An investigation is needed into the slaughter of livestock in Thanh Chuong.

(Baonghean.vn) - On the morning of August 18th, Mr. Nguyen Trong Vinh (born in 1980), a member of Production Team No. 2, Youth Volunteer Brigade 5, Thanh Thuy commune (Thanh Chuong district), went to the barn to let his buffaloes out. But as soon as he stepped into the barn, his limbs went numb; all eight buffaloes and calves were covered in blood, and one calf had already died. Two days later, five more died and had to be sold off at rock-bottom prices.

On the evening of August 17, 2013, after carefully closing the buffalo shed and having dinner, Mr. Vung went out to play with some friends. He returned home to sleep around midnight. The next morning, when he went to the shed to let the buffaloes out, he couldn't believe his eyes. Eight buffaloes and calves lay scattered, covered in blood with jagged knife wounds, mooing mournfully. One had already died. A male buffalo had been stabbed through the neck and was bleeding profusely; a female buffalo had been stabbed through the stomach and lungs; and another had its intestines exposed... The rest all had knife wounds, some more severe than others.

By the end of August 18th and the early morning of August 19th, five more buffaloes had died, and the remaining two were showing signs of loss of appetite and noticeable weight loss. Neighbors, saddened by Mr. Vững's plight, slaughtered three of them to sell at nearby markets, while the remaining three were given to local traders. The incident was quickly reported to the authorities for investigation. “Normally, even the slightest noise wakes me up, but I don't understand why I slept so soundly that night. My house is far from other households in the village, so perhaps no one heard the buffaloes bellowing. Who could have been so cruel?” – Mr. Vững said angrily.

A week after the incident, Mr. Vung still couldn't understand what had caused such a disaster to befall his family. In just a short time, his family had lost everything; six buffaloes and calves, worth around 150 million dong, could only be sold off for about 60 million dong.

Former soldier Nguyen Trong Vinh, from Thanh Duc commune, moved to Thanh Thuy commune in 2003 to start his life. As a member of the 5th Youth Volunteer Brigade, he was allocated 4 hectares of land to grow tea and acacia trees. A year later, he borrowed money from the bank to buy a buffalo and built a small house on the land provided by the brigade, building his life from scratch. He had just finished paying off his bank loan this year when tragedy struck, leaving him penniless. People describe Vinh as a kind and gentle man, unmarried but hardworking, who never offended anyone.

This is the first time such a large-scale property destruction has occurred in the area, causing great concern and anxiety among the residents of Thanh Thuy commune. The local authorities and relevant departments of Thanh Thuy commune, Thanh Chuong district, need to investigate thoroughly and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Hoang Long