In order to firmly protecting the country's sovereignty over the sea and sacred islands, building the maritime militia and self-defence force has been identified as a strategic policy of our Party and State. As the  core force of a coastal province, for the past years, Quang Ninh armed forces have concentrated their resources, efforts, and mind on building this force and obtained  practical results.

Quang Ninh is one of the provinces with large area of sea. Its water is located adjacent to China, with 250 km of coastline and more than 2,000 large and small islands, accounting for about two thirds of the country's islands. This area is of strategic importance in terms of politics, economy, defence, security and foreign affairs of the Military Region 3 and the entire Northeastern region of the country. Deeply grasping the military and defence lines of the Party, the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defence, especially the Law on Militia and Self-Defence Force, etc. over the years, the Military Command of Quang Ninh province has advised the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, and People's Committee on leading and directing the building of a strong maritime militia and self-defence force with high overall quality and combat readiness level, which is really the core force in performing local defence and military work, contributing to firmly defending the country’s sea and island sovereignty, maintaining political security, social order and safety in the locality; and a reliable political force of local Party committees, authorities and people.

A training session of Van Don maritime militia

To achieve such results, first of all, the province focuses on building a maritime militia and self-defence force with reasonable strength and structure, and high political quality. With the motto that "where there are people and party organisations, there are militia and self-defence force", the Provincial Military Command has advised the Province to direct coastal localities, agencies and businesses with sea-related operations to establish maritime militia and self-defence units and maintain regular operations. In particular, thoroughly grasping and implementing the policy of the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence on improving the capabilities of the maritime militia in the struggle to protect the sovereignty of the sea, islands, fishermen, sovereignty, sovereign rights, and national jurisdiction at sea, the Provincial Military Command has advised the province to develop and issue Plan No. 172 /KH-UBND-tm, dated May 11, 2021 on the implementation of Project No. 1069/DA-BQP, dated September 24, 2018 of the Ministry of National Defence on “Building permanent militia fleets in the defence of sovereignty seas and islands in the new situation”. During the implementation, the Provincial Military Command actively coordinated with the provincial departments, agencies and branches to survey, select the location for building the barracks and facilities; conduct propaganda, education and selection of human resources; procure and build new vehicles, equipment, supportive tools, etc. to form standing militia fleet of the Province according to the roadmap.

Together with force development, the Province focuses on improving the quality of training and drills for the maritime militia and self-defence force. As the marine militia are mostly fishermen operating at sea, dispersed in a wide area, and only gather together occasionally, every year, the Provincial Military Command directs Military agencies of districts, cities and towns to actively formulate training and rehearsal plans relevant to the characteristics of each locality. In particular, it chooses the time of training in the rainy season and the breeding season of aquatic creatures when fishermen stop their operations, and early notify them so that they proactively prepare and attend with the most number. Before each training season, the Provincial Military Command conducts training for officers of squads, platoons, officers in charge of militia and self-defence force of agencies, units, military commands of districts, towns, and cities. In addition to the prescribed contents, maritime militia and self-defence officers are also informed about new information on sovereignty and legal rights over Vietnam's seas and islands, the Law of the Sea of Vietnam and a number of legal documents of the State related to seas and islands; the procedures and methods of fighting against foreign ships illegally violating Vietnam's territorial seas, etc. During training process, the Province adheres to the motto of "basic, practical and effective". Besides military training, its localities have stepped up political education to raise awareness about defence and military tasks, the security situation on sea and islands; conspiracies and tricks of hostile forces, etc. Therefore, every year, the Province conducts training for 100% of officers and soldiers of the maritime militia and self-defence force. In addition, the province focuses on mobilising the maritime militia and self-defence force in defensive area drills at the provincial and district levels; civil defence drills in response to super typhoons, and search and rescue, etc. thereby, improving the overall quality, combat readiness level and the ability to handle situations on defence and security for the maritime militia and self-defence forces.

Thoroughly grasping and implementing Decree No. 02/2020/ND-CP, dated June 30, 2020 of the Government regulating coordination activities of militia and self-defence force, the Province promotes coordination between its maritime militia and self-defence force with other ones. Accordingly, the Provincial Military Command advised the Province to meet, exchange and sign cooperation agreements with the Border Guard Command, the Vietnam Coast Guard Command, the Naval Region 1 Command in maintaining political security, social order and safety in the waters of the Province. Over the years, the province's maritime militia and self-defence force have regularly coordinated with other forces in conducting training and practice of plans and situations for search and rescue at sea. They have actively propagated and mobilised fishermen to raise their awareness in abiding by the Party's guidelines and policies, and State laws; associate production and economic development with the protection of sovereignty over sea and islands according to Decree No. 30/2010/ND-CP, dated March 29, 2010 and Decree No. 130/2015/ND-CP, dated December 18, 2015 of the Government. At the same time, they are required to firmly grasp the situation, coordinate in coastal and at-sea patrols, promptly detect and handle violations, maintain political security, social order and safety on seas and islands, which is a reliable friend and a firm support for fishermen operating offshore.

In addition, the Province provides material supports and favourable treatments for the maritime militia and self-defence force. Implementing Decree No. 72/2020/ND-CP, dated June 30, 2020 of the Government "Detailing a number of articles of the Law on Militia and Self-Defence on force organisation and regimes and policies for the militia and self-defence force", the Provincial Military Command has advised the province to develop and issue the Project on "Force organisation, training, operation, regimes and policies for the militia and self-defence force of Quang Ninh province in the 2021 – 2025 period". On that basis, the Provincial Military Command coordinated with the departments and branches to invest in equipment, means, and fishing tools for ships and boats of the maritime militia to operate offshore; pay for and support the maritime militia and self-defence force when they conduct training tasks; participate in natural disaster prevention and control, search and rescue, and struggle to protect sovereignty over sea and islands, etc. in accordance with the Law. Moreover, the province also gives fuel subsidy for owners of ships and boats when participating in training, operating at sea and pay for repair costs if their ships or boats are damaged so as to promptly encourage them and make them enthusiastic with their duties.

Promoting the results and achievements gained, in the coming time, Quang Ninh province will continue to pay attention to building a strong maritime militia and self-defence force, especially establishing and put the standing militia fleet into regular operation according to the plan, contributing to strengthening and consolidating national defence and security, socio-economic development, building the defensive area, all-people national defence, the all-people national defence posture in association with the people's security posture strong, firmly defending the sovereignty of the seas and islands in the Northeast region of the country.

Senior Colonel KHUC THANH DU, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Commander of the Provincial Military Command