committee and High Command of the Border Guards; the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, and People's Committee of Quang Nam province to lead, direct and implement programmes and plans to build a strong people's border defence in the area.

The Provincial Border Guards Command proactively advise the Province to lead and direct all levels, sectors, localities and units to promote propaganda, dissemination and education to raise awareness and sense of law compliance for cadres, civil servants, public employees, soldiers of the armed forces and people, especially people in coastal border areas in building, managing and protecting national borders and protecting security in coastal border areas. This makes them understand that borders, territories, seas and islands are sacred and inviolable sovereignty of the Fatherland; protecting borders in general and security and sovereignty of maritime border in particular is the task of the entire Party, people, troops and political system. At the same time, this also arouses people's awareness and responsibility for maritime border sovereignty. Its agencies and units proactively study, grasp and forecast the situation; promptly advise many policies and solutions for comprehensive, focused, key and in-depth implementation of border work; handle situations promptly and effectively, without being made passive or surprised; firmly manage and protect territorial sovereignty and security in maritime border areas. Moreover, they strictly maintain activities for border and sea management and protection; coordinate with local authorities and relevant forces to effectively implement natural disaster prevention and control, search and rescue; prevent and combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; conduct patrols and strictly control areas, border gates, and seaports to prevent illegal entry and exit; deploy 81 solidarity fishing teams at sea with 955 boats and more than 4,500 crew members, etc.

Officers of Thanh Lan border guard post present lifejackets and legal leaflets to fishermen (Photo: baochinhphu.vn)

Faced with the increasingly high demands of the task of protecting territorial sovereignty, national borders, and security in maritime border areas, the Provincial Border Guard Party Committee and Command continue to thoroughly grasp and comprehensively implement all aspects of border work, focusing on the following tasks.

Firstly, promoting propaganda and education to raise awareness, consciousness and responsibility of all levels, sectors and people for the task of protecting sovereignty and security of maritime borders. Based on a firm grasp of the characteristics and needs of each target, agencies and units of the Provincial Border Guards proactively develop content, determine appropriate and effective forms and methods of propaganda, focusing on the Party's guidelines and viewpoints, the State's policies and laws on protecting sovereignty over seas and islands, especially the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, Resolution of the 8th Central Committee (13th tenure) on the Strategy for protecting the Fatherland in the new situation, Resolution No. 33/NQ-TW, dated 28 September 2018 of the Politburo on the Strategy for protecting national borders, the Law on National Borders, the Law on Vietnam Border Guard, etc. Propaganda for fishermen is focused on specific contents such as: regulations in the field of fisheries exploitation of our country and other coastal countries in the region, safety regulations for people and vehicles during operations and when encountering incidents at sea, IUU fishing and fishermen's sense of responsibility in joining hands to remove the "yellow card" of the European Commission; plots, tricks, and methods of operation of criminals in the maritime border areas. At the same time, they diversify the forms and methods of propaganda associated with local political, economic, cultural, and social activities to make legal content more familiar to the lives of fishermen. In addition, they should flexibly combine oral propaganda with dramatisation, legal contests associated with community activities to make it more visible, comprehensible, and interesting. To improve efficiency, the the Provincial Border Guard’s Party Committee and Command strengthen leadership and direct its units and border posts to closely coordinate with Party committees, authorities, departments, branches, organisations, and localities, especially with the Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda Commission, the Provincial Party Committee's Commission of Public Relations, and central and local press agencies to conduct propaganda, education, and mobilise the masses in many practical and specific forms; require high sea fishing vessel owners to sign a commitment not to encroach on foreign waters during the fishing process, etc.

Secondly, proactively coordinating closely with forces in managing and firmly protecting sovereignty and security in maritime border areas. Strengthening the measures to grasp the area and closely coordinating with relevant forces in performing tasks is a measure that the Provincial Border Guard attaches special importance to. Accordingly, the Provincial Border Guard Command focuses on synchronously deploying professional measures in grasping the situation and conducting basic investigations, especially in key areas. Attaching importance to promoting the role of reconnaissance forces; grasping the situation in maritime border areas, rural security and all types of crimes, particularly in key areas, service sectors, foreign investment, activities of ships and fishermen at sea. Closely coordinate with the Military, the Police, the Navy, the Coast Guard, the Customs, etc. in the area to regularly grasp the situation, coordinate patrols, control to protect sovereignty and security at sea, fight against all types of crimes, search and rescue; conduct regional defence drills, search and rescue; implement Decree No. 130/2015/ND-CP, dated 18 December 2015 of the Government on mobilising civil human resources, ships and means for protecting sovereignty, sovereign rights of sea areas, etc. In order to make this work practical and effective, the Provincial Border Guard actively builds, supplements and perfects coordination regulations and plans; strictly maintains the order of information exchange, situation reporting, periodically organises meetings and review; clearly decentralises the scope and responsibilities of the forces in coordinating activities for subordinate units. On that basis, they promptly assess, analyse, forecast accurately, early, from afar and give sound advice to the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Committee and superiors on appropriate handling measures; proactively deploys professional plans, special projects, directly and closely coordinates with friendly forces according to their functions, resolutely fights and firmly protects the sovereignty and security of the coastal border areas of ​​the Province.

Thirdly, promoting the core role in building an increasingly strong all people's border defence. Building an all people's border defence is a key task to create a solid, long-term foundation for performing the task of managing and protecting sovereignty and security in the maritime border areas. Therefore, the agencies and units of the Provincial Border Guard continue to promote their leading role, coordinate with relevant forces to advise the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, and People's Committee many policies and solutions to lead and direct the building of an all people's border defence relevant to the characteristics of the locality, focusing on building a strong people's border defence posture. Closely following the socio-economic development tasks of the locality, they focus on advising and building the core contents of the all-people border defence in the overall all-people national defence and people's security; the all-people border defence posture associated with the all-people national defence posture and a solid people's security posture. During implementation, the Provincial Border Guard Command focuses on promoting propaganda and mobilisation work to raise awareness, consciousness and responsibility of all levels, sectors and people for the cause of protecting sovereignty and security in the maritime border area. Along with that, it is necessary to proactively advise and help local Party committees and authorities to build political bases, develop socio-economy, improve people’s living standards in the border areas; link local development with the task of protecting sovereignty and security of the maritime border. Regularly participate in the appraisal of investment projects for economic and infrastructure development in coastal border areas; coordinate with departments, branches and sectors to sign and effectively implement programmes and models to help people develop socio-economy and reduce poverty, such as: "Housing the poor in border and island areas", "Border Guards join hands to build new rural areas and civilised urban areas", "Helping children’s schooling", "Adoptees of the border guards", "Party members take charge of households in border, sea and island areas"; "Border Spring - Island Tet"; "For the offshore ships"; "Let's clean the sea", "March of borders, seas and islands", etc. This will help contributing significantly to building and consolidating the solid "people's heart and mind posture"; promoting the mass to participate in the movement of protecting sovereignty and border security substantially, and maintaining political security, order and social safety in the coastal border area, creating a favourable environment for the Province’s fast and sustainable development.

Senior Colonel TRAN TIEN HIEN, Commander of the Provincial Border Guard