Reportage

Closer to Dan Lai…

Nhat Lan - Thanh Cuong - Vo Hai • February 10, 2025 09:20

With the attention of the Party and State through the National Target Program on socio-economic development of ethnic minority and mountainous areas, the road from the center of Mon Son commune (Con Cuong) to Bung village of Dan Lai people in the core area of ​​Pu Mat National Park has gradually taken shape...

Nhat Lan - Thanh Cuong - Vo Hai• February 10, 2025

We know that Con Cuong district focused on investing in the road from the center of Mon Son commune to Bung village on September 28, 2024. At that time, Con Cuong district had to suffer many negative impacts from storm No. 4 on September 19, 2024. Especially in the areas of Co Phat and Bung villages of the Dan Lai people, due to prolonged heavy rain, the Giang river rose high and flowed rapidly, so the two villages were isolated, the lives of the Dan Lai people were therefore extremely difficult. Before this information, the charity group Niem Tin led by Mr. Nguyen Van Thong (at that time the Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee) organized a trip to support the Dan Lai people in Bung and Co Phat villages.

By the time the group crossed the Giang River into the core of Pu Mat forest, storm No. 4 had passed for 9 days but the river was still high. There were many sharp bends, high water created rapids and fierce waterfalls, so it took more than 3 hours for the group to reach the beginning of Bung village - the innermost village of the Dan Lai people.

Here, looking up from the boat, one can clearly see the dark green roofs of the primeval forest with long reddish-brown cuts, and two silver-white cement blocks standing tall on both sides of the river. When asked by the Con Cuong district officials who were on the trip, the answer was that the reddish-brown streaks were where the road leading to Bung village was being built; and the two cement blocks were the pillars of the suspension bridge No. 4, which when completed would help the Dan Lai people in this remote mountain escape isolation during the rainy and stormy season.

As summarized by the Vice Chairman of the District People's Council, Mr. Nguyen The Manh: "The entire route, from the center of Mon Son commune to Bung village, has 4 suspension bridges crossing the Giang river. This is the last suspension bridge, the bridge abutment has been completed and will be closed in a while. When the road and bridge are completed, it will only take about 30 minutes by motorbike from the center of Mon Son commune to Bung village, the people will have convenient transportation, no longer have to suffer isolation during the rainy and stormy season...".

As for Bung village, before the Covid-19 pandemic, in 2020 we had been there several times. So in our mind, this was the most difficult area in the province, to the point that it could not be changed. But this time, just a few minutes after leaving the boat, we saw that Bung village had some welcome changes. That is, there is a large concrete road connected to a drainage system running through the village connecting to the pier of suspension bridge No. 4. On both sides of the road, many houses of the villagers have been renovated, covered with durable blue and red corrugated iron roofs, and a new school has been built.

Thanks to concrete roads and newly built and renovated houses, Bung village has become much more spacious than before. Not only that, when meeting the residents of Bung village, we see that their inherent fear and shyness when meeting strangers has been somewhat eliminated. The Dan Lai people of Bung village are willing to interact, listen, and respond, and on their dark, haggard faces, joy is clearly visible. Representatives of the Dan Lai people of Bung village, such as Village Chief Le Van Chin, the prestigious person La Van Hoai..., in their speeches of thanks to their superiors and the Niem Tin volunteer group, also clearly listed the difficulties, to propose that there be concerns to help the Dan Lai people of Bung village change their lives.

Mr. Lo Van Thao - Chairman of the People's Committee of Con Cuong district discussed that although there are still many difficulties, Co Phat and Bung villages are gradually having positive changes. This is thanks to the fact that over the past many years, the Central Government, the province, as well as the Party Committee and the government of Con Cuong district have paid special attention and implemented many programs and projects with the goal of changing all aspects of the economic and spiritual life of the Dan Lai people.

In recent years, we have built new schools for Co Phat and Bung villages; built embankments to prevent landslides for Bung village; and especially focused on investing in building roads and suspension bridges from the center of Mon Son commune to Bung village.

In addition, a group of young people from the Dan Lai ethnic group who have been educated have gradually left the mountain life to find jobs in the central areas to build their lives. These young people are able to communicate with society, thereby having positive impacts on their families and their fellow countrymen.

Paying attention to the investment in road and bridge construction, we asked the Chairman of the People's Committee of Lo Van Thao district about the closing date of suspension bridge No. 4, and he said: "The suspension bridge pier has just been completed, if the weather is favorable, it will be closed in about 20 days. However, the access road is very difficult, the weather is unpredictable so we cannot set an exact time. When the time comes to close the bridge, I will inform you so you can witness it...".

We had made an appointment with the Chairman of the People's Committee of Con Cuong District, Le Van Thao, but due to the constant rain and the extremely difficult road to Bung village, witnessing the completion of the Giang River suspension bridge No. 4 did not come true. And it was not until December 24, 2024, that we returned to Bung village.

From the center of Mon Son commune to Bung village by road, the length is more than 18km. However, traveling by pickup truck with the officials of Mon Son commune and Con Cuong district will take about 2 hours. The reason is because of the continuous rain in the past few days, while the entire route has only completed about 4km of concrete road, the rest is still a winding trail with many steep slopes and bumpy rocks.

Indeed, the road had many steep slopes and was slippery beyond description. From time to time, the driver had to use low gear mode and accelerate to climb the slope, overcoming the obstacles. Then, starting from the Mon Son commune headquarters at 8:15, it was after 10:00 that he reached the concrete road.

And although exhausted from being shaken for nearly 2 hours, walking on a sturdy concrete road more than 3m wide, and seeing the suspension bridge No. 4 connecting the Giang River to Bung village, the group members were very happy, seeing more clearly the attention that the Party and State have given to the Dan Lai ethnic group in the core of Pu Mat forest.

When we arrived at Bung village, the first people we met were the teachers of the kindergarten, including teacher La Thi Nghi, a Dan Lai ethnic. After being interviewed, teacher Nghi happily boasted that in Bung village, there was now one student going to university. As for her, although she was married and living in the central village of Mon Son commune, she was determined to return to Khe Bung to teach the children.

Teacher Nghi said thoughtfully: “I think I am a Dan Lai person, if I cannot join my fellow countrymen because of difficulties, who will? I want to contribute so that the children can be equal to their friends outside the center. The children here need to be taught little by little, from daily activities, hygiene to getting acquainted with letters…”

Then she happily said: “The government invested in roads and bridges to Bung village to help the Dan Lai people travel conveniently and exchange ideas, change their customs, escape backwardness, and develop the economy. The teaching staff in Bung village also has a much easier time…”.

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I think I am a Dan Lai person, if I cannot join my fellow countrymen because of difficulties, who will? I want to contribute so that the children can be equal to their friends outside the center."

Teacher La Thi Nghi

According to Village Chief Le Van Chin, Bung Village has 125 households and 520 people. Of these, 3 are near-poor households, the rest are poor households. Explaining this, according to Mr. Le Van Chin, is because people still mainly depend on the forest. Mr. Chin said: "The village's rice fields are very small, each household only has 40-50m², moreover, there is no capital to do business, only raising a few pigs and chickens. So when the bamboo shoot season comes, we go into the forest to get bamboo shoots, but when the bamboo shoot season is over, we don’t know what to do…”.

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To develop livestock and crop farming, land is needed, so we also hope that the State will pay attention to providing land to people...".

Bung village chief Le Van Chin

Asked about the people's thoughts on the new road and bridge. According to him, before the road to the village was very bad, there was no bridge so people had to cross rivers and streams with great difficulty, especially during the rainy season when they were completely isolated. Now the government is paying attention, in addition to building schools for their children, they also invested in roads for the village so that people can travel conveniently, no longer worried during the rainy season.

Then, Village Chief Le Van Chin confided: “With the State’s investment in bridges, roads, schools, flood-prevention embankments…, the people of Bung village feel secure. But they also hope that the State will support more breeds and seedlings to develop livestock and grow crops to improve their lives. But to develop livestock and grow crops, they need land, so they also hope that the State will pay attention to granting land to the people…”.

Mr. La Van Linh - Head of the Front Committee of Co Phat village said: “Co Phat village has 126 households (528 people), of which 5 are near-poor households, the rest are poor households. The lives of the people mainly depend on the forest for bamboo shoots and beekeeping. In addition, there are a number of young people who go to work far away in the southern provinces, or at factories and industrial parks in the district and the province. Currently, the State is investing in building a primary school and kindergarten for Co Phat village, and the people are very excited. Regarding the road from the center of Mon Son commune through Co Phat village to Bung village, it will help connect trade, create convenience and increase the value of products, so the people are looking forward to the completion of this road. However, the road has many steep slopes and is often prone to landslides, so we request that the superiors pay attention to reducing the slope during the construction process to ensure the safety of the people. At the same time, we hope that the authorities will pay attention to allocating residential land and production land so that the people can stabilize and develop. develop…”.

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The road from the center of Mon Son commune through Co Phat village to Bung village will help connect trade, create convenience and increase product value, so people are looking forward to the completion of this road.

Mr. La Van Linh - Head of the Front Committee of Co Phat village

Joining us on the trip, Vice Chairman of the Fatherland Front of Mon Son Commune, Mr. Vi Duc Thinh, said that in the past, Dan Lai people mainly went into the forest to hunt and gather, so their lives were very precarious. To get to the central area, people often had to walk along trails, and a few households with conditions went by boat. Traveling was difficult, so transporting necessities to serve life and selling products was extremely difficult.

With Bung village often isolated due to rising stream water, life has become even more difficult. Now the government has opened roads and built bridges into the village. Although not yet completed, traveling by motorbike is easier, helping people conveniently transport necessities in and bring agricultural products out.

Mr. Vi Duc Thinh commented: “With the State’s investment in electricity, schools, and the provision of livestock, and regular guidance from the Border Guard, the lives of Dan Lai people have gradually changed, and awareness has also improved. With more roads and bridges, new steps of development will open up...”.

Returning to the center of Con Cuong district, we were received by Vice Chairman of the District People's Committee Tran Anh Tuan. According to Mr. Tuan, the traffic route connecting the center of Mon Son commune to Khe Bung village with a total investment of 63 billion VND is very important, it will promote economic development for the Dan Lai people in the core area of ​​Pu Mat National Park.

However, the project is currently only invested in phase 1 with package 1, 6km long, and suspension bridge number 4. Due to the very complex terrain, steep slopes, and many landslides, the construction process has encountered many difficulties. Specifically, this is a single route, the weather is often rainy, which greatly affects the process of gathering materials, making construction difficult, greatly affecting the progress and also affecting the total investment.

Mr. Tran Anh Tuan said: “The volume at the time of project survey compared to the design volume has a difference, leading to a change in the unit price. Therefore, the District People's Committee has submitted to the Provincial People's Committee for approval to adjust the total investment of the project, adding more capital. The District People's Committee will review and adjust the documents, approve the investment of the remaining 11km to ensure that the entire route will be opened by the end of 2025."

Regarding the issue of land for the people, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Con Cuong district Tran Anh Tuan said that in the process of the State allocating land to Pu Mat National Park, the allocation overlapped with the land of households that have lived here for many generations. Faced with this reality, the Party Committee and the government have made recommendations and proposals to the province and the Government.

In the Project for Conservation and Sustainable Development of Pu Mat National Park, there is a plan to separate land area, re-plan residential land and forest land for Dan Lai people from the land of the National Park. This content has also been integrated into the provincial planning, and has been approved by the Government. Currently, the Provincial People's Committee and departments and branches are carrying out procedures to adjust, so that in the near future, Dan Lai people can be allocated land...

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The District People's Committee will review and adjust the documents and approve investment for the remaining 11km to ensure that the entire route will be open by the end of 2025.

Vice Chairman of Con Cuong District People's Committee Tran Anh Tuan

On the first day of the new Spring of At Ty 2025, contacting Con Cuong District Party Secretary Nguyen Hoai An, I heard him talk about the district implementing the direction of the Government and the province to build houses for 72 poor households in Dan Lai who still have housing difficulties; the Provincial People's Committee and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment are focusing on solving land issues for Dan Lai people.

Regarding the investment in building a road to Bung village, District Party Secretary Nguyen Hoai An recounted the trip to bring Nghe An fellow countrymen from the southern provinces to visit Bung village by road in 2024. During this trip, because of the rain, slippery road, and steep slope, a car had an accident. "Fortunately, no one in the car was affected, but it was an unforgettable trip..." - Mr. Nguyen Hoai An said. And because of that, according to District Party Secretary Nguyen Hoai An, investing in the road and bridge to Bung village is a revolution to change the economic and spiritual life of the Dan Lai people in the core of Pu Mat forest.

“Since 2006, the Government has approved the Project to preserve and develop the Dan Lai ethnic group. Over the past years, the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Committee, departments, branches, and the Party Committee and authorities of Con Cuong district have paid great attention to the Dan Lai people. Bung and Co Phat villages have been given priority for investment in power grid systems, schools, medical stations, and economic programs and projects. Currently, from the capital source of the National Target Program for socio-economic development of ethnic minority and mountainous areas, the project to invest in building a road from the center of Mon Son commune to Bung village is being implemented. When the road is completed, the travel time will be shortened to only about 25 minutes, not only will the Dan Lai people have convenience in traveling, but the whole society will be closer to the Dan Lai people, to continue helping people develop their economic and cultural life…”- Secretary of the District Party Committee Nguyen Hoai An added.