Protecting sovereignty, sovereign rights, jurisdiction and enforcing Vietnam’s laws in compliance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS ) are the responsibilities of the entire Party, people and troops. As for Vietnam Coast Guard, in general, and the 4^th Coast Guard Region in particular, this is always high on the agenda which is paid due attention, leadership, and direction and seriously implemented with high effectiveness.

 The 4^th Coast Guard Region (under Vietnam Coast Guard Command) is a specialized force tasked with enforcing laws, protecting national security, safety and order in the Southwestern seas of the country. Over the past years, despite the hardships and challenges, its Party Committee and Command have always led and directed its offices and units to successfully accomplish the mission of law enforcement on its area of responsibility with notable operations, such as: patrolling, checking and supervising to ensure security, order, safety, and law enforcement on seas; grasping and opportunely dealing with situations on seas in a resolute manner to maintain national territory, seas, islands and interests; instructing and assisting fishermen in their fishing activities; search and rescue, contributing to beautifying the image and virtues of “Uncle Ho’s Soldier” and Vietnam Coast Guards.

Sr. Col. Pham Quang Oanh presents first-aid kits to fishermen

To fulfill its mission, the Party Committee and Command of the Region have focused on enhancing the leadership capability of party committees and organizations and the responsibilities of cadres at all levels during their law enforcing activities. Annually, basing on their executive resolutions and practical situations, the Region’s Party Committee and its affiliates issue their topical resolutions on leading the mission with concrete targets and measures with high feasibility. In particular, attention is paid to enhancing the capability for those who directly involving in the protection of sovereignty; prevention and control of crimes; and search and rescue. Basing on the resolutions, commanders of the Region concretize into weekly, monthly and quarterly work plans and implement in a serious manner. Work performance is considered as one of the criteria for assessing the quality of individuals and collectives. 100% of its cadres and staff directly implementing the mission are carefully selected. They have upheld their responsibility and adhered to the principles and directions of upper levels in settling and dealing with situations at sea. They act both as a helping hand for fishermen and the representative for the State in combating against infringement of the nation’s sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in accordance with Vietnam laws and the UNCLOS.

 Moreover, it has regularly conducted thoroughly political education and ideological orientation for its cadres, staff and troops. Marine law enforcers usually operate independently at  seas. They are prone to bribery of smugglers and their facilities and logistic supplies are limited. For this reason, political education, ideological orientation to enhance the political steadfastness, morality for them are always high on agenda. The party committees and commanders in the region have promoted the roles and responsibilities of the political teachers and disseminators in making plans and preparation. The content of education is usually renewed to make it short and practical. Besides, they have employed various methods and models to ensure high effectiveness. Thereby, 100% of its cadres, staff and soldiers are fully aware of the role and nature of their tasks, methods and tricks of violators, as well as difficulties, hardships or even sacrifice when conducting the mission at sea. These have helped improving their responsibility, momentum, attitude and determination in their task performance.

4th Coast Guard Region's surface fleet

Legal knowledge is the fundamental factor helping cadres and soldiers of Vietnam Coast Guard to successfully accomplish their law enforcement. Therefore, Party Committee and commanders of the Region have strengthened legal education and dissemination for their troops. In particular, they have brought into full play the role of the designated cadres and functional offices, such as: Legal and Professional Department, Political Department, Councils for legal education and dissemination, etc. in making plans, renewing contents of education to suit each group of learners. In terms of content, the region has concretized the documents regarding Vietnam’s laws on seas and islands; the Law on Vietnam Coast Guard; the articles of the UNCLOS about sovereignty, sovereign right, jurisdiction; the prohibitions on fishing and exploiting aquatic products, etc. into “short, comprehensible, memorable, and feasible” document. During the dissemination, they have chosen the suitable methods and models to suit the cognitive levels of specific objects, such as: concentrated dissemination to enhance the responsibility and legal awareness for people; holding awareness contests for students in schools, colleges and universities; conducting propagation with loud speakers to the people operating on Vietnam’s seas and the overlapping seas. Other methods of education include: “legal handbook”, “one law item daily”, legal bookshelf, internal radio and publicity, etc.

The Party Committee and Command of the region have regularly coordinated closely with other organizations and forces and offered favourable mechanisms and policies for the law enforcers. Basing on the Law on Coast Guard 2018, the Regulations for coordination among forces, party committees and organizations and commanders at all levels of the region have coordinated with friendly forces of the Navy, the Border Guards, Customs, Fishery Surveillance in patrolling, controlling and combatting against crimes and violations in accordance with Vietnamese and international laws and practices, contributing to protecting and safeguarding the sovereignty, sovereign right, jurisdiction, security, order, and peaceful, friendship and cooperative environment in their areas of responsibility. During the implementation, they have always grasped and seriously adhered to the lines and principles of external relations, international cooperation and defence diplomacy of the Party, State and the Military; actively coordinated with the functional forces of Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia in building and signing the cooperative plans and programs and establishing hotlines for settling the emerging issues. At the same time, favourable policies and troop’s living standards have been paid due attention and improved, hence encouraging and stimulating them to accomplish their task successfully.

The recent successful implementation of law enforcement of the 4^th Coast Guard Region has significantly contributed to building Vietnam Coast Guards “revolutionary, regular, seasoned and modern” with high law enforcing capability; maintaining security, safety, peaceful and friendship environment with regional countries; and firmly protecting the sovereignty, sovereign right, jurisdiction of the country over the sea, especially the Southwestern waters.

Senior Colonel Pham Quang Oanh, Secretary of the Party Committee and Political Commissar of the 4^th Coast Guard Region