Patrolling The Mekong ep.2: border control police balance work and life in isolated area
This year marks the fifth anniversary of the Joint Patrol and Law Enforcement initiative on the Mekong River. In December 2011, security authorities in China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand launched the initiative after around 8 gunmen stormed two Chinese vessels and killed thirteen sailors. In today’s episode, CCTV’s Meng Qingsheng visits a waterfront guard post to meet border patrol officers to see how they strike a balance between work and their personal lives in an isolated part of China. Sailing downstream along the upper Mekong. Number One Guard Post comes into view. Nine border control police officers work here, each serving a stint of one month. They have to stand the isolation and some other difficulties – for example there’s no constant power supply or internet connection. This is Sun Hao’s thirtieth time working at this guard post. “To be a soldier, you really experience some difficulties. We built this guard post brick by brick, and transformed the place we live in. It’s quite a happy thing,” Sun said.
