Vietnam Border Defence Force

On 19 November 1958, the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam decided to unite national defence forces and army units whose missions were domestic protection, border protection, beach defence, boundary security, and other forces in charge of guarding domestic international borders, under the management of the Police Department, and named them the Guard forces. Guard forces including Border Guard and Homeland Guard.[2][3]

According to the resolution of the Politburo, Border Guard is responsible for:

• Opportune repress spies, commandos, bandits, sea pirates and small cliques other destructive activities in cross-border, border, coast;
• Heavily attack on any army infringe upon national borders, to cope with all activities of war while waiting for the army come to reinforce;
• Prevent and punish smugglers on border areas;
• Implementing regulations on cross-border promulgated by the government of Socialist Republic of Vietnam and control of cross-border traffic (including cars, people, baggage, goods, works and cultural objects from other users in Vietnam brought out abroad and brought into Vietnam);
• Safety protect people's life and property and the State's property, the treasure, cooperatives, public schools, farms, in the border areas, against bandits, sea pirates, rangers surprised attack.

Homeland Guard is responsible for (this task transferred to police protection under the General Department of Police, Ministry of Public Security):

• Suppress all destructive activities of the small fee, parachuting spies and violence, destruction of the other counter-revolutionary cliques;
• Protect the headquarters, the leader of the Party and State, the diplomatic missions, international leaders and foreign guests visiting to Vietnam;
• Protect factories, mines, warehouses important, the centre of important contact information, clues and important transport axis, and an important transport, cultural facilities, science and Art is important;
• Protect Capital, cities and towns is important, protecting the rallies by the central government regulations, executive orders curfew as needed and the people's police to maintain order general security;
• Guarding the camps, prisons, escorting political prisoners and criminal matter, the hearing protection.

On 3 March 1959, the Prime Minister of Vietnam signed Decision No. 100 - TTg on the establishment of an armed force in charge of border protection and domestic, to be known as the People's Armed Police, set under the leadership of the Ministry of Public Security. This date is taken as the date of establishment of the Vietnam Border Defence Force.

Ceremony set up the People's Armed Police was held on the evening of 28 March 1959, at 19 hours, at the Military Club, Hanoi.

By the end of 1979 the People's Armed Police was renamed Border Defence Force and transferred under the Ministry of Defence (Vietnam). In 1988, the Border Defence Force moved to directly under the Ministry of Interior until late in 1995, then moved to the Ministry of Defence (Vietnam).[2]

Border Defence Force is the core force in charge, in co-ordination with other armed forces, localities and departments concerned and depend on people to manage, protect borders, maintaining security political, social order and safety in the border areas, maintaining the external border. Border Defence Force operates under the laws of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the international treaties relating to the sovereignty, national security and border on the mainland, islands, seas and border gates that the Socialist Republic of Vietnam has signed or acceded to.[2]

The organisational system of Border Defence Force includes three levels: Command (Central), Command provinces; Border posts.

Command of Border Defence Force

• General Staff
• Political Department
• Department of Logistics
• Technology and Equipment Department
• Department of Reconnaissance
• Department of Drug Prevention
• Border Crossings Department
• Office of the Command
• 21st Information Regiment
• Border Defence Force Academy
• Border Defence Force School

Border Command of the Provinces and Municipalities of Vietnam

Border posts

• Border Defence Force Squadrons
• Border Defence Force Flotillas

• Official website