Building a solid position in people's hearts

We arrived at Po Hen Border Post when the officers and soldiers of the unit had just moved to a new station after a period of investment and construction. Major Tran Dai Duong, Political Commissar of the post, said: "Po Hen Border Post manages and protects more than 12km of land border adjacent to China and is located in Hai Son commune (belonging to Mong Cai city). In recent times, the unit has always proactively implemented management measures, maintained security and order in the area, and actively participated in helping people develop production and build new rural areas... Thereby, contributing to firmly building the people's hearts and minds, improving the effectiveness of the movement of the entire people participating in protecting territorial sovereignty and national border security".

Officers and soldiers of Po Hen Border Guard Station help people plant trees to develop the economy. Photo: MAI ANH

Working with border guards in Luc Chan village, Hai Son commune, we met Mr. Ly A Chang, Party cell secretary and head of Luc Chan village, Hai Son commune. During the conversation, Mr. Chang shared: "The Border Guards (BĐBP) always actively research and grasp the situation to advise the local Party Committee and government in carrying out the task of building political bases, developing the local economy, culture and society. At the same time, they directly survey the terrain, climate and soil conditions in the area to mobilize and orient people to develop the economy". Mr. Chang also said that in the past, the lives of people in the commune were still difficult, the cultivated land was mainly close to the border and every time corn and rice were planted, they were often sabotaged by bad guys. After being propagandized and mobilized by border guards, he and the local people actively participated with the Border Guard to protect the border and landmarks, preventing bad guys from violating the territorial sovereignty and national border security. Thanks to that, the people's lives have gradually changed, and security and order in the area have been ensured.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Duong, President of the Women's Union of Hai Son Commune, said: "Because the people on both sides of the border have a close relationship and many similar cultural features, in the past, many families had members crossing the border, freely grazing livestock, cultivating... without knowing that they were violating the law and border regulations. Since the Women's Union of Hai Son Commune coordinated with the border guard station to step up propaganda activities, women have actively shared with their husbands, children and family members about strictly following the Party's policies and the State's laws and policies... Thanks to that, up to now, most of the people and women have no longer violated illegal border crossing activities."

Stand side by side with the Border Guard to protect border sovereignty

With the motto "Listen to people, speak so that people understand, do so that people believe" and "Eat together, live together, work together, speak the ethnic language together", officers and soldiers of Po Hen Border Guard Station regularly go to hamlets and villages near the border area to help people work and produce, develop the economy and combine propaganda and mobilize people not to be lured by bad guys to do things that violate the law; raise vigilance in protecting the border and border markers. Up to now, the entire system of border lines and border markers in the unit's area has been voluntarily registered by hundreds of households and individuals to participate in protection.

In 2022, the officers and people of the border commune in charge participated with the border patrol unit hundreds of times; cleared the border patrol route 20 times with nearly 1,000 participants. The unit also proactively detected and coordinated with local Party committees, authorities, and forces to effectively combat all types of crimes and social evils, preventing hot spots from occurring in the area. People confidently detected and provided the border guard station with many valuable sources of information to serve the work of border management and protection... contributing to firmly protecting the territorial sovereignty and national border security.

Officers and soldiers of Po Hen Border Guard Station disseminate the law to the people. Photo: MAI ANH

Along with border management and protection, in recent times, Po Hen Border Guard Station has been proactive and creative in synchronously implementing border protection measures. Well implementing border foreign affairs; advising the People's Committee of Hai Son commune to direct Po Hen village to maintain the twinning activities of the residential clusters on both sides of the border between Po Hen village (Vietnam) and Than San village (China). Doing a good job of propaganda especially for the people on both sides of the border in complying with agreements and treaties, especially the 3 legal documents on the border after demarcation and marker planting. The unit sends cadres to regularly propagate to the people on both sides of the border to respect the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of each side, to jointly take responsibility in managing and protecting the border and markers, to maintain friendship and solidarity between the people on both sides of the border, to create favorable conditions for the economic, cultural and social development of each side.

"With practical work with the people, the image of border soldiers at the homeland's frontier has become increasingly close and dear to the people in the area. The people have become "extended arms" to help Po Hen Border Guard Station complete all assigned political tasks; contributing significantly to the Border Guards of the whole province in maintaining security and order, firmly protecting the national border sovereignty", Major Tran Dai Duong, Political Commissar of Po Hen Border Guard Station affirmed.

The lives of the people in the border highlands are changing dramatically. The picture of the border villages is really improving. These changes are partly contributed by the soldiers in green uniforms. Their actions have further enhanced the image of Uncle Ho's soldiers in the hearts of the ethnic people in the border areas.

HUMILITY