Bringing legal knowledge closer to the people.

Recognizing that popularizing and educating the public, including fishermen in border areas, coastal regions, and islands, about the law is a crucial political task, the Party Committee and Command of the An Giang Provincial Border Guard have directed units to intensify this effort over the years through various methods and approaches appropriate to the local situation.

The Linh Huynh Border Guard Station has implemented various solutions to diversify the forms of propaganda and dissemination of laws, contributing to bringing legal knowledge to more and more people...

Officers from Linh Huynh Border Guard Station disseminate legal documents to the local people.

Taking advantage of the time fishermen were preparing their fishing gear for long fishing trips at sea, officers and soldiers of the Linh Huynh Border Guard Station, in coordination with the Linh Huynh Border Control Station, went to the fishing boat anchorage area to conduct awareness campaigns. The campaigns focused on disseminating information about combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing; new regulations, penalties, and sentencing guidelines for violations in foreign waters.

Fishermen were also educated about the 2012 Vietnamese Law of the Sea and Government Decree 169/2013/ND-CP on administrative penalties in the field of national border management and protection. In 2025, the unit will dedicate more time to disseminating information about the Vietnamese Border Guard Law.

Captain Duong Van Du, Head of the Linh Huynh Border Guard Control Station, said that in recent times, the unit has organized many meetings with local people to disseminate legal documents and appeals from the Chairman of the People's Committee of An Giang province regarding combating illegal fishing in foreign waters. To make the information easy for people to understand and absorb, the unit's specialized officers have researched and shortened the content of the legal documents, focusing on the main points and most practical provisions.

Even with meetings of only 5-10 people, the unit still organizes them. Through repeated interactions, listening to border guards explain the laws, receiving leaflets, and having key points of the laws printed out, the people have increasingly understood and grasped the law quite fully.

Officers from the Linh Huynh Border Guard Station, Linh Huynh Border Guard Post, guide fishermen in understanding legal regulations regarding seafood exploitation.

The Linh Huynh Border Guard Station currently manages nearly 200 offshore fishing vessels. The use of destructive fishing methods by fishermen, their failure to comply with regulations on combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, significantly impacts marine resources, the marine ecosystem, and puts pressure on the long-term livelihoods of the local people.

“Based on that reality, in addition to promoting legal awareness on board our vessels, our unit regularly sends officers to people's homes to hold meetings and disseminate information through various forms such as distributing leaflets and documents, and using loudspeakers in communes and hamlets. We guide fishermen in declaring information for seafood traceability, completing departure and arrival procedures according to regulations, and assisting in answering questions related to seafood exploitation. We combine this with disseminating information to fishermen during administrative inspection procedures before each fishing trip or use loudspeakers on patrol boats to inform vessels entering and leaving the harbor…”, said Lieutenant Colonel Bui Khac Duong, Commander of Linh Huynh Border Guard Station.

Mr. Pham Thanh Hoang, a Front Committee official in Linh Huynh hamlet, said: “The officers of the Linh Huynh Border Guard Post are the bridge that brings legal knowledge to the local people. They revise the documents to make them concise, easy to remember, and suitable for all ages and levels of understanding. If they don't understand after one explanation today, they will continue to visit their homes tomorrow or the day after. Those who can't read the documents in the leaflets should patiently listen; over time, they will understand everything…”

The legal awareness campaigns conducted by the Linh Huynh Border Guard Post have been effective, helping people understand and uphold a sense of responsibility in complying with and maintaining security in their villages and hamlets. Fishermen can confidently go out to sea, both legally exploiting marine resources and participating in protecting maritime sovereignty ; thereby building a strong foundation of public support and a robust people-to-people border defense system in the border region.

TIEN VINH

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/mang-kien-thuc-phap-luat-den-gan-dan-hon-a472536.html