Final article: Are districts and communes powerless? Provincial-level intervention is needed.
In Cha Lum village (Yen Tinh commune), when asked by the village headman Vang Van Nam why so many people in Cha Lum and neighboring villages like Huoi Pai, Na Cang... are engaged in gold mining, he explained that alluvial gold mining is one of the local people's livelihoods. Currently, the villagers only know how to mine gold to make a living.
- People are going to mine for gold like that; do you have any opinions on that?
Yes, that version has its own fees.
- How much does one toll collection unit cost?
- One machine costs between 500,000 and 1 million VND per month. According to the village's convention, the fee is 1 million VND per machine, but if they succeed, they get 1 million VND; if they don't do much, they get 500,000 VND.
- Has the commune issued any warnings about gold mining?
- Yes, absolutely. Occasionally, the commune officials come and remind them, so the people take a break.
So, whose excavators and large sluices are mining for gold along the stream and on the hill? "They belong to Hop Vinh Company. They've been working here since Pa Khom," Mr. Nam replied. According to Village Head Vang Van Nam, since 2010, Hop Vinh Company has brought five teams to mine gold in Yen Tinh; each month, Hop Vinh Company provides Cha Lum village with 5 million VND in support, and the village has no right to collect fees because they have permits from the district and commune... We asked again: Is the large team mining on the hill above the village also from Hop Vinh Company? Mr. Vang Van Nam confirmed: The team mining on the hill belongs to Hop Vinh Company, and this hill area is within the territory of Cha Lum village.
Returning to the Yen Tinh commune headquarters, I spoke with Mr. Mac Dinh Trung, Deputy Secretary and Chairman of the People's Council of the commune, and learned that the commune only reminded the people to work carefully to avoid accidents. They also suspended construction in areas near public facilities such as schools, health stations, and bridges.
Regarding gold mining companies in the area, according to Mr. Trung, in Yen Tinh district, there are two companies, Hop Vinh Company and Trung Tin Company, that have been licensed by the province to mine alluvial gold in the stream bed area, and they are currently within the validity period of their licenses. According to the provincial decision, these companies are allowed to mine in the Cha Ha stream with a width of no more than 25 meters, and a length extending from Yen Na commune to the end of Yen Tinh district. When asked whether these companies are allowed to mine on the hills, Mr. Trung affirmed: They are not allowed to do so. The hills and mountains are protected by forests, and local forest rangers conduct continuous inspections. Last year, a few groups violated the regulations and were fined, but this year they dare not do it.
- Does the district have any opinion on gold mining?
- Yes. Every year the district issues a document prohibiting people from doing that...
- The district strictly prohibits it, but in reality, the commune can't stop it.
Leaving Yen Tinh, we returned to Yen Thang commune and met Mr. Vi Van Phuc, the Party Secretary of the commune.
- We've received information that since February, illegal gold mining has been rampant in Yen Thang, with several groups operating right near the commune's headquarters. Where are they from?
- Most of them are from Yen Thang.
- Why did Yen Thang allow this situation to happen?
- There have been attempts to address the issue, but the people aren't listening. Some departments within the relevant agencies haven't been very decisive in handling this matter. Yesterday, the commune's Party Committee held a meeting and mentioned this issue.
- Some of the operators claim that the commune or village allows them to operate and collect fees. Is this true?
- The Party Committee has no policy on this matter. I don't know what the People's Committee is doing. And I haven't heard anything about collecting fees. The District Chairman just issued Official Document 144 directing the communes to deal with illegal gold mining; we will soon form a team to expel them...
- But that's what people say. They say that people from the commune have to pay 1.5 million dong per machine per month, while outsiders have to pay more.
- I haven't heard about this. Previously, after a fine, they would be given an extension of 10 or 20 days. That's probably a form of punishment; we'll be strictly enforcing this rule from now on.
- Before the district directed the handling of illegal gold mining, did the commune's Party Committee have no opinion on this matter?
- Yes.
So why does illegal gold mining still occur?
- This is because the relevant authorities did not handle the matter thoroughly. The Party Committee had given instructions, but the government did not implement them.
- If you have a policy, then the government has to implement it.
- That's how it should have been, but in reality, it's not like that...
"Gold thieves" are operating in Yen Huong village.
I asked Mr. Vi Van Phuc further: Is it true that in Yen Thang, the commune committee leaders have complete control? After a moment of silence, Mr. Phuc replied: I am also very concerned about this matter and have reported it to the district officials in charge of the commune. It would be better if the district didn't issue any directives on this matter... Then Mr. Phuc connected the call to Mr. Lo Van Yen - Chairman of the Commune People's Committee. Over the phone, Mr. Phuc said: A journalist from Nghe An came to ask about this (the illegal gold mining - PV). Please call the relevant authorities and tell them to stop it.
In response to the rampant illegal gold mining, on March 18, 2013, the People's Committee of Tuong Duong District issued Official Document No. 144/UBND-NL to the People's Committees of the communes regarding the rectification of mineral mining activities in the area, with the following content: “The situation of illegal mineral mining using Dong Phong generators, suction heads, and screening tables in the communes remains complex. This situation has caused instability in security and order, environmental pollution, landslides affecting public works, loss of agricultural land, and danger to people's lives.”
To promptly rectify the situation, the District People's Committee requests the Chairmen of the People's Committees of the communes to urgently carry out the following tasks:
1. Direct the strict implementation of Decision No. 235/2013/QD-UBND dated February 25, 2013, of the District People's Committee on the promulgation of the plan for protecting unexploited mineral resources in the managed area and the commitment on protecting unexploited mineral resources signed with the District People's Committee.
2. Immediately establish an inter-agency task force to organize the dismantling and handling of illegal mineral mining operations in the area. Propose appropriate measures for cases exceeding the authority of the task force. Report the results to the District People's Committee before March 25, 2013.”
Working with the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Tuong Duong district, we learned that although the District People's Committee assigned the communes to report on the implementation results before March 25th, only Yen Na and Xa Luong communes had submitted reports by March 29th. On March 28th, Xa Luong commune reported that they had temporarily seized two excavators, but encountered considerable difficulties because the villagers did not allow the commune to confiscate the machines: "...before commencing mining, the mining team and the Management Board had signed a contract stating that after mining was completed, a road to the village had to be opened for the people..."; On March 22nd, Yen Na commune boasted of its achievement: "...During the inspection, the team discovered: A total of 16 Dong Phong machines... The raiding team drew up a report and suspended operations, encouraging the machine operators and the people to dismantle the machines themselves and take them home... From March 18th to 21st, no machine operators started up or operated, thereby contributing to the stability of security and order in the area during that period...".
According to the Head of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Kha Van Ot, cracking down on illegal mineral exploitation is very difficult because these individuals are often reckless drug addicts, armed with knives and firearms, ready to retaliate, and even secretly fire shotgun pellets at task forces.
We requested Mr. Kha Van Ot to show us the mining license and map of Hop Vinh Mineral Joint Stock Company to determine whether this company is engaging in illegal gold mining activities. The mining system section of the license states: "Mining will be carried out in a phased manner from downstream to upstream in small mining areas, each area with a maximum length of no more than 50m, a maximum width of no more than 25m, and a maximum depth of no more than 4m; using internal waste dumps; each mining area will be divided into two vertical mining zones, mining combined with leveling to ensure the stream bed is restored to its original state...". Based on the content of the license combined with observations at the mining sites of Hop Vinh Mineral Joint Stock Company, it is clear that this company is illegally mining gold in Yen Tinh commune.
What will the Tuong Duong district authorities do to put an end to illegal gold mining? According to Mr. Kha Van Ot, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment plans to develop a plan in early April for the district leadership to form an inter-agency team with the participation of military and police forces to drive out and crack down on illegal mining activities in the area. "We will try to conduct about two raids per month and maintain this until around June. After June, it will be the rainy season, when people will focus on farming, so they will no longer mine for gold..."
However, eradicating this problem is not yet possible, because after visiting hotspots of illegal gold mining, we have observed illicit activities by some local officials. If this is not rectified soon, all efforts will be in vain.
These issues are raised to highlight the need for a correct understanding and resolute eradication of illegal gold mining. Besides the efforts of the Tuong Duong district government, the involvement of provincial-level agencies is crucial. Appropriate economic programs should be implemented to create jobs for the local people, and sufficient forces should be deployed to severely punish illegal gold miners.
Nhat Lan
