Over the years, the Border Guard force has built a solid position of people's hearts, with the joint efforts and consensus of the people in the border area. Among them, there are "living milestones" such as village elders, village chiefs, and prestigious people with many positive contributions to maintaining peace in the border.
The Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the province awarded certificates of merit to individuals with achievements in the movement "All people participate in protecting territorial sovereignty and national border security in the new situation" for the period 2019 - 2023.
"The fire" at the foot of Pha Luong mountain
On our journey to meet the “living landmarks” on the Northwestern border of the Fatherland, we were introduced by the leaders of the Chieng Son Border Guard Station, Moc Chau District, to Mr. Song A Tua, Pha Luong Village. Mr. Tua has been the village chief for nearly 35 years. For the same number of years, he has always accompanied the Border Guard force to propagate and mobilize people to settle down, stay on the land, stay on the border, build a prosperous life and actively participate in protecting the border and landmarks.
According to Mr. Tua, because the nomadic custom is difficult to change, it was not until 1989 that 42 households were mobilized to settle at the foot of Pha Luong mountain and establish Pha Luong village. Up to now, the village has 126 households, 783 people, 100% of whom are Mong ethnic people. The village is located close to the border with Sop Bau district, Hua Phan province, Lao PDR, the material and spiritual life of the people is still difficult, so it is easy for bad elements to take advantage of and entice them to participate in smuggling activities, transporting goods and illegal drugs across the border.
Talking to us, Mr. Tua shared: As a prestigious person, the Head of the Song clan, I regularly propagate and mobilize to raise legal awareness for the people. At the same time, I have directly participated with border officers and soldiers many times in patrolling and protecting the border and border markers. Every time we participate in patrolling, we have to go through forests and mountains, from the village to the border marker, sometimes we have to walk all day. Now, the border marker has been renovated, beautified, and the road has been built to make it easier to travel. People are increasingly aware of protecting the border and border markers.
Mr. Song A Tua (third from left) and officers and soldiers of Chieng Son Border Post, Moc Chau district, guide people in taking care of fruit trees.
Despite his old age, with his enthusiasm and responsibility for his homeland, Mr. Tua still regularly coordinates with the Border Guard to mobilize people to participate in self-management of border lines and landmarks, and maintain security and order in the area. Thanks to that, over the past years, the security and order situation on the border line under the management of the Chieng Son Border Guard Station has always been stable. From information reported by the people, the unit has cracked down on many cases of illegal drug trafficking and transportation across the border.
As one of the people who were encouraged by Mr. Tua and the Chieng Son Border Guard Station to quit drugs, then supported to develop the economy and escape poverty, Mr. Song A Nha, Pha Luong village, shared: In the past, due to competing with friends from other villages, not focusing on business, I became addicted to drugs. In 2019, thanks to Mr. Tua's encouragement to quit drugs, and the support of the commune government and the Border Guard Station with a breeding cow, I was determined to develop my family's economy. I learned from Mr. Tua the techniques of cultivation and animal husbandry and applied them to my family's actual production. The previous breeding cow has given birth to 4 litters, my family continues to raise and develop the herd. Every year, the family grows nearly 2 hectares of wet rice, hybrid corn, raises 10 - 13 buffaloes and cows; each year, we harvest 10 tons of corn, more than 1.5 tons of rice, and sell 3 - 4 buffaloes and cows. In 2022, my family will escape poverty. I am very grateful to the Chief of Tua village and the officers and soldiers of Chieng Son Border Post.
Major Mai The Canh, Political Commissar of Chieng Son Border Post, commented: 'Mr. Song A Tua is one of the most respected individuals among the ethnic minority community. Despite his age, he is always exemplary and responsible towards the community, earning the trust and respect of the people. He serves as a shining example and a solid spiritual pillar, guiding the community on their journey towards a prosperous and happy life while contributing to the protection of national sovereignty and border security. He is one of the 163 exemplary individuals nationwide honored at the "Village Backbone" program organized by Communist Review magazine in collaboration with the Border Guard Command. Additionally, he is one of the four individuals recognized by the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee with a Certificate of Merit for his contributions to the movement "All people participate in protecting national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and border security in the new context" for the period 2019-2024.
Mr. Song A Tua and officers and soldiers of Chieng Son Border Post grasp the situation in Pha Luong village.
"The big tree" of the border region
After more than 1 hour from Nam Lanh Border Post, through a 25km road crossing the mountainside, we arrived at Hua Lanh village, meeting a prestigious and typical person who has been working with the Border Guard force for nearly 20 years in the area to protect the border and landmarks. That is Mr. Giang Khua Dinh, who is considered a "big tree", the pride of the Mong people of Hua Lanh village.
We were greeted by a tall, thin man with dark skin and a face full of wrinkles due to age. With a friendly smile, Mr. Dinh offered us a bowl of fresh tea picked from an ancient tea tree. At first sip, it felt bitter and acrid, but after just one sip, the sweetness lingering in the throat was forever remembered.
Mr. Giang Khua Dinh, Hua Lanh village, discussed the security and order situation with officers of Nam Lanh Border Post, Sop Cop district.
According to Mr. Dinh, Hua Lanh village has 62 households, with 410 people, 100% of whom are Mong ethnic people. The village is located halfway up the Pa Long mountain range, where Hua Lanh and Huoi Hia villages, Nam Lanh commune, and Muong Son district, Hua Phan province, Lao PDR. Previously, Hua Lanh had few households living there. Many people did not understand the protection of the border and border markers, so when going to the forest to collect firewood or hunt, they unintentionally damaged, peeled off, and affected the border markers. They even crossed the border without permission to visit relatives, exchange, and trade goods; many households sold their houses, buffaloes, and cows, and freely migrated to Laos.
Mr. Dinh said: I remember most in 2017, for more than a month, I and the officers of Nam Lanh Border Post persuaded Mr. Song A Denh's family to leave the village and return to the other side of the border to settle down. After that, we persuaded relatives to help build a house, support seedlings, corn seeds, chickens, farming techniques, livestock farming... Up to now, Mr. Denh's family has worked hard, has food and savings, and built a spacious wooden house.
Mr. Giang Khua Dinh, Hua Lanh village, along with officers and soldiers of Nam Lanh Border Post, propagated people to participate in protecting the border.
In 2012, Mr. Dinh was elected as the village chief by the villagers. In order for the villagers to understand the border regulations, when the villagers returned from their fields or after dinner, Mr. Dinh went to each family to talk, propagate, and thoroughly explain each content of the border area regulations. From 2017 to now, he and the officers of Nam Lanh Border Guard Station and the Nam Lanh Commune government have mobilized 7 households who intended to migrate and have migrated across the border to return to the village to settle down and stabilize their lives. In addition, he also provided many sources of information to Nam Lanh Border Guard Station related to the security and order situation in the border area; mobilized drug addicts to voluntarily go to drug rehabilitation, voluntarily hand over homemade weapons, explosives, help people develop the economy, eliminate hunger and reduce poverty, etc. In 2020, Mr. Giang Khua Dinh was awarded the "For the sovereignty and security of the Fatherland's border" Medal by the Border Guard Command.
Footsteps imprint the border
During the patrol to protect the border and border markers with officers and soldiers of the Chieng Khuong Border Post, Song Ma District and Mr. Quang Van Khon, Tao Village, Muong Sai Commune, we were really impressed with Mr. Khon's stories about the process of participating in protecting security and order in the border area. He knows the border as well as the road home, remembering every section of grass that grows well, the section with an uneven road surface... Because he has more than 20 years of volunteering to participate in protecting the border and border markers in the border area of Muong Sai Commune, Chieng Khuong.
Mr. Quang Van Khon and officers and soldiers of the Chieng Khuong Border Guard Station exchanged livestock farming techniques.
In addition to the necessary equipment for the forest, Mr. Khon also carries a can of clean water to clean the border markers. Regardless of the hot or cold weather, once a month, he and the members of the Border Self-Management Team of Tao Village and officers and soldiers of the Chieng Khuong Border Post patrol and inspect the border markers. His footprints are all too familiar, imprinted on the forest path with 13 border markers, nearly 27 km of border.
Mr. Khon shared: The area of Tao village and Muong Sai commune has a rather complicated security situation regarding drugs, firecrackers, and smuggled goods, so every day when I go to work in the fields, take care of the fruit garden, and herd cows and goats, I often proactively observe and grasp the situation. If there is anything unusual, I immediately report it to the Chieng Khuong Border Guard Station.
Lieutenant Colonel Lo Van Tich, Political Commissar of the Chieng Khuong Border Guard Station, said: Mr. Quang Van Khon regularly propagates and mobilizes the people in the village to participate in protecting the border line and landmarks. If there are strangers entering or there are suspicious signs in the border area, Mr. Khon and the people in the village promptly report to the unit for handling.
Mr. Quang Van Khon (fourth from right) with officers and soldiers of the Chieng Khuong Border Guard Station, propagating the law to the people.
The mass movement to participate in self-management of border lines, border markers and maintaining security and order in border villages and communes, as well as awareness of national sovereignty and national borders of people in border areas, is increasingly enhanced. Each citizen becomes a soldier, the "eyes and ears" of the Border Guard force. In the border communes, there are more and more "living border markers" who are always pioneers and exemplary in participating with the Party Committee, government and Border Guard force to create a solid "people's border defense posture", protecting national territorial sovereignty.
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Reporter team