The Border Guard Command of Son La province is assigned to manage and protect more than 274 km of national border, adjacent to Hua Phan and Luang Prabang provinces, Lao People's Democratic Republic. Due to geographical and historical conditions, the lives of people in the border areas of Son La province are still quite difficult, the poverty rate is high, and the socio-economic development is slow compared to other areas. This is also the area where hostile and reactionary forces step up sabotage activities, attract and incite ethnic minorities to participate in activities of exile organizations, demanding secession and autonomy; illegal religious activities, proselytizing and other types of crimes are complicated, potentially causing instability in political security, order, social safety, etc.

Based on the aforementioned characteristics, over the past period, the Party Committee and Command of the Sơn La Border Guard Force have played a core role, taking the lead in coordinating with relevant agencies and units to advise the Provincial Party Committee and People's Committee on developing programs and action plans to implement Resolution No. 33-NQ/TW, dated September 28, 2018, of the Politburo (12th tenure) on the National Border Protection Strategy. In particular, the focus has been on leading and directing all levels, sectors, localities, and grassroots, especially the six border districts, to effectively organize the dissemination, understanding, and implementation of border guard tasks, build a people's border defense, a strong people's border defense posture linked with the people's national defense posture, public security, and the building of a comprehensively strong border area.

Son La Provincial Border Guard cooperates with local people to patrol the border area. (Photo: Ha Son).

In particular, the Son La Provincial Border Guard assigned 06 officers who are border station commanders to participate in the Party Committees of 06 border districts, 17 border guards to participate in the Party Committees of 17 border communes, holding the position of deputy party secretary of the commune; assigned 273 party members who are officers and professional soldiers to help 538 households/2,680 people/164 villages/17 communes/06 border districts; 133 party members to participate in activities at 121 border village Party cells. Advised local Party Committees and authorities to admit over 500 party members, eliminated 02 villages without party members in the border area (Nam Khun village, Muong Leo commune and Hua Lanh village, Nam Lanh commune, Sop Cop district).

With the great efforts and determination of the officers and soldiers of the Son La Provincial Border Guard, together with the political system and the entire people, the all-people border defense and the all-people border defense posture in the entire province have been built and consolidated more and more firmly. The political system in the border localities has been consolidated, improved, and operates more and more effectively. Attention has been paid to investment and development of socio-economic infrastructure; the lives of people in the border areas have been improved. Thereby, creating a foundation and comprehensive strength to firmly protect national sovereignty and border security, building a peaceful, friendly, cooperative and developing border.

Giving breeding cows to people in the border area of ​​Son La province. (Photo: Thuy Hang).

According to Colonel Nguyen Dinh Huan, Commander of the Son La Provincial Border Guard Command, with the goal of promoting the combined strength of the entire political system and the entire people in building a strong national border defense, the Party Committee and the Son La Provincial Border Guard Command have focused on leading and directing agencies and units, especially border posts, to strengthen coordination with Party committees and authorities at all levels to do a good job of propagating, disseminating, and implementing resolutions and directives of the Party and State on the task of building and protecting national sovereignty and border security. The focus is on Plan No. 93/KH-UBND, dated March 29, 2022 of the Provincial People's Committee implementing the Ministry of National Defense's Project on organizing intensive training, propaganda, and dissemination of the Vietnam Border Law, the National Border Law, and detailed regulations for the period 2021 - 2025, the Protocol on border lines and border markers between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Lao People's Democratic Republic, the Agreement on border regulations and land border gates between the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Lao People's Democratic Republic, etc. Thereby, directly helping to raise awareness and responsibility of Party committees, authorities and people, especially ethnic minorities in border areas on national sovereignty and national borders; obligations, responsibilities and rights of each individual and organization in managing and protecting national sovereignty and border security. Up to now, the whole province has 70/70 border villages with 4,233 households/18,036 families participating in self-management registration of 274.065km of border line, 126/126 national border markers, and established 262 groups participating in self-management of village security and order.

The Border Guard Command of Son La province also proactively coordinated and mobilized resources, improving the effectiveness of the movement "The Army joins hands to build new countryside" with typical models, such as: "Planting fruit trees on sloping land", "Breakfast for children"; "Rice savings jars to help poor households in the border area", "Border Spring warms the hearts of villagers", "Planting passion fruit trees", "Raising breeding goats", "Breeding cows to help the poor in the border area", "Green uniformed teachers", "Adopted children of border guards", etc. The positive results obtained from these models have contributed to improving the material and spiritual life of the people, consolidating the people's trust in the Party, the government and the Border Guard, building an increasingly solid "people's hearts" in the border area.

Mr. Vang A Thanh in Din Chi village, Chieng On commune, Yen Chau district, Son La province said: “Implementing the program “Breeding cows to help the poor in the border area”, I and some households in the village were supported by the Border Guard with breeding cows worth 15 million VND/cow. Up to now, these cows have all grown well. My cow has given birth to its first litter. The Border Guard also guided people to plant fruit trees, adopted children from poor families, etc. People are very grateful to the Border Guard.”

Promoting the achieved results, in the coming time, in parallel with propaganda work and raising awareness of the people, the Border Guard Command of Son La province will strengthen coordination with functional agencies to advise the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee to deploy projects to arrange and stabilize border residential areas; review, supplement and adjust the planning of residential areas near border posts and stations. Actively participate in building political bases in border areas; promote the mass movement to participate in self-management, protect border lines, landmarks, maintain order and security in villages and hamlets; maintain and promote the effectiveness of self-management security teams in border villages and hamlets. At the same time, replicate models to support people in border areas to develop socio-economy, increase income, improve quality of life. Thereby, both strengthening the solidarity between the army and the people, and contributing to building a strong people's border defense, creating the strength to firmly protect the fence of the Fatherland./.

Nguyen Thi Hoan