Building on their role as core grassroots forces, border guard posts across the province have in recent times stepped up and refreshed their outreach efforts, helping bring official information closer to ethnic minority communities in border areas.

Điện Biên province, with national borders stretching across 15 communes and home to more than 42,000 households from 17 ethnic groups, poses significant challenges for communication and public outreach. From on the ground realities, the provincial Border Guard Command has determined that information dissemination and legal education cannot be confined to conventional talks or one way formats. Instead, communication must be practical, easy to understand, and closely connected to people’s daily lives.

Rapid digitalization has also underscored the need for proactive efforts to counter false narratives and hostile schemes that exploit ethnic, religious, democratic and electoral issues to undermine national unity and destabilize political security and social order in border regions. In this context, the “border guard loudspeaker” system, including grassroots broadcasting networks and mobile loudspeakers operated by border guard posts, has proven increasingly effective, emerging as a trusted and accessible information channel for local residents.

In Sín Thầu commune, Sen Thượng Border Guard Post has proactively coordinated with local Party committees, authorities, and mass organizations to roll out a wide range of synchronized communication and mobilization activities, focusing on the election process. Viewing this as a key political task of profound significance in promoting people’s right to mastery, the unit has adopted approaches suited to the realities of highland and border areas, where ethnic minority groups make up the majority.

Senior Captain Phan Văn Long, deputy political officer of Sen Thượng Border Guard Post, said that instead of relying solely on centralized communication, officers and soldiers have gone directly to villages and households, integrating outreach into community meetings, village gatherings, and voter conferences, closely combined with mass mobilization work. Messages are delivered flexibly and in culturally appropriate ways, often using local ethnic languages. At the same time, the unit regularly monitors public sentiment, promptly identifying and countering misinformation and distorted narratives related to elections and Party congresses.

“More recently, we have leveraged digital technology to produce short communication videos shared on social media platforms”, Senior Captain Long noted. “The content is carefully selected to highlight the significance of the election; citizens’ rights, duties and responsibilities; criteria for National Assembly and People’s Council deputies; as well as electoral procedures, timelines and principles in line with the law. This helps people listen easily, understand clearly, remember better and act accordingly.”

In Quảng Lâm commune, Na Cô Sa Border Guard Post has effectively promoted the “border guard loudspeaker” model in communication about Party congresses and the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels. A flexible mix of methods has been employed, including broadcasts via fixed loudspeaker systems and mobile units, distribution of leaflets, display of banners and slogans, and integration of messages into community activities.

The unit has proactively researched and compiled communication outlines and materials in both Vietnamese and ethnic minority languages, ensuring concise, accessible content tailored to different target groups. As a result, the spirit of “living and working in accordance with the Constitution and the law” has gradually spread widely within communities; grassroots democracy has been strengthened; and social order and safety have been maintained, creating a stable environment for socio-economic development and reinforcing national defense and security along the country’s borders.

Practical experience shows that alongside various outreach activities, border guard posts across the province have conducted hundreds of hours of broadcasts on Party congresses and electoral work. Grassroots broadcasting systems, especially mobile “border guard loudspeakers” recorded in Mông, Thái and other ethnic languages, have become a vital bridge linking the Party’s policies with people’s daily lives. Through each broadcast and message, residents not only gain information about elections and Party congresses but also improve their legal awareness and vigilance against hostile plots and tactics.

People are increasingly aware of the significance of Party congresses and elections, reflected in their active participation in voter meetings, nomination processes, and contributions to preparatory activities, neighborhood clean-ups and celebratory projects. This forms an important foundation for the successful organization of the 14th National Party Congress and the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026-2031 term.