Spread the movement of the whole people to protect the border

Implementing Directive No. 01/CT-TTg, dated January 9, 2015 of the Prime Minister on organizing a movement for all people to participate in protecting territorial sovereignty and national border security in the new situation; with the motto of focusing on the grassroots, being close to the people, respecting the people, understanding the people, being responsible to the people, listening to the people, speaking so that the people understand, making the people believe... officers and soldiers of the Provincial Border Guard (BĐBP) have regularly gone to remote villages and border areas to propagate and mobilize people in protecting the national border and border markers.

Spread the movement of the whole people to protect the border Officers and soldiers of Quang Chieu Border Guard Station (Muong Lat) patrol to protect the border line and border markers managed by the unit.

The border between Thanh Hoa and Hua Phan provinces (Laos) is 192 km long, with 5 border districts including: Muong Lat, Quan Hoa, Quan Son, Lang Chanh, Thuong Xuan with 16 border communes adjacent to 3 districts of Hua Phan province including: Xop Bau, Vieng Xay, Sam To. The terrain of the border areas between the two provinces is mainly forests, steep mountains interspersed with rivers and streams, which is very complicated. Implementing the plan to increase the density and improve the Vietnam - Laos national border marker system, the two provinces of Thanh Hoa - Hua Phan were assigned to identify and build 88 locations/92 markers, including 2 large marker locations, 16 medium marker locations and 70 small marker locations. In recent years, in 16 border communes, the work of protecting and preserving border markers has received attention from village elders, prestigious people, village chiefs, and party cell secretaries of 150 villages, who have encouraged people of all ethnic groups to participate.

In Muong Lat district, there are 5 border posts (BPS), including Trung Ly, Pu Nhi, Tam Chung, Quang Chieu and Ten Tan border gate, with the task of managing and protecting 105 km of border, with 47 landmarks, 1 national border gate and 2 openings, ensuring security and order in 7 border communes and 1 inland commune. In order to promote the role and responsibility of the masses in participating in protecting territorial sovereignty and national border security, the BPS stationed in Muong Lat district have stepped up propaganda work, mobilizing the masses to actively join hands and contribute to managing and protecting the border. Thereby, promoting the role and responsibility, effectively maintaining the movement of the entire people participating in protecting territorial sovereignty and security and order in the border area.

Village elder Cheo Van Su, a Dao ethnic in Con Dao village, Quang Chieu commune, has volunteered to protect milestones 288, 289, and 290 for many years. With a distance of more than 7 km to reach the 3 milestones, he has to wade through Xen stream, Nong Kham stream, and many cat-ear mountains. But the most difficult part is the return journey, the steep slope makes his knees weak, and slipping and falling has become a normal thing for him. Twice a month, he sets out alone, carrying rice balls from dawn, and returns home when the sun sets.

Lieutenant Colonel Le Van Toan, Party Secretary and Political Commissar of Quang Chieu Border Guard Station, said: The unit manages 45.2 km of border with Laos. Due to the many openings, ensuring border security is difficult. Along with the border guards, 19 households, village elders, and prestigious people in the village volunteered to guard and protect the border markers. Over the years, the entire political system has regularly promoted propaganda, so people's awareness of national sovereignty and border and marker protection has been raised.

Based on his awareness and responsibility for the country's border, since 2006, Mr. Lo Van Tho, born in 1969, a Thai ethnic in Yen Khuong commune (Lang Chanh) has voluntarily registered to participate in protecting landmark No. 348. Since then, he has checked the landmark 1 to 2 times every month, even though the road from his house to the landmark is not easy to travel. Each time he goes to check the landmark, he has to leave early in the morning, and if the weather is favorable, the round trip takes a day. If he is unlucky enough to encounter wind and rain, he has to sleep in a hut until the next day. Not only volunteering to protect the border and landmarks, Mr. Tho also actively encourages people to comply with the laws, regulations, and rules for crossing the border. Through visits from people on both sides of the border, he has explained to people to understand and be responsible in protecting the common border of the two countries, and at the same time, encouraged people to work together to preserve the solidarity and friendship between Vietnam and Laos. Village elders like Mr. Su, Mr. Tho and many others are truly worthy of respect. The work they do is so simple yet noble. They are the beautiful flowers of the mountains and forests in protecting the borders and national landmarks of their homeland.

In fact, in recent years, the movement of the entire people participating in the management and protection of border lines and landmarks has spread among all classes of people, especially people in border areas. Since then, many good models have emerged in the management and protection of border lines and landmarks, such as: "Self-managed border lines and landmarks"; "Self-managed border works"; "Safe boat, wharf and beach groups", "Self-managed security and order groups for villages and hamlets"; "Solidarity groups to ensure security and order"; "Twinning residential clusters on both sides of the border"...

Through the consultation work of the Border Guard, on the land border, 17 pairs of villages have been signed and maintained in operation; 5 Border Guard units have been twinned with Lao border protection force units. Up to now, 2 groups and 108 individuals have registered to self-manage the border, border markers, and protect 7 border works. On the sea border, the Thanh Hoa Border Guard advised the local government to build and maintain the operation of 270 safe boat and ship teams, with 11,047 members; 140 safe wharf and beach teams, with more than 7,400 members. In addition, the Thanh Hoa Border Guard also advised the local government to build 743 security and order teams for villages and hamlets with more than 3,300 members; 192 km of border line and 92 border markers have been signed for self-management by groups and people.

Article and photos: Hoang Lan

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