In the past 20 years, the Vietnam Coast Guard has struggled with crimes of all kinds, violations to the law, exercised the right to pursue, search and rescue activities in the waters outside Vietnamese waters in accordance with regulations of Vietnamese law and international law.

The Vietnam Coast Guard.

Therefore, the Law on Vietnam Coast Guard regulating the case of operating outside Vietnamese waters is appropriate and very necessary in the current period. On the other hand, it helps to improve the operational efficiency of the Coast Guard which is highly international, creating a legal basis to firmly protect sovereignty, sovereignty rights, national jurisdiction and security of Vietnam’s sea and islands. 

Immediately after the Law on Vietnam Coast Guard took effect, in order for the Law to quickly come to life, bring into full play and bring into full effect, the Party Committee and the Head of the High Command of Vietnam Coast Guard have drastically directed the synchronous and serious implementation of provisions of the Law. Besides, the Vietnam Coast Guard has promoted propaganda, dissemination of the content of the Law to cadres and soldiers throughout the force as well as officials, people in localities across the country. 

Reviewing the implementation of the law over the past 1 year, in a recent article, Major General Tran Van Nam, Deputy Commander of the Vietnam Coast Guard summarized:

The Vietnam Coast Guard is always ready to protect national sovereignty at sea

The entire force has fully and comprehensively implemented the provisions of the Law on Vietnam Coast Guard relating to the functions and tasks of protecting national sovereignty and interests at sea (Article 3, Clause 2 of Article 8): Continuing to strictly maintain the on-duty system at all levels as prescribed; closely coordinating with the units in agreement, monitoring and grasping the situation in the air, at sea, in relevant areas according to regulations (Clause 1 Article 8, Article 22, Article 23, Article 24); actively, proactively assessing, advising and proposing to the Central Military Commission and the Minister of Defense in directing activities of management and protection of national sovereignty at sea.

Coordinating with 05 coastal military zones, ministries, departments, and 28 coastal provinces and cities to review human resources, boats and civilian means of transport to mobilize according to Clause 6 of Article 8, Article 16 of the Law on Coast Guard and Decree 30/2010/ND-CP, Decree 130/2015/ND-CP, Circular 153/TT-BQP, ready to receive human resources and means of transport to participate in protection maritime sovereignty.

Actively participate in building defense and security posture and are ready to handle defense and security situations at sea (Clause 4, Article 8). Strengthen organization of training, practice of combat plans...

Regarding the patrol, inspection, control, and maintenance of law enforcement at sea

Coast Guard agencies and units have strictly grasped and synchronously implemented the provisions of the Law on Vietnam Coast Guard in patrol, inspection and control (according to Article 13, Clause 1 of Article. 9 and Circular No. 15/2019/TT-BQP of the Ministry of Defense).

Strictly maintaining forces, means and boats on duty and patrol, inspect and control in key water areas; closely coordinating with the Navy to perform the task of protecting sovereignty over the sea and islands. Strengthening the mobilization and use of hundreds of ships and boats to patrol, inspect, control and maintain law enforcement in Vietnam’s waters. Propagating, requesting nearly 1,100 turns of foreign boats violating the waters of Vietnam to leave Vietnam’s water areas; recording plate number of 548 ships, making minutes indicating the chart of release of nearly 100 ships.

During the process of operating at sea, the Coast Guard ships also propagated the law to hundreds of Vietnamese fishing vessels that violated the regulations against illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing (IUU); detected and handled many errors of maritime safety with more than 500 ships, imposed fines on administrative violations totaling more than 600 million dong, which was contributed to the State budget.

In the fight against crime, illegal activities at sea

Based on the assigned tasks, powers, scope of management, geographical areas of operation, Coast Guard agencies and units have fully implemented the provisions of the Law on Vietnam Coast Guard in relation to fighting competition against crimes and violations of laws at sea (Clause 2 Article 3; Clause 3 Article 8; Clause 4, Clause 5 of Article 9 and the provisions of law on handling of administrative violations, organizations and agencies and other relevant criminal investigation agencies).

The Vietnam Coast Guard and the China Coast Guard will conduct joint patrols to inspect the fisheries union in the Gulf of Tonkin common fishing area.

In the past year, the entire force has discovered, inspected, arrested, investigated and handled 508 cases/936 criminals, including many large cases, confiscated exhibits of high value; the total amount of fines for administrative violations and the auctions of smuggled goods raised to the State budget is estimated at more than 200 billion VND.

For crimes of possession, sale, and illegal transportation of narcotics, the Coast Guard directly detected or coordinated with other forces to handle more than 100 cases with 268 subjects. The confiscated exhibits include tens of kilograms of meth, tens of thousands of synthetic narcotics tablets, 14 heroin cakes, tens of kilograms of herbicides and many other exhibits and materials.

In the performance of search and rescue missions

The Coast Guard actively arranged personnel and means to participate in the search and rescue activities on the basis of the provisions of the Law on Vietnam Coast Guard (Clauses 2 and 3, Article 8); well organized the search and rescue work at sea and on land and took part in dealing with consequences of natural disasters and floods with the participation of more than 100 ships, boats/1,430 officers and soldiers.

The Coast Guard saved 202 people and 21 ships; evacuated property for nearly 30 households, evacuated more than 400 people to safe places in complicated and dangerous weather conditions; strengthened practical training, practiced search and rescue plans at sea; maintained forces and means to be on duty, ensured uninterrupted communication channels, and shared rescue information with relevant functional forces; firmly grasped the situation at sea, weather developments, practically improved the efficiency of search and rescue work at sea.

In international cooperation

Articles 19, 20 and 21 of the Law on Vietnam Coast Guard stipulating the principles, contents and forms of international cooperation of the Coast Guard have created a solid legal basis for the Coast Guard to maintain and build flexible and open international cooperation mechanisms.

In addition to continuing to maintain close cooperation with law enforcement forces at sea of countries in the region and around the world, the Vietnam Coast Guard also performed well in advising the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Government on foreign defense and foreign affairs; closely followed and strictly implemented Resolution No. 860-NQ/QUTW dated December 31, 2013 of the Central Military Commission on economic integration and defense foreign affairs, notably: Strengthening information exchange, the situation of illegal fishing activities; conducting joint fisheries inspection in the Tonkin Gulf with the China Coast Guard; promptly and effectively coordinating in the prompt and efficient handling of related cases between countries with adjacent water areas, contributing to maintaining peace and stability in the East Sea;

Continuing to deepen international cooperation activities with the United States and Japan; strengthening the capacity of the Coast Guard through funding projects and programs; sending many officers to participate in training programs and capacity building for law enforcement at sea. Promoting diplomatic exchanges with the
Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), the Indonesian Coast Guard (Barkamla) to advance to the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding.

In coordination with other agencies, units, and forces

On the basis of the provisions of Articles 22, 23, 24, 25 on the coordination activities of the Vietnam Coast Guard, the High Command of Vietnam Coast Guard has actively studied and reviewed the regulations and plans for coordination with relevant ministries, branches, agencies, units and functional forces; advised, proposed amendments, supplements, and develop new coordination regulations to ensure compliance, fully updated regulations on content, form, and responsibility for coordination.

The Coast Guard force has been step by step diversifying the contents, forms and measures to coordinate activities with other forces (Decision 5895/QD-BQP dated December 13, 2019 of the Minister of Defence) and agencies, units, functional forces of ministries, branches and local governments (Articles 31 to 42 of Decree 61/2019/ND-CP of the Government).

Since July 1, 2019, the Vietnam Coast Guard has coordinated with other agencies, units, functional forces, and local authorities to exchange nearly 15,000 professional bulletins; to propagate and handle thousands of foreign ships violating Vietnam's territorial waters. The Vietnam Coast Guard has also arrested and handled hundreds of people and boats for violation of law; arrested 03 particularly dangerous wanted criminals hiding on fishing boats; step by step improved the effectiveness of coordination and brought into play the synergy of all levels, branches and local governments, especially the forces directly operating at sea.

Deputy Commander of the Vietnam Coast Guard, Major General Tran Van Nam affirmed: The Law on Vietnam Coast Guard is a solid legal foundation for the Vietnam Coast Guard to enter a new stage of development.

"In the following years, besides many advantages, there are many difficulties and challenges. The good implementation of the above contents and solutions will be a factor to ensure the development of the Vietnam Coast Guard to go straight to modernity, worthy of the title Hero of the People's Armed Forces, always ready to accept and successfully complete all the tasks assigned by the Party, State and People," Major General Tran Van Nam strongly emphasized.

Thuc Anh