The Son La Provincial Border Guard Command is responsible for managing and protecting over 274 km of national border, adjacent to Hua Phan and Luang Prabang provinces of the 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, with a high poverty rate and slow socio-economic development compared to other areas. This is also an area where hostile and reactionary forces intensify their subversive activities, inciting and luring ethnic minorities to participate in the activities of exiled organizations, demanding separatism and autonomy; illegal religious activities and proselytization; and various types of crimes that are complex and potentially destabilizing political security, order, and social safety.

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.

Border guards in Son La province cooperate with local people to patrol the border area. (Photo: Ha Son).

Specifically, the Son La Provincial Border Guard Command has assigned 6 officers who are commanders of border guard posts to participate in the Party committees of 6 border districts, and 17 border guard officers to participate in the Party committees of 17 border communes, holding the position of deputy secretary of the commune Party committee; assigned 273 Party members who are officers and professional soldiers to assist 538 households/2,680 people/164 villages/17 communes/6 border districts; and 133 Party members participate in activities at 121 Party branches in border villages. They have advised local Party committees and authorities to recruit over 500 new Party members, eliminating 2 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 high efforts and determination of the officers and soldiers of the Son La Provincial Border Guard, along with the political system and the entire population, the people's border defense system and the people's border defense posture throughout the province have been built and strengthened increasingly firmly. The political system in border areas has been consolidated and improved, operating more effectively. Socio-economic infrastructure has received investment and development; the lives of people in border areas have improved. This has created a foundation and combined strength to firmly protect national sovereignty and border security, building a peaceful, friendly, cooperative, and developing border line.

Donating breeding cattle 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 leveraging the combined strength of the entire political system and the whole population in building a strong national border defense system, the Party Committee and the Son La Provincial Border Guard Command have focused on leading and directing agencies and units, especially border guard posts, to strengthen coordination with Party committees and authorities at all levels to effectively carry out propaganda, dissemination, and implementation of resolutions and directives of the Party and State on the task of building and protecting national border sovereignty and 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 in-depth training, dissemination, and popularization of the Vietnam Border Guard Law, the National Border Law, and detailed regulations for the period 2021-2025, the Protocol on the border line and border markers between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Lao People's Democratic Republic, the Agreement on border regime and land border gates between the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Lao People's Democratic Republic, etc. Through this, it directly helps to raise awareness and responsibility of Party committees, authorities, and the people, especially ethnic minorities in border areas, regarding national sovereignty and borders; the duties, responsibilities, and rights of each individual and organization in managing and protecting national border sovereignty and security. To date, the entire province has 70/70 border villages with 4,233 households/18,036 families participating in self-management of 274.065km of border line, 126/126 national border markers, and established 262 self-management groups for security and order in villages.

The Son La Provincial Border Guard Command has also proactively coordinated and mobilized resources to enhance the effectiveness of the "Army's Contribution to Building New Rural Areas" movement through exemplary models such as: "Planting fruit trees on sloping land," "Breakfast for children," "Savings rice jars to help poor households in border areas," "Border Guard Spring brings warmth to the people," "Planting passion fruit," "Raising breeding goats," "Providing breeding cattle to help the poor in border areas," "Military teachers," "Adopted children of border guard posts," etc. The positive results obtained from these models have contributed to improving the material and spiritual lives of the people, strengthening the people's trust in the Party, the government, and the Border Guard, and building an increasingly solid "people's support" in the border area.

Mr. Vang A Thanh from Din Chi village, Chieng On commune, Yen Chau district, Son La province, said: “Through the ‘Cattle Breeding Program to Help the Poor in Border Areas,’ I and several other households in the village received cattle breeding support from the Border Guard, each valued at 15 million VND. To date, these cattle are all thriving. My cow has already given birth to its first litter. The Border Guard also guides people in planting fruit trees and provides care for children from disadvantaged families… The villagers are very grateful to the Border Guard.”

Building on the achievements already made, in the coming period, alongside propaganda and raising awareness among the people, the Son La Provincial Border Guard Command will strengthen coordination with relevant agencies to advise the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee on the implementation of projects to arrange and stabilize border residential areas; review, supplement, and adjust the planning of residential areas near border guard posts and stations. They will actively participate in building political foundations in border areas; promote mass movements for self-governance, protecting the border and boundary markers, maintaining order and security in villages; and maintain and enhance the effectiveness of self-governing security teams in border villages. At the same time, they will replicate models to support people in border areas in developing socio-economic conditions, increasing income, and improving the quality of life. Through these efforts, they will both strengthen military-civilian solidarity and contribute to building a strong national border defense system, creating a robust force to protect the country's borders.

Nguyen Thi Hoan