The "manless" version

(Baonghean) – The name "village without men" has been associated with Poi village, Chau Thon commune, Que Phong district (Nghe An province) since the men in the village became involved with drugs. The men started using drugs together, and one by one they ended up in prison or rehabilitation centers, leaving behind a village mostly inhabited by women.

Previously, the Thai people in Chau Thon commune knew nothing about drugs; the men worked diligently, and the villages were very peaceful. Everything came to the village like a "whirlwind" after 2004, when drugs began to flood the mountainous communes. People started crossing the forest to sell forest products like bamboo shoots and everyday items in Laos, and during that time, drugs began to be known, used, and traded by the locals.

Ms. Lu Thi Hong Loan weaves fabric to make ends meet while her husband is in prison for drug offenses.

All the money earned from buying and selling drugs was used solely for drug use. When cravings arose and they lacked money, these people, due to a lack of understanding, transported, stored, and trafficked drugs from Laos to Vietnam. Drug use became a widespread "trend," making anyone who didn't use drugs seem "outdated." The smoke of opium silently engulfed villages, abandoned fields, dilapidated shacks, and many families sold their buffaloes, cows, and land to fund opium addiction, leading to mounting debt...

The result is that in just the last few years, the village has seen 16 people imprisoned for drug trafficking; 18 drug addicts; 4 deaths due to drug use (suspected HIV infection and drug overdose); and dozens of young people on the local authorities' drug watchlist (out of a total of 190 inhabitants). Mr. Lu Van Phuong, a police officer in Poi village, said: “There was a time when people came and went from the village every day to exchange drugs. Young men and men in the village competed with each other in using drugs, so the already poor village became even poorer…”

In 2008, at its peak, 15 people in the village were arrested for buying, selling, and possessing drugs, all receiving sentences ranging from 7 to 14 years in prison. Vi Van Luan received 3 years, Vi Van Que 16 years, Lu Van Thanh 20 years, and Vi Van Viet 20 years… these were some of the harsh sentences for drug trafficking. Their children were left without care and deprived of proper education. We visited the family of Lu Thi Hong Loan (commonly known as Vi Thi Phien), whose husband, Vi Van Phien, is serving a 16-year sentence for drug trafficking. The house still carried the atmosphere of sorrow from the day Phien was arrested. Loan emotionally recounted: “Back then, our family had a pig farm in the forest, so he spent most of his time there. I don’t know when he started using and trafficking drugs, but since his arrest, the family has faced even more difficulties from previous debts and the absence of a man's support.” Previously, Ms. Loan worked as a population and women's affairs collaborator in the commune from 1998 to 2011. When her husband went to prison, she resigned because she was ashamed in front of everyone. Their children have all dropped out of school since then.

Situations like Loan's family in Pỏi village are not uncommon; currently, nearly half of the men and young people in the village are drug addicts undergoing rehabilitation or serving sentences at drug rehabilitation centers and prisons. Vi Thị Thảo (wife of Vi Văn Quê, serving a 16-year prison sentence) confided: “He and some friends in the village used drugs. I advised him many times, but to no avail. With the father in prison, the mother is working alone to raise two children, and even then, they often go hungry. I don't know when he'll be able to come home to us…”

To this day, the village of Pỏi has gradually lost the sound of men, as they are either in prison or undergoing drug rehabilitation. Drugs have left women without husbands, children without fathers, and the village desolate and barren. Leaving Pỏi village, we saw the children playing in the water, laughing innocently, and we wondered: Another winter without a father, who will repair the dilapidated house that lets in the cold wind, depriving the children of restful nights…

According to Mr. Ha Van Xuan, the head of the Chau Thon commune police, "Currently, the entire commune has over 48 people serving sentences ranging from 20 years to life imprisonment for drug-related offenses, with a few facing the death penalty; 45 addicts are undergoing rehabilitation, and hundreds more are under surveillance... Out of 13 hamlets in the commune, 12 have drug addicts and drug dealers."

Ngo Toan