Worthy of being the core force in managing and protecting sovereignty and border security

Over 65 years of construction, fighting and growth, the Border Guard force has overcome all difficulties and hardships, excellently completing all assigned tasks; contributing to building a strong people's border defense, building a peaceful and friendly border, worthy of being the core and specialized force in managing and protecting national sovereignty and border security.

65 years of building, fighting and growing

Immediately after the victory of the 1950 Border Campaign, the Party Central Committee and Uncle Ho decided to establish three forces under the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security with the task of protecting territorial sovereignty, security of land borders, coasts, demarcation lines and important targets inland: Border Police under the Ministry of Public Security, arranged into border posts along the border, directly under the Public Security Departments of border provinces; Armed Police under the Ministry of Public Security with the task of protecting prisons, participating in suppressing bandits and eliminating traitors; Army units under the Ministry of National Defense with the task of protection (called protection troops).

On November 19, 1958, the Politburo of the Central Executive Committee of the Party (term II) issued Resolution No. 58/NQ-TW "On the establishment of the Homeland Guard and Border Guard forces". The Resolution determined that the Homeland Guard and Border Guard forces have the following tasks: "To suppress all acts of sabotage by domestic counter-revolutionaries and foreign counter-revolutionaries invading and sabotaging our country, to always be ready to fight to protect the security of the borders, coasts, border lines and the interior, and to protect the safety of important economic and cultural establishments". Implementing the resolution of the Politburo, on March 3, 1959, the Prime Minister issued Decree No. 100/TTg establishing the People's Armed Police Force (CANDVT), stating "Unifying the army units under the Ministry of National Defense that are performing the work of protecting the homeland, protecting the border, the border line and the Border Police and Armed Police units into one armed force specializing in border protection and homeland protection, named CANDVT, under the leadership of the Ministry of Public Security".

From then on, our country officially had an armed force specializing in domestic and border work, centralized and unified from the central to the grassroots levels. From then on, March 3rd officially became the traditional day of the People's Public Security Forces and Border Guards today.

After 65 years of building, fighting and growing, the Border Guard has continuously developed in terms of staff, organization and tasks, closely linked to the movement and development of the country's revolutionary situation and tasks. At the same time, it has achieved many glorious feats in each period, contributing effectively to the fight against foreign invaders and firmly protecting the sovereignty of the national border.

Border guards patrol and protect border markers. Photo: Vu Duy Thuong.

Over the years, the Border Guard units have always successfully completed their assigned tasks, such as: closely coordinating 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 renovating 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, actively coordinating with the National Border Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and border provinces to complete the work of demarcating and planting land border markers with the Kingdom of Cambodia.

Border Guard units along the sea border have coordinated with local authorities and relevant forces to manage and protect sovereignty, security and order in the sea border area. Actively participating in the fight against drugs and crime, smuggling and trade fraud, in resolving complicated security and order cases in the border area, not allowing complications to prolong and become hot spots... serving well the policy of openness and international integration of the Party and State.

Along with that, 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 border, sea and island areas, linking propaganda and mobilization work with the implementation of revolutionary action movements at the grassroots level...

Mobilizing combined strength in protecting national borders

From the effective practice of the mass movement to participate in building and protecting the border, on February 22, 1989, the Council of Ministers (now the Government) issued Decision No. 16/HDBT on organizing Border Guard Day nationwide, starting from March 3, 1989.

Over the past 35 years, ministries, branches and organizations from the central to local levels have thoroughly grasped and seriously implemented the 5 contents of the National Border Defense Day. Through propaganda and education, the responsibility and strength of the people nationwide in the cause of building and protecting the border have been promoted, the sense of vigilance and sense of responsibility of the people, cadres and employees of agencies and organizations at the border have been raised to do a good job of protecting national sovereignty and border security; and the effectiveness of the mass movement of people participating in building and protecting the border in localities has been enhanced.

Military and civilians patrol and clean up around border markers. Photo: Quynh Anh.

Through the implementation of the National Border Guard Day, localities have seen many typical models, programs and movements of the masses protecting the security of the Fatherland's borders, forms of self-managed security in the village, hamlet, and commune communities, maintaining local order, such as: Movement "Mass participation in self-management of border lines, landmarks and security and order in hamlets and villages in border areas", "Youth volunteers protecting the border", "Women for the border", "Peaceful hamlets, harmonious families", "Exemplary village elders and village chiefs", "Eliminating illiteracy and universalizing primary education for children of ethnic groups", "Solidarity and safety of fishing boats going out to sea", "Exemplary religious groups", "All people participate in preventing and fighting COVID-19 and illegal entry and exit"...

Along with propaganda work, mass mobilization and participation in socio-economic development programs on the border, the Border Guard has proactively advised and proposed, and together with local Party committees and authorities, built and consolidated political bases in communes, wards and towns on the border, sea and islands to become increasingly stronger; cared for and developed a contingent of on-site cadres, supplemented and perfected the Party, government and mass organizations; and built a "people's hearts and minds position" in the border area.

In the field of fighting to protect territorial sovereignty and border security, the Border Guard units have closely followed the motto of both cooperation and struggle; regularly applying comprehensive border protection measures, through activities of the People's Border Protection Day to promote the strength of the local masses, repel many border encroachment activities, encroachment, encroachment, violation of territorial sovereignty, not allowing tension and confrontation on the border. Effectively fighting and preventing many illegal border entry and exit cases; chasing away and arresting thousands of foreign ships violating the sovereignty of our country's seas. At the same time, actively coordinating with relevant functional forces of neighboring countries to implement and deploy border diplomacy on both sides of the border, organizing border exchange activities to strengthen the relationship of solidarity and friendship...

Red River

(According to the Border Guard Political Department)

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