Media Night in Binh Chuan

(Baonghean) ... After traveling over 30 km through the forest, we, along with the members of the Cultural and Arts Propaganda Team of the People's Organizations Block, organized a communication night on drug prevention, combating human trafficking, and fighting social evils in Binh Chuan commune, Con Cuong district, a mountainous area.

Although the sun had long since set behind the mountains, the "furnace" of Binh Chuan was still scorching hot. After a journey through the forest of over 30 km, the officers and soldiers of the "Cultural and Artistic Propaganda Team" of the People's Bloc, primarily led by officials from the District Youth Union, the Women's Association, and the Con Cuong Cultural Center, immediately got to work, transporting loudspeakers, musical instruments, costumes, etc., to the location for the communication night. Perhaps the "fire of enthusiasm" and passion for service overshadowed the sweltering heat of the day in the mountainous region of Binh Chuan, a place often referred to as the "furnace of Indochina."

Scene of local police interrogating a suspect during a media broadcast.

That afternoon, the District Youth Union, in coordination with the Cultural Center and other organizations in Binh Chuan commune, organized a parade through the villages to raise awareness about drug prevention, social vices, and the trafficking of women and girls. In the evening, a theatrical performance was held to convey these messages to the villagers. It had been a long time since Binh Chuan commune had such a cultural evening, so the villagers started eating dinner earlier. By just after 6 PM, hundreds of people, young and old, men and women, were calling out to each other, bringing chairs, and waiting to watch.

The play "A Tet Gift," staged and performed by the cultural and artistic talents of Binh Chuan commune, opened the media event. The play reflected the difficult lives of the highland villages amidst the reality of unemployment among their young people. The play accurately depicted the current situation: when poverty extinguishes many aspirations, especially those of young girls, many young people and even older adults are drawn into a spiral of vice; some are driven by greed to engage in drug trafficking, others fall into addiction; human traffickers exploit the unemployed and pleasure-seeking youth, deceiving and luring them... as a result, the villages are no longer peaceful, theft is rampant, and the good cultural and moral values ​​of the villagers are at risk of being eroded... Then, the image of community leaders from the District Youth Union, Women's Union, and Farmers' Association appears, urging and reminding the villagers to closely supervise their children and not listen to bad influences.

Youth union members and association members participated in a parade in preparation for the media event.

To prevent and combat the trafficking of women and children, youth union and association officials go to the grassroots level, coordinating with the Party committee, village committee, village elders, influential people, and the Youth Union to actively propagate and encourage those who have gone astray to reform, focus on economic development, and build peaceful and happy villages. The play ended with the resounding applause of the villagers... Party Secretary Kha Van Thao happily shared: “As a remote, mountainous commune far from the district center, all policies and guidelines reach the people mainly through media campaigns. Thanks to the information conveyed through the staged performances, the people learn about production, livestock farming, how to keep their homes and villages clean and beautiful, and how to fight against evil. Watching the play was like seeing life in our own village...”

During the awareness session, each person received a leaflet containing images and information on drug prevention and control, and the prevention of human trafficking, especially of women and children. Questions revolving around the harmful effects, prevention methods, and community attitudes towards drug addicts and human traffickers were enthusiastically answered by people from all walks of life...

Speaking at the media event, the Secretary of the District Youth Union, Nguyen Cong Oanh, said: "Besides the fight against drug crimes and human trafficking, an equally important and decisive task is raising awareness about the harmful effects of drugs and preventing human trafficking among ethnic minority communities. This will significantly contribute to promoting mass participation in reporting crimes and rehabilitating offenders within families and communities. Therefore, after the media campaign in Thach Ngan, Don Phuc, Binh Chuan communes, etc., we will continue to organize similar events in villages and communes throughout the district to raise awareness among ethnic minority people about prevention and control."

As the evening of communication drew to a close, the night in Binh Chuan grew late, with cool breezes blowing. Tomorrow, the villagers would continue to work in the fields earlier than usual to harvest the spring rice crop and prepare for the summer-autumn crop. Throughout this process, the stories they shared were undoubtedly the cultural performances from the evening of communication, the messages urging vigilance against evildoers, and the call to work together in production, building and protecting their village to create a civilized, prosperous, and happy community.

Phung Van