Firmly protecting the Fatherland has been identified as one of the two strategic tasks of our revolution. Particularly, the task  to manage and protect national border’s sovereignty and security is of great importance and paid special attention at the 12^th National Congress of the Party.

Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien delivering speech at a conference on studying and implementing the Resolution of the 12th National Party Congress (photo: bienphong.com.vn)

Based on the comprehensive and objective assessment and anticipation of the world, regional and domestic situation, the 12^th Party National Congress affirmed “to be resolute, persistent in protecting the independence, sovereignty and integrity, firmly protect the border and sovereignty over seas, island and air zone of the country; maintain peaceful and stable environment for the country’s development”. This is the strategic orientation for the whole Party, people and military, in general, and the Border Guards,  in particular, in the new situation. Moreover, this also manifests the consistent viewpoint of the Party and State towards the long term goal of building the national border of peace, friendship, cooperation and development.

In the coming time, the world and regional situation, particularly the East Sea, will see complicated changes with potential risks. Hostile forces are increasing their covert actions in border regions more insidiously. Illegal border crossing, smuggling, trade fraud, trans-national crime, particularly armed drug trafficking, seem to be on the increase. Facing the issue, the entire Party, people and troops, particularly the Border Guards, should grasp thoroughly the Resolution of the 12^th National Party Congress in order to fulfill the task to firmly manage and protect sovereignty and security of border and sea regions. The following contents should be paid attention.

First, strengthening propagation, education to raise awareness, responsibility of cadres, troops, levels, sectors and the entire people of the task to manage and protect sovereignty and security of border and sea region in the new situation. To that end, commanders, commissars and junior commissars of Border Guard units should strengthen political and ideological education to make cadres and troops of their units grasp border policies of the Party and State, missions of border work as well as advantages and disadvantages of their mission in the context of integration. Furthermore, attach importance to dissemination and education to make them fully aware of the “Peaceful Evolution” strategies of hostile forces regarding border and territory issues with the aim to inciting separation, autonomy and instability. Thereby, the responsibility, determination, activeness, creativeness, decisiveness and vigilance of cadres and troops during their task performance will be enhanced.

Second, continuing to innovate and enhance the quality and effectiveness of border work. Accordingly, units should actively conduct study and anticipation of border and sea situation; foresee the advantages and challenges to renew their working methods flexibly, creatively and effectively on each field of border work to suit each particular  border line and sea area. As for the Vietnam – China border line, it is necessary to continue management and protection in accordance with the three legal documents and high level agreements between the two countries. Particularly, attaching importance to patrolling, controlling, grasping the situation relating to inner and outer border, fighting to prevent crimes, illegal cultivation and residence; speeding up administrative reform to make favorable conditions for border transportation. Along the Vietnam – Lao borderline, it is necessary to proactively implement the agreements between the two countries after thickening and upgrading national border markers; and manage and protect the borderline in the field; have timely and effective settlement of the incidents relating to rural security and religious security; the prevention of covert operations of hostile forces and crimes, particularly those relating to drug. In the management and protection of the Vietnam – Cambodia borderline, it is necessary to propose measures to the Party, State and the Ministry of National Defence for settling backlogs to foster border demarcation and landmark planting between the two countries; actively build, adjust plans to protect the border in the new situation. As for sea borderline, along with enhancing the capabilities of the law enforcers, it is necessary to foster the implementation of the Project on realizing the electronic border procedure for immigration and emigration at seaports to meet the requirements of international exchange and integration.

Third, paying attention to building the Border Guards strong enough to be the core force in protecting border sovereignty and security. National territory is sacred and inviolable in which border region is the country’s “fence”. Protecting sea and land border is a crucial and regular task of the entire Party, people and military in which the Border Guard holds the key and specialized role. Therefore, paying attention to building the Border Guards strong is a fundamental issue in the cause of protecting the border sovereignty and security. First and foremost, border units should screen, consolidate and perfect their organizational structure in accordance with the rules of the Ministry of National Defence; strengthen political and ideological education; train and improve knowledge in all fields and enhance their professional capability to meet the requirement of border work in the new situation.

Fourth, proactively and positively  collaborating with levels, branches and forces in strengthening border external affairs. This matter is of paramount importance and an objective requirement in building a border of peace, friendship, and cooperation. Units and agencies should grasp and apply properly the Party’s foreign viewpoints and lines into reality; combine closely the Party diplomacy with that of the State, the defence and the Border Guard. Further pursue the orientation of both cooperation and struggling in order to have timely and effective settlement of the matters emerging in sea and land borders; firmly protect the national sovereignty, territory and interests. In the short term, it is necessary to uphold the effectiveness of representatives and border guards of related countries in demarcating, planting landmarks, exchanging, interacting, consolidating confidence for building peaceful border lines and friendly border posts for the stability and happiness of people living surround the border. In the long term, it is necessary to build deep, broad and practical cooperation with the border guards of our neighboring countries at all three levels for information sharing, experience exchanging, collaborating, cadre training, technical and equipment transfer, etc., in order to maintain peaceful environment, making favorable conditions for socio-economic cooperations and investments, defence and security consolidation in the border, sea and island regions.

In conclusion, in the border work's perspective, implementing synchronously and thoroughly the above mentioned tasks is a manifestation of concretizing the Resolution of the 12^th National Party Congress into the cause of managing and firmly protecting the national border’s sovereignty and security in the new situation.

Lieutenant General, Assoc. Proff, Doctor. Hoang Xuan Chien

Member of the Party Central Committee

Commander of the Border Guards