After listening to discussions by NA deputies on the draft Vietnam Border Law, General Lich explained and clarified several issues of the draft law on behalf of the Defense Ministry and the Drafting Board.
General Lich stated that the name and contents of the law were thoroughly discussed between the Drafting Board and experts from the Defense Ministry and other relevant Central agencies and ministries.
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General Ngo Xuan Lich speaking at the National Assembly on June 19 |
He said that the name of the draft law – Vietnam Border Law – and provisions of the draft law have institutionalized the Politburo’s Resolution No. 33 dated on September 28, 2019, on the Strategy for Protection of the National Border and followed Resolution 78 issued on June 11, 2019, on the Program to Build Laws and Degrees in 2020. Furthermore, the draft law has been written in accordance with the 2013 Constitution and based on typical features of Vietnam’s border as well as border regulations of countries in the region and world.
General Lich underlined that the “Vietnam Border Law” also reflects all principles and policies of the State on border and meets the requirements of border tasks in the current situation. It has perfectly improved insufficiencies in the laws and regulations previously promulgated on border building, border protection, border management, investment, and socio-economic development in border areas, and consolidating defense and security in border areas.
The draft law also creates favorable conditions for the country to promote border cooperation with other countries, border forces, and localities to enhance people-to-people diplomacy and build a borderline of peace, friendship, cooperation, and development with other countries, in line with the foreign policy of the Party and State of Vietnam.
Regarding the prime responsibility of the border guard force for maintaining public order and security in border areas and border gates articulated in the draft law, General Lich stated that the provision has been crafted on the basis of both theory and practice. According to him, all current legal documents define that the border guard force is mainly responsible for safeguarding border security as well as maintaining public order and security in border areas and border gates, while the Public Security Forces and local authorities are the supporting forces.
The Defense Minister also pointed out the fact that the Border Guard Force has coordinated closely with the Public Security Forces, other relevant forces, and local authorities in safeguarding national borderlines and maintaining public order and security in border areas and at border gates over the past 60 years. He cited a number of achievements attained by the border guard units in fighting crimes, especially drug-related crime, in border areas.
General Lich underscored that the Border Guard Force should have the right to check means of transport and handle the means of transport and people violating the laws in border areas. He concluded that border guard units could not fulfill their tasks if they were not permitted to check means of transport, particularly when drug crime, smuggling, trade fraud, and social order violations are on the rise in border areas and at border gates.
However, General Lich also said that the Drafting Board would take all ideas and opinions of NA deputies into account while completing the Vietnam Border Law.
Translated by Thu Nguyen