Helping ethnic minorities settle down and protect their border lands.

(Baothanhhoa.vn) - During our trip to Mua Xuan village, Son Thuy commune, we met Mr. Thao Van Dia, the Party branch secretary and village head. When mentioning Mua Xuan village, many people will picture a backward, poor, and extremely difficult Hmong village with many shortcomings.

Officers and soldiers of Tam Chung Border Guard Station help local people harvest cassava.

However, the village of Mùa Xuân now has a new look. For many years, Mr. Dia has continuously worked with functional forces and local authorities to propagate and mobilize the people to stop deforestation for slash-and-burn farming, shifting cultivation, and nomadic lifestyles, and to stabilize their lives and develop the economy . As a result, 113 households of the Hmong ethnic group have achieved stable lives and no longer consider migrating elsewhere.

Mr. Thao Van Dia said: "More than 10 years ago, the lives of the villagers were very difficult. Many families left the village to find new land, and at one point, only about a dozen households remained. Since the implementation of policies and the attention of the Party and the State, the villagers have gradually stabilized their lives and are determined to stay in their village. To achieve this, functional forces, border guard officers, and police officers have sent many officials to work with the villagers in building the village. These officials have disseminated and implemented many Party guidelines and State policies and laws to the people; directly worked with the villagers to reclaim barren land for rice cultivation; built houses, brought water, and constructed small hydroelectric power plants; and strengthened the political system and village management boards. To date, the villagers have successfully grown rice twice a year, know how to raise livestock and cultivate crops in a commercial production manner, and 100% of children attend school."

Chiềng Căm village in Hiền Kiệt commune, once a poor and backward village, has transformed thanks to the concerted efforts of the government, the people, and the support of the Hiền Kiệt Border Guard Post, which assigned Party members to oversee households in the border area. Border guard Party members have guided households in socio-economic development, contributing to sustainable poverty reduction linked to the New Rural Development program. Currently, the poverty rate in Chiềng Căm village is just over 12%, and the average per capita income has reached over 45.3 million VND/person/year. This area was also chosen by the Hiền Kiệt Border Guard Post to build a model of a bright border village. By the end of 2024, Chiềng Căm village was recognized as achieving New Rural Development standards.

Along with helping people develop their economy, Hien Kiet Border Guard Station continuously strengthens the local political system. The unit has signed a leadership coordination agreement with the commune Party Committee, focusing on Party building, political system development, socio-economic development, mass mobilization, and building a people's border defense system linked to national defense and people's security in the border area, contributing to building a strong and comprehensive local political system. Based on the principle of prioritizing the people and putting them first, the unit has successfully implemented the movement "All citizens participate in protecting national sovereignty , territorial integrity, and border security in the new situation," and established self-governing groups for border areas and national boundary markers.

The family of Mr. Giàng A Chìa in Ón village, Tam Chung commune, faces particularly difficult circumstances, having lived in a dilapidated house for many years. He also participates in protecting the border and border marker No. 270 in Tam Chung commune. After assessing the living conditions of the villagers, the Tam Chung Border Guard Post mobilized funds to build a "Borderland Shelter" for Mr. Chìa's family. This project is a meaningful gift, strengthening the close bond between the border guards and the people in the border area.

"Borderland Shelter" is a housing construction program for policy beneficiary families and poor households facing housing difficulties in mountainous and island border communes and villages, which has been maintained and implemented by the Thanh Hoa Border Guard Command for many years. With the spirit of "mutual support and compassion," through contributions from Border Guard officers and soldiers and fundraising efforts, dozens of "Borderland Shelter" houses have been built and donated to policy beneficiary families and poor households along the border.

Lieutenant Colonel Ngo Minh Quang, Commander of Tam Chung Border Guard Station, said: “The donation of another ‘Borderland Shelter’ means more motivation for the people to steadfastly remain on the border despite countless difficulties in life. Over the past time, the station has always accompanied the people in the border region in implementing many meaningful programs and models to help them overcome poverty, gradually improve all aspects of their lives, and join hands with the border guard force in building their homeland and protecting the border.”

Currently, the Party Committee and Command of the Border Guard are continuing to direct the Party committees and commanders of grassroots units to closely coordinate with local Party committees and authorities to thoroughly understand the situation of policy beneficiary families, families in difficult circumstances, and families of religious faiths... in order to develop plans to monitor and assist each household. At the same time, they are emphasizing the effective implementation of coordination between all levels and sectors in the province, border guard posts, and local Party committees and authorities, as well as other forces stationed in the area, in assigning Party members to be responsible for households, linking this to the fulfillment of political tasks, firmly protecting the national border, and contributing to building a strong foundation of public support.

Text and photos: Tuan Khoa

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/giup-dong-bao-an-cu-giu-dat-bien-cuong-258969.htm