Those 50 years are full of love and affection

After 50 years of building, striving and growing, generations of officers and soldiers of Lao Bao International Border Gate (CKQT) Border Guard Station have not only firmly protected the sovereignty , territory and national border security but also left many beautiful marks and meaningful deeds in the hearts of people in the areas on both sides of the Vietnam - Laos border...

Lao Bao International Border Guard Station and sponsors give gifts to disadvantaged families in Densavan Village Cluster, Sepon District, Savannakhet Province, Laos in 2019 - Photo: NB

Lao Bao International Border Guard Station manages a border section of nearly 16.5 km, with 6 international border markers; in charge of Tan Thanh commune and Lao Bao town, Huong Hoa district. Over the past 50 years, the unit has proactively coordinated and performed well its core and specialized role in managing and protecting territorial sovereignty, border security, border gates, ensuring trade activities, economic development and international cooperation.

In recent times, Lao Bao International Border Guard Station has actively and synchronously deployed professional measures, strictly maintaining combat readiness. The unit has successfully fought over 317 projects and cases, arrested more than 429 subjects for illegal trading and transporting of drugs, explosives, and fireworks of all kinds, seized hundreds of thousands of synthetic drug pills and many other exhibits. Presided over and coordinated with customs forces to arrest more than 1,174 smuggling cases, and imposed fines of tens of billions of dong.

Along with the assigned key tasks, over the past 50 years, generations of officers and soldiers of Lao Bao International Border Guard Station have done well in border diplomacy, people's diplomacy, mass mobilization, and social security. These spirited, responsible, and affectionate actions have left an indelible mark in the hearts of people on both sides of the Vietnam - Laos border.

Going back in time, when the country had just been unified and implemented the policy of migrating to new economic zones, from September to October 1975, nearly 340 households with more than 1,700 people in villages of Trieu Phuoc commune, Trieu Phong district, left their hometown to Lao Bao to make a living, forming Tan Phuoc commune (now Lao Bao town).

At that time, this land was still wild, the climate and weather were harsh, malaria was constant, and bombs left over from the war had taken the lives of many innocent people. Some families could not bear the hardship and returned to their hometowns to live.

Faced with that situation, the unit's command did a good job of propaganda and mobilizing people to stay and build their homeland, while at the same time increasing the force at the grassroots level to examine and treat diseases, support housing construction, and teach literacy to the people.

Since then, the unit has contributed to the local Party Committee and government to gradually stabilize people's lives. The years of eating, living and working together have created an increasingly close relationship between the army and the people.

Entering the period of innovation, the unit has advised and participated with the Party Committee and government of Lao Bao town and Tan Thanh commune to effectively implement programs and campaigns such as: "Warm homes for the poor in border and island areas", the program of building "Great Unity" houses, "houses of gratitude", breeding cow program for the poor in border areas...

At the same time, Lao Bao International Border Guard Station organized visits and gave gifts to policy families and families with difficult circumstances in the area under its management. In particular, the unit regularly gave pork and sticky rice to 5 villages where ethnic minorities live on the occasion of the traditional New Year; assigned officers and soldiers to the base to join in the joy, visit and wish the people a happy New Year.

To help poor students in the area have more conditions to go to school, the unit has effectively implemented the program "Helping children go to school" and the program "Border Guards' adopted children".

Accordingly, the unit has contributed tens of millions of VND to support 10 poor but studious students each year. This action of the unit has touched many parents and given more confidence to poor students to strive to excel in their studies and training.

In recent years, Lao Bao International Border Guard Station has also proactively advised the People's Committees of Huong Hoa district, Lao Bao town and Tan Thanh commune to effectively maintain the program of village-to-village friendship on both sides of the border; well organized activities of visiting and giving gifts during holidays, New Year or when facing difficulties due to natural disasters and epidemics.

In addition, the unit has had many outstanding social security activities in Laos, which have been recognized by the government and people of the neighboring country. The Ka Tup hamlet cluster area, Sepon district, Savannakhet province has a large population but is far from the center of Sepon district, so all living conditions are very difficult, especially health care for the people.

Understanding the difficulties of the people of Ka Tup village, the unit called for contributions from officers, soldiers and kind-hearted people to sponsor funds to build a medical station in Laos.

In October 2013, the medical station worth more than 500 million VND was built by the unit to give to the people of Ka Tup village and was put into operation, meeting the expectations of the people here. At the end of December 2014, due to an electrical short circuit, a fire broke out at the barracks of Densavan International Border Police Station (Laos), causing a lot of damage to the facilities.

When the fire broke out, the unit's command quickly reported to the Provincial Border Guard Command and the Provincial Police's fire fighting force, so they promptly dispatched fire trucks to help put out the fire. At the same time, the unit supported Densavan International Border Guard Police with 50 million VND to overcome the consequences.

In July 2019, stemming from the health care needs of people in Densavan Village Cluster, Sepon District, Savannakhet Province, Laos, the unit advised the Provincial Border Guard Command to coordinate with the Military Medical Department - Logistics Department, Border Guard Command to organize a program to examine, provide free medicine, and give gifts to nearly 300 people here. On this occasion, Lao Bao International Border Guard Station presented 50 gifts, each worth 500,000 VND, to 50 disadvantaged households in Densavan Village Cluster, Sepon District.

Over the past 50 years, the unit has organized many social security activities, physical education, sports and cultural exchanges between officers and soldiers with the people and armed forces of the two provinces of Quang Tri - Savannakhet. These activities have created a strong influence on the military-civilian relationship, and at the same time contributed to further tightening the friendship and sustainable cooperation between Vietnam and Laos.

Nhon Bon

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