Border Guard Force: Steadfast on the frontier

The Vietnam Border Guard has had a proud history of formation and development over the past 65 years. The Border Guard is a component of the Vietnam People's Army, established by the Party and President Ho Chi Minh on March 3, 1959 (People's Armed Police). This force is responsible for protecting the national border, maintaining security and order, and protecting territorial sovereignty , especially in border areas, seas and islands.

Border Guard officers and soldiers coordinate with militia forces to patrol and protect the border. Photo: Internet

During the process of building and growing, the Border Guard not only participates in the tasks of protecting sovereignty, but also carries out defense diplomacy, international cooperation, combats transnational crimes, smuggling, and helps people in border areas. They also participate in search and rescue activities, natural disaster prevention, and support socio-economic development in localities. The Border Guard has been equipped with more modern means and technology to effectively perform its tasks in the new context. They also regularly organize exchange activities and establish friendship and cooperation with border protection forces of neighboring countries, aiming to enhance friendship and cooperation in the border field. Over 65 years of building, fighting and growing up, generations of officers and soldiers of the Border Guard (BĐBP) have always recognized their responsibility, remained absolutely loyal to the Party, devoted to the People, upheld the spirit of revolutionary vigilance, were resourceful, brave, overcame all difficulties and hardships, and excellently fulfilled the task of protecting the socialist regime, protecting the Party, protecting the People, building a peaceful and friendly border with neighboring countries, and were worthy of being the core and specialized force in managing and protecting national sovereignty and border security. Thoroughly implementing the Party's innovation policy, the Party Committee and the Border Guard High Command have led and directed units to actively research and comprehensively innovate Border Guard work measures, including: Innovation in theoretical thinking on border work; innovation in policies and measures to combat all types of subjects; Innovation in the arrangement and use of forces and means and innovation in the forms and measures of coordination with sectors and forces in protecting sovereignty and border security... In which, reconnaissance measures are identified as the spearhead, mass mobilization measures are fundamental, armed patrol measures, administrative control measures, technical works are important and raising the level of border foreign affairs work into a professional measure of the Border Guard in protecting sovereignty and border security. In the work of protecting territorial sovereignty and national borders, we have closely coordinated with forces and localities to successfully complete the work of demarcating and planting land border markers with the People's Republic of China, the work of increasing and embellishing national border markers with the Lao People's Democratic Republic and organizing border protection according to legal documents on borders and border gates that our country has signed with the two countries; At the same time, we are actively coordinating with the National Border Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and border provinces to complete the work of demarcation and marker planting on the land border with the Kingdom of Cambodia.

Border guards stand firm at the border. Photo: Internet

In the fight against drugs and crime, the units have excellently completed all assigned tasks, especially in the fight against drugs and crime, against smuggling, trade fraud, in resolving complicated cases of security and order in border areas, not allowing complications to prolong and become hot spots... serving well the policy of opening up and international integration of the Party and State. With the function of being a fighting army, a working army, a labor and production army; born from the people, serving the people, the Border Guard has done a good job of mobilizing the masses, contributing to bringing the Party and State's guidelines, policies and guidelines to the people of all ethnic groups in the border, sea and island areas, linking propaganda and mobilization work with the implementation of revolutionary action movements at the grassroots level. Deploying many typical models, programs and movements with creative ways of managing and protecting sovereignty and border security, participating in building and consolidating political bases; economic, cultural, social development, hunger eradication and poverty reduction in border areas... On the land border, units regularly patrol to protect border markers, promptly detect and handle hundreds of violations of territorial sovereignty. On the sea route, the Border Guard fleets and squadrons coordinate with other forces to arrest and handle many cases of ships violating the law, maintaining sovereignty and national resources at sea. In the work of border gate management and immigration control, the Border Guard has actively promoted administrative reform, applied information technology to effectively carry out Border procedures according to the national single window and ASEAN single window mechanisms, focused on investing in modern equipment and technical means, implementing digitalization and automation in immigration and exit control; shortening the time for procedures, promoting border circulation, effectively serving the cause of innovation and national development. Over 65 years of construction, fighting and growth, the great contributions of generations of officers and soldiers of the Border Guard force and the great role of the People in protecting territorial sovereignty and national border security; promoting the combined strength of the whole nation for the cause of building and defending the Fatherland. The dedication and sacrifice of Border Guard soldiers over the past 65 years have greatly contributed to firmly protecting the border and national sovereignty, building trust and solidarity among ethnic groups, as well as being a typical image of the Vietnam People's Armed Forces./.

Kim Oanh