Lang Son is a mountainous province in the northeast of the country which shares with China a border of 231.74km and plays a very important role in economic development as well as national defence and security. It also has a significant role in the country’s import-export activities.

Over the past years, the living standards of the local people have considerably improved. However, in some localities the infrastructure for economic, cultural and social development is still very poor, which causes several difficulties for the residents’ lives. The complicated security and social order situation in some places also make it difficult for the border guards to manage the border area.

To deal with these difficulties, the border guards in Lang Son have carried out comprehensive and synchronous measures and promptly consulted the local authority to settle issues. They have also mobilized the locals to implement the National Border Law, delivered about 11,308 butterflies of popularizing the national border and territory and helped the locals develop economy and stabilize their lives.
 

To learn more about the work of the border guards in Lang Son, we visited the border posts of Tan Thanh, Huu Nghi and Chi Ma. In these places, the border guards have not only fulfilled their tasks of ensuring social order and security and national sovereignty over the border, but also helped the locals eliminate hunger, reduce poverty and improve their economic, cultural and social lives. They have also offered free medical treatment for local people, distributed free medicines and mobilised school-aged children to go to school. The border guards units have actively responded to the campaign “All people unite to build a cultural life in residential areas”, and encouraged villages to register to build cultural villages. To date, about 6,390 households and 30 percent of villages have been recognized as cultural households and villages, helping preserving cultural features of ethnic people and strengthening the relationship between the border guards and the locals.

In the work of combating crime and maintaining security and order, the provincial border guards are able to evaluate the situation well, patrol and handle hundreds of criminal cases, ensuring political security, social order and safety in the border area.

Over the years, they have implemented well the work of religion and foreign affairs. They have popularized Vietnam’s external policies for overseas Vietnamese and foreigners who are working in the border area, helping them to learn more about Vietnam. They also have had joint patrols and exchanged timely information with relevant forces of China as the agreements signed by the two countries.

In the future, the provincial border guard force will continue upholding its role as a core force in charge of managing and defending national border security, coordinating with forces in the area to prevent all criminal activities and maintain political stability and social order. They also will attempt to fully understand the lives and aspirations of people in the key areas; raise awareness and educate people to implement the Party’s policies and laws, which will create a firm foundation to protect national border security and sovereignty in the new situation.

Political commissar of High Command of Border Guard in Lang Son Province, Colonel Ngo Van Vu said that in the last months of 2013, the provincial border guard force will strengthen the work of mobilizing the people to implement the Party’s policy and fulfill their task of making joint efforts to build new residential areas. They will help the Provincial People’s Committee to carry out the pilot model of striking up a friendship between Na Nua Hamlet of Vietnam and Na Va Hamlet of China.

Border guards help the locals transplant rice. Photo: file Lang Son border guards instruct the locals on the techniques for planting and tendering seedling trees for a forestation. Photo: file Border guards help people repair the road at Mau Son Commune. Photo: file Border guards of Chi Ma Border Post give medical checks to the local people. Photo: file Border guards of Chi Ma Border Post visit families in referential treatment policy. Photo: file

Commissar and lieutenant-colonel Tran Minh Hai in Chi Ma Border Post said: “We live together with the people so we feel very happy when their lives have been improved and stabilized. We always consider the people as the root so we have strived to popularize the Party’s policy and convince the locals to participate in protecting the national border sovereignty.”

The silent and significant work of the border guards in Lang Son Province has helped reinforce the trust of people for the Party and State and maintain peace and stability in the national border area.

The border guard force in Lang Son has been assigned the task of managing and protecting 231.74km of the national border line where there are 20 communes and one town with 247 villages and hamlets. Of which, there are 88 border hamlets and villages.