Leaders of the Lai Chau Provincial Party Committee and the Border Guard High Command in a signing ceremony of collaboration (Photo: bienphong.com.vn)

The province of Lai Chau has attached great importance  to building an all people’s border defence posture in order to promote synergy of all people in managing and protecting national sovereignty and border security, maintaining political security and social order and safety in the area. From the implementation of this important task,  Lai Chau Provincial Border Guard Command has drawn main experiences as follows:

First, building a strong political system in border area and encouraging all people to take part in managing and protecting national sovereignty and border security. The Border Guards have proactively proposed various measures to build strong border area to the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People’s Committee. To successfully fulfil the task, the Party Committee of Provincial Border Guard issued the Resolution No.36-NQ/ĐU on “Provincial Border Guards engaging in socio-economic development of border communes”, establishing the Statutes on collaboration between the Party Committee of Provincial Border Guard and the party committees of 4 border districts, and the Regulations on tasks and methods of work of Border Guard teams supporting border communes. Accordingly, sending Border Guard cadres to support the areas has been closely directed comprehensively by the Province; giving top priority to the communes built into focal points. Cadres sent to support the localities have been carefully selected by the Provincial Border Guard Command, with political and moral virtues, good working method and manners, having a good command of people’s customs, capability of giving advice, and credibility with local party committees and authorities. Up to now, party organization system of border communes has been strengthened both in quantity and quality. Administrative organs, unions, and social organizations at commune level have been consolidated, operating effectively. Leadership and management of local party committees and authorities have made positive changes in performing socio-economic development task and building border rural areas.

Second, fostering socio-economic, cultural, education development, material and spiritual life for the people in border areas. This is one of the most important measures to build “people’s heart and mind” posture in border areas. A part from working with military and police organs to assess projects on socio-economic development, Provincial Border Guard has proposed appropriate measures to local party committees and authorities to combine socio-economic development and all people’s border defence building. In this regard, the Province has invested hundreds of million VND on socio-economic development projects, such as the economic area of Ma Lu Thang border gate; project on border patrol and traffic roads; planning areas for planting cardamom trees and timber, and other works, etc. Moreover, the Provincial Border Guard has been appointed as investor of many important projects by the Provincial People’s Committee, such as projects on building woods model, developing vuon, ao, chuong (garden/fish pond/livestock pen) , and the project on residential disposition and adjustment in border areas. Residential adjustment has been carefully carried out, including surveys of topography and people’s customs, ensuring favourable living conditions for the people of border areas.

Third, focusing on building strong Border Guard troops, with Border Posts first to meet the requirements of task in the new situation. On the basis of frequently adjusting and supplementing strength, the Party Committee and the  Provincial Border Guard Command has attached great importance to further political and ideological education, raising political stance for cadres and troops; building pure and strong party organizations associated with comprehensively strong organs and units, satisfying the requirements of task in the new situation. In this regard, building cadre staff has been attached great importance to, from planning, training, appointment to rotation abiding by principles and procedures. Also, fostering cadres has been well implemented by selecting and sending cadres and soldiers to academies and colleges within and outside the military , ensuring succession among generations. In training field, sticking to the guideline of “basics, practicalities, thorough grasp ”, units of Provincial Border Guard have innovated training contents and methods to heighten level of staff and operations, collaboration with other forces, and border defence competence.

Yearly, the Provincial Border Guard Command has directed its organs and units to supplement and perfect documents and operational projects closer to practice. It has focused on building, repairing, strengthening fortifications at Posts. It has also actively taken part in defensive area exercises at Provincial and district levels, Border Guard operational group exercises, enhancing collaboration in dealing with situations threatening the units and in defensive operations to protect localities. It has proactively worked with our military and police forces and neighbours’s ones to patrol and control borders, fighting against crime across borders, maintaining security, and protecting national sovereignty in the Northwest.

Senior Colonel Dao Quang Manh

Commissar of Lai Chau Provincial Border Guard