Strengthening staff work; improving the quality of control, management of exit and entry and crime prevention and control; actively participating in building a strong grassroots political system,... and strengthening border diplomacy are solutions that have been implemented synchronously and drastically by Ha Tinh Provincial Border Guards, contributing to building a peaceful, friendly, cooperative and developing border area.

Ha Tinh Provincial Border Guards are responsible for managing and protecting over 164 km of land border, adjacent to Laos and 137 km of coastline, including 41 communes, wards and towns in 07 districts, 01 town, and 01 city. These areas boast many potentials and advantages for economic development, but also pose many potential risks in defence and security, especially the Cau Treo International Border Gate Economic Zone and Vung Ang Economic Zone.

Coordinating with friendly forces in countering drug-trafficking

Thoroughly grasping the situation and assigned tasks, in recent years, the Provincial Border Guard Party Committee and Command have focused on leading and directing the synchronous and comprehensive implementation of policies and solutions for managing and protecting national sovereignty and border security, and achieved many important results. Notably, they have advised and proposed to the Party Committee and High Command of the Border Guards the Provincial Party Committee, and the People's Committee of Ha Tinh province many policies and solutions for leading and directing border work. The Provincial Border Guard has thoroughly grasped and effectively implemented the work of managing and protecting national border sovereignty and security, especially the work of patrolling, controlling, managing, and firmly protecting territorial sovereignty, borders, and sea areas; effectively fighting against all types of crimes. At the same time, it actively participates in building and consolidating the political system at the grassroots level, developing the economy, culture and society in border areas and improving the effectiveness of border foreign affairs, contributing to firmly protecting territorial sovereignty, maintaining political security and social order and safety in the areas of responsibility .

In the coming time, the situation in the two border areas of the province is forecast to continue to develop complicatedly; crimes of all types operate with increasingly sophisticated, aggressive, and reckless tricks; hostile forces thoroughly exploit the issues of "ethnicity" and "religion" to promote their subversive activities, etc. Therefore, in order to firmly manage and protect border sovereignty and security, the Party Committee and Command of the Provincial Border Guard focus on the following main tasks and solutions:

First, advise the Party Committee and High Command of the Border Guard, the Provincial Party Committee, and the Provincial People's Committee to lead, direct, and effectively implement all aspects of border work and build a strong Provincial Border Guard force. Thoroughly grasping the Party's resolutions and directives, directly Resolution No. 33-NQ/TW, dated 28 September 2018 of the Politburo (12th tenure) on the Strategy for National Border Protection; Resolution No. 44-NQ/TW, dated 24 November 2023 of the Party Central Committee (13th tenure) on the Strategy for Fatherland Protection in the new situation; the Vietnam Border Guard Law and the situation on the two sides of the border, the Provincial Border Guard Command proactively advises the Party Committee and High Command of the Border Guard, the Provincial Party Committee, and the Provincial People's Committee on sound and effective policies and countermeasures for, firmly protecting the border sovereignty and security. In particular, it focuses on synchronously implementing measures to grasp, research, evaluate, and accurately forecast the situation, proactively detect complex and prominent issues, especially in key, sensitive, and complicated areas. Grounding on this, it identifies the subjects, methods, and tricks of crime, plots, and intentions of subjects taking advantage of ethnic and religious issues to act against the Party and the State, as well as violations by fishermen at sea, etc. to promptly advise the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee to direct and coordinate with forces, departments, branches, and organisations to effectively handle situations, without being made passive and surprised.

In addition, the Provincial Border Guard focuses on building all-strong, "exemplary and typical" agencies and units towards the lean, compact, and strong direction with improved effectiveness and efficiency; innovating and enhancing the quality of training, combat readiness, and drills; giving special care for the material and spiritual life of soldiers; and building a healthy military cultural environment. At the same time, it builds and perfects the system of border posts, border stations, border gates, border protection works, and combat structures that are interconnected, closed, solid, and sturdy for firmly managing and protecting territorial sovereignty and national border security in all situations.

Granting scholarship for Lao students

Second, enhancing the control and management of entry and exit and the fight against crimes, maintaining security and order in border areas. As the border areas of ​​the Province are home to international border gates and seaports, and the volume of vehicles and goods coming in and out is large, it is required that enhancing the control and management of entry and exit, fighting all types of crimes, and maintaining security and order in border areas be given top priority. Thoroughly grasping and strictly implementing legal documents regulating the process and procedures for border inspection, control, supervision, visa issuance and other types of permits, the Provincial Border Guard Command directs its subordinate units, especially the Cau Treo International Border Station and the Vung Ang - Son Duong Port Border Guard Command to focus on patrolling, controlling and guarding round the clock. At the same time, it focuses on improving the responsibility, capacity, qualifications and working efficiency of its staff together with promoting administrative reform and applying information technology in managing and controlling people and vehicles entering and exiting at border gates and seaports in a serious, smooth, safe and legal manner.

Moreover, the Provincial Border Guard directs the drug and crime enforcement force to proactively research, evaluate, update and accurately forecast the situation related to the criminal activities to develop professional plans, establish specialised combat projects, combine regular with high-season campaigns to attack and suppress crimes, especially drug-related crimes, human trafficking, smuggling and trade fraud, weapon and explosive trafficking, etc. At the same time, it improves the quality of information exchange, proactively coordinating closely and effectively with the Military, the Police, the Customs, the Coast Guard, functional agencies, local authorities and Lao border protection forces in preventing and combating crimes in border areas.

Third, actively participating in building and consolidating the grassroots political system, developing the economy, culture and society in the border areas. The Party Committee and Command of the Provincial Border Guard strengthen leadership and direction of agencies and units in educating and propagating to raise the awareness of cadres, soldiers and people about the Party's guidelines and viewpoints, the State's policies and laws, especially those related to territorial sovereignty and national border security, to make them fully understand the plots and tricks of hostile and reactionary forces and all kinds of crimes in the border areas.

In addition, the Provincial Border Guard focuses on mobilising resources to implement programmes, movements, models, and campaigns to help people in border areas, especially people living in remote areas, and ethnic minority groups in economic, cultural, and social development, maintaining national defence and security in border areas, such as: "People's Border Guard Festive Day", "Border Guard joins hands to build new rural areas", "Accompanying women in border areas", "Border Spring warm the hearts of villagers", "Helping children’s schooling - Adoptees of border stations", "Bridge of love", "Border home", etc. Thereby, the "people's heart posture" and the people's border defence posture in border areas have been built and consolidated.

Fourth, promoting border foreign affairs in conjunction with those of local Party committees and authorities and people to people diplomacy on both sides of the border. The Provincial Border Guard Command advises the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee to promote diplomatic activities with Party committees, authorities and functional forces of Laos by means  of practical activities. Along with that, it focuses on maintaining "hotlines", joint patrols, rotary meetings, information exchanges, coordination in preventing and combating cross-border crimes, search and rescue, disaster reliefs and drills in border areas; holds training for border guards of the two provinces of Bolikhamxay and Khammouane of Laos. At the same time, it closely coordinates with Lao functional forces to strengthen propaganda and persuade people on both sides of the border to strictly comply with border agreements, regulations as well as signed legal documents; continue to promote the effectiveness of medical care programme at the military-civilian medical station in Thoong Pe village of Laos, contributing to building a peaceful, friendly, cooperative border for mutual development.

Senior Colonel BUI HONG THANH, Commander of the Provincial Border Guard Command