Stories from the 'three no' villages in the border region of Nghe An
(Baonghean) - The Mong people in Luu Thong village, Luu Kien commune (Tuong Duong district) are often proud that their village, where they have lived for decades, has always been in a state of "three no's": no drug addicts, no lawbreakers, and no prisoners serving sentences.
A miracle amidst the vast forest.
Regarding Luu Thong, the first thing we noticed was the peaceful pace of life in the village and the friendliness and warmth of the locals.Hmong peopleHere, low wooden houses peek out from among the trees, and children play and laugh loudly along the paths throughout the village...
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The peaceful pace of life in Luu Thong village, Luu Kien commune (Tuong Duong district). Photo: Cong Kien |
Mr. Vang Kien Cuong, Chairman of the People's Committee of Luu Kien commune, said: "Not only is Luu Thong village diligent and hardworking in business and production, but it is also known as a model for maintaining security, order, and social safety. For many years, the village has been classified as 'three no', including: no drug addicts, no lawbreakers, and no prisoners serving sentences."
According to Village Head Vu Giong Nenh, Luu Thong village currently has 58 households (277 people), of which only 8 are poor, and many are relatively well-off. The main source of income for the Mong people here is largely from raising livestock and poultry, fish farming, and a small amount of hillside cultivation with rotational planting of rice, green squash, and taro.
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| Thanks to their hard work and diligence, the people of Luu Thong village enjoy a relatively stable life. Photo: Cong Kien |
Thanks to their hard work and diligence, the people of Luu Thong enjoy a relatively stable life, with a harmonious balance between material and spiritual development.security and public orderIt has always been upheld. Established over 30 years ago, not a single person has violated the law or been punished, let alone served a prison sentence.
This is truly a remarkable achievement, a bright spot amidst the vast forests of the Western region, because in Luu Kien commune, the security situation remains complex, with many types of crime still active. In particular, the remaining villages still experience illegal buying, selling, transporting, and using of drugs.drugNot to mention, its proximity to the communes of Chieu Luu, Nam Can, Na Ngoi, and Tay Son in Ky Son district also poses a significant challenge in maintaining security and order.
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| Village elder Vu Tong Ma (far left) recounts the development of Luu Thong village. Photo: Cong Kien. |
But for decades, the people of Luu Thong village have maintained a "clean" area, with almost no crime. When asked why, Party Secretary Tho Ba Cho and Village Head Vu Giong Nenh unanimously replied: "Only the village elder Vu Tong Ma knows the answer! Because he is the one who founded the current Luu Thong village."
“In 1989, while serving as the head of the militia in Tay Son commune, Ky Son district, I noticed that the area was hilly and mountainous, with densely populated villages, making it difficult to make a living. So I spent a whole week traveling along the mountain slopes, down towards the Kien stream, and finally reached this land. At that time, there were no villages or people clearing land here, so I wrote a letter requesting to move here. Several families from the Vu clan also came with me. Initially, we built our houses on the mountaintop far behind the village, but a few years later, we decided to descend to this valley…”
Accordingly, initially there were only 7 families, but later more families from Tay Son joined, along with some families from Na Ngoi and Nam Can.migrationAs time went on, the village became increasingly crowded.
Oral tradition
Having been elected village head by the villagers, Vu Tong Ma drafted and disseminated a series of regulations with clauses resembling a village charter. These regulations focused on the following points: diligently farming and raising livestock; sending children to school; not cultivating opium poppies; not destroying forests; not stealing property; not migrating freely; and not...Violation of the law....
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| Village elder Vu Tong Ma. Photo: Cong Kien |
These regulations were disseminated in meetings and unanimously supported by all the villagers. Nearly 30 years have passed since then, and although these regulations have never been printed in writing, the people of Luu Thong village continue to remind each other to follow them. As a result, the socio-economic situation remains stable and developing, and the village enjoys peace and happiness.
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| The villagers of Luu Thong remind each other to abide by the village regulations and remain vigilant in preventing crime. Photo: Cong Kien |
The regulations on conduct and behavior in Luu Thong village were always adjusted and supplemented by Vu Tong Ma to suit the actual situation. For example, around the year 2000, when the trafficking and use of heroin in Tuong Duong district became increasingly complex, with the emergence of many new cases.hotspotWith many villages devastated by the "white whirlwind," the "leader" of Luu Thong village is extremely worried about the risk of drug-related problems infiltrating the area.
After several sleepless nights, Vu Tong Ma organized a village meeting to discuss the situation and pass regulations prohibiting villagers from buying, selling, using, and possessing drugs, implementing the motto "Sell, don't buy; give, don't take." Thanks to the village chief's analytical skills and persuasive abilities, the people of Luu Thong once again unanimously agreed to this regulation. At the same time, the three clans in the village—Vu, Xong, and Tho—regularly reminded and monitored each other, sharing a common determination to prevent drug abuse from infiltrating their families.
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| The heightened vigilance of the local population has left virtually no room for crime, especially drug-related crimes, to operate in the Luu Thong area. Photo: Cong Kien |
The villagers' vigilance created a strong "shield" to prevent drugs from entering the village. Initially, strangers would appear and disappear, but they couldn't escape the villagers' watchful eyes. Whenever a stranger came to a house, the whole village knew about it. This deterred various types of criminals, especially...criminalDrug trafficking has virtually no place to operate in the Luu Thong area.
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| Luu Kien commune, Tuong Duong district (Nghe An province). Photo: Google Maps |
"The people here have almost never seen drugs, let alone traded, used, or possessed them. This proves that for many years, drugs haven't reached this area, even though all five villages in the commune have drug hotspots, and neighboring communes also have complex drug hotspots," said village head Vu Giong Nenh proudly.
“The Luu Thong village has just been launched by the commune and district authorities as a model of a ‘Drug-Free Village,’ aiming to raise awareness among the people about reporting crimes. At the same time, it aims to create a link and mobilize the masses to participate in the nationwide movement to protect national security, promptly preventing any violations of the law, especially drug abuse, from infiltrating the community.”
