33 years in the southwestern sea region

Báo Văn Hóa•24/07/2023

Colonel Dau Thanh Thuy, Commander of Border Guard Unit 28 (center)

The young soldier was present in the southwestern seas of the country during a critical period – piracy and Thai fishermen swarming in to illegally fish for seafood. According to Border Guard statistics, at its peak, within just five months, there were 10,716 instances of foreign vessels violating the southwestern seas (5,787 of these intrusive vessels were located near Tho Chu Island, sometimes only 5 nautical miles from the island). At that time, the southwestern seas were also a red zone targeted by Interpol, as it was a drug trafficking route used by King Khun Sai from the Golden Triangle via fishing boats.

Đậu Thanh Thủy is originally from Nghĩa Đàn district, Nghệ An province (now Thái Hòa town). Although not from a riverside region, Thủy always remembered her father's teachings, striving to be worthy of being a descendant of Nghệ An, the birthplace of President Ho Chi Minh. From her time studying at the Nha Trang Naval Academy until she took up her duties, the young soldier worked hard, and after graduation, she began her career as the deputy captain of the patrol boat Grif, numbered BP 28-01-70.

In the southwestern sea region, specifically in Kien Giang province, there are as many as 140 islands of varying sizes. Some islands, like the Pirate Islands, sound mysterious even before you hear their names. The young officer began his journey on the ship, eventually visiting all 140 islands and islets in Kien Giang, then moving on to Ca Mau . The Nam Du, Phu Quoc, Tho Chu, Hon Mau, Hon Son, Hon Nghe, Hon Mong Tay... archipelagos were all visited by the BP 28-01-70 ship. Because during the days of waiting for opportunities at sea and ambushing at sea, the border guards had to drop anchor and use rafts to reach the islands.

Decades ago, when the islands in the middle of the sea were uninhabited, border guards had to go ashore to inspect them. This was because in 1974, the destroyer Tran Khanh Du (HQ 4) of the Republic of Vietnam intercepted a shipment of refined heroin belonging to King Khun Sai, worth up to 700 million USD.

During long days at sea, Thuy and his crew also had to remember the types of wild vegetables growing on the abandoned islets. Because the ship only occasionally docked to allow the crew to buy fresh vegetables at the market, these "island markets" helped them find additional food sources at sea. There was more than enough fish to eat, but fresh vegetables were a major problem for all the forces on duty at sea at that time.

Drug gangs in Thailand use fishing boats to transport drugs and are subsequently arrested. (Photo: ARCHIVE)

One day in early March 1989, Lieutenant Dau Thanh Thuy and his crew went out to sea on patrol aboard the BP 28-01-70 vessel. Before setting sail, some fishermen on the mainland exclaimed, "Around Tho Chu Island, Thai ships are swarming like black beans!" At that time, the southwestern sea was teeming with fish, while the local fishermen's fishing equipment was outdated, making this area a fishing ground for Thai fishermen. The history of the 28th Naval Squadron records instances of Thai fishing boats encroaching on the area, and whenever they were apprehended by the 18th Border Guard Squadron (later divided into two squadrons, 18 and 28), the Thai fishermen fiercely resisted. There were several hotspots such as: 08 degrees 50 minutes N – 103 degrees 20 minutes E. The Thai Navy's Kơ Long Day 05 and helicopters even came to this area to rescue Thai fishermen being held captive by the Border Guard.

During a patrol in March 1989, the crew of the BP 28-01-70 had to deal with Thai fishermen. When signaled to stop, the Thai fishermen brought out gas cylinders, lit them, and sprayed flames towards the Border Guard vessel, also armed with knives, sticks, and stones, determined to fight to the bitter end. This was just one of thousands of incidents that Border Guard soldiers had to handle.

Then the southwestern seas were cleared of Thai fishing boats, piracy subsided, and looking back, the young soldiers now had gray hairs. The newly graduated Lieutenant now held the rank of Colonel and served as the Commander of Border Guard Squadron 28; the Grif ships, once considered warhorses, were replaced by a new generation of patrol vessels.

On April 1, 2023, Squadron A 23 of Border Guard Regiment 28 discovered fishing vessel KG 93835 TS illegally transporting 25,000 liters of diesel fuel without invoices or supporting documents. Immediately after the squadron reported the situation to the mainland, Colonel Dau Thanh Thuy was able to picture the scene, having spent his youth navigating the seas.

Nearing the end of his military career, when asked about his most profound memory, Colonel Dau Thanh Thuy didn't recount the incident where the BP 28-01-70 ship was shot at by the Thai side, or the seizure of 1,968 kg of dried marijuana, but rather spoke of Typhoon Linda in October 1997. Colonel Thuy recalled, "I was steering the BP 28-01-70 along with other ships in the unit, rushing out to sea to rescue people. Fishermen were floating like buoys on the water. At that time, the waves were so big they threatened to sink the ship, but thinking of the tears of the people, the ship kept going to try and save as many as possible."

LE VAN CHUONG

Source