And, there are also lives that have spent their twenties dedicating, sacrificing, and connecting their lives with the people in remote border areas, becoming a reliable support for the people of all ethnic groups in the area. Lieutenant Colonel Lu Hong Vinh, Chief of Police of Phieng Khoai Commune, Son La Province is such a person. To the Mong people in Phieng Khoai, Lieutenant Colonel Lu Hong Vinh is like a close son and younger brother.

The first regular police officer

Phieng Khoai is more than 91 square kilometers wide, located at an altitude of over 1,500 meters above sea level, with more than 8,000 people. There is also a Vietnam - Laos revolutionary historical site, where the Mong people helped President Kaysone Phomvihane in Lao Kho village. Phieng Khoai has cold winters, but also hot summers, and is one of the key areas of Yen Chau district (old).

Lieutenant Colonel Lu Hong Vinh educates local people on how to avoid online fraud.

The day Lu Hong Vinh returned to Phieng Khoai, many people were still skeptical, not knowing if the young soldier had enough courage to stay in the strange and harsh border area. Time passed like weaving cloth, this moon season passed, this farming season came, in a flash, the police officer in charge of Lu Hong Vinh commune wore the rank of lieutenant colonel, becoming one of the first regular commune police chiefs of Yen Chau district.

Talking about the work of the highland commune police, there are probably endless stories. Lu Hong Vinh started from the first lesson of staying in the village, which is the lesson of humanity. Creating trust with the people, being close to the people in every meal and sleep, from the happy days of the village to the hardships and fatigue of every family. Wherever there is a need, there is the police, wherever there is difficulty, there is the police.

Vinh never thought when he started his journey to the commune how long he would stay in Phieng Khoai. Vinh never asked himself, would he be at a disadvantage in this far away land? He only knew that the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter, the faded military uniforms from the rain and sun, the sessions of going to the villages to propagate policies and laws to the people, the times of listening to difficult stories, discussing solutions to each difficult situation, and finding ways with the people to develop the economy, reduce poverty, and maintain a stable area... made Vinh not think about his own advantages and disadvantages.

Lieutenant Colonel Lu Hong Vinh recalled: "My most memorable memory was during a patrol from the commune center to Lao Kho village. It was pouring rain. My teammates and I had to take shelter from the rain in a local hut. We were warmed by the fire and invited to a meal by the locals. After that, we continued on our mission when we discovered a man and a woman who were suspected of illegally transporting drugs. We asked them to stop the vehicle, check it and discovered that the two subjects had nearly 400 synthetic drug pills on them."

In the story, Lieutenant Colonel Lu Hong Vinh suddenly stopped and continued: "I have never wondered if staying here is a disadvantage, but over the years, I have seen that the success of the police force is largely due to the help, support, and trust of the people, helping us to work with peace of mind and strive to excellently complete the assigned tasks at the grassroots level."

Phieng Khoai commune shares a border with Xieng Kho district, Hua Phan province, neighboring Laos. In addition to trade and cultural exchange of people along the border, this is also one of the hot spots for drug crimes for many years, forcing Son La Provincial Police to put it in the group of areas with complicated security and order.

Lu Hong Vinh and the police officers of Phieng Khoai commune have advised the local government and coordinated with the Border Guard to deploy many measures to maintain security and order in the border area, while creating stable and safe villages.

At Phieng Khoai Commune Police, meetings are not scheduled, but depend entirely on the actual work. They work outside of office hours, all of them go on the road when people need them, when urgent matters need to be resolved promptly. From the commune center to the farthest village, people can recognize Lu Hong Vinh and his teammates from afar. Their image is a sign of safety and peace.

Like "cleavers" in border villages

Mr. Nguyen Van Toan, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Phieng Khoai Commune, said: Our local Party Committee and government have absolute trust in the Commune Police force. They are not afraid of difficulties and hardships, they rush to help people with small things; they regularly advise the Party Committee, People's Council and People's Committee of Phieng Khoai Commune on ensuring political security and social order and safety in the area, thereby serving the task of local socio-economic development.

Phieng Khoai Commune Police coordinated with Border Guards to conduct administrative inspections in border areas.

In Phieng Khoai, people do not assume that police officers specialize in catching criminals. There, officers like Lu Hong Vinh are no different from cleavers, besides their professional duties, they have hundreds of other tasks. When a cornfield in the upper village is in trouble, call the commune police. When a drug addict in the lower village has just returned from rehab, what can he do to make a living? Call a police officer named Vinh. Elderly people in Phieng Khoai say that thanks to the police officers, many families have food and property, with chickens and pigs filling the yard, and corn and rice in the barns. Those compliments are the medals that the police officers receive after days and nights like "cleavers" running around the villages...

During the most difficult times of his life, Le Dai Dong in Kim Chung 2 village, Phieng Khoai commune, became addicted to drugs. After more than a year, Dong's family became one of the poorest in the village. Police officers persuaded Dong to go to a rehabilitation center. Le Dai Dong started his life from scratch, but he had the support of officers and soldiers of Phieng Khoai commune police. With loans to plant trees and raise livestock, after a year, he became a typical example of the village with a 2-hectare plum forest, pigs and chickens filling the barn; his family escaped poverty. More importantly, Dong completely broke away from drugs.

He shared: "In the past, I did not understand the law, I was addicted to drugs, life was difficult, people looked down on me. With the encouragement of the Commune Police, I tried to start over, life is now stable, the economy is less difficult, my children are well educated. Comrade Lu Hong Vinh, the Commune Police Chief, often visits and encourages me, giving me directions to do business, raise livestock, grow crops, life now is very different from before."

Having been attached to the area for more than ten years, from when he was a police officer in charge of the commune to now taking on the role of Commune Police Chief, the residents here are familiar with the friendly police officer who actively propagates and mobilizes people to comply with the Party's regulations and the State's laws, guides on effective epidemic prevention methods, propagates and mobilizes their children not to violate the law, not to commit social evils...

Lieutenant Colonel Lu Hong Vinh is familiar with every alley, every trail, and every opening on the border. Whether it is a scorching hot day or a cold winter night, the footsteps of this police officer seem tireless. Major Bui Trung Quan, a police officer of Phieng Khoai commune, commented: "Comrade Vinh is very skillful and gentle in dealing with the people. There were cases that seemed to be at a deadlock, but he helped the people and local officers to avoid unfortunate incidents."

Lieutenant Colonel Lu Hong Vinh added: To do a good job of ensuring security and order at the grassroots level, we must be close to the people, closely follow the area, grasp the aspirations of the people, resolve problems so that people have more trust and provide information for the police force to solve all problems right at the grassroots level. People who "stay closer to the village than to their home" like Lieutenant Colonel Lu Hong Vinh have been contributing to continue writing the heroic story of protecting the land and people with all their faith, responsibility and love for the Fatherland. Their youth can be left at the border, but it is in exchange for peace for the homeland.