Law

Maintaining peace in the villages.

Tien Dong • June 30, 2025 15:17

As people close to the community, the commune police officers and soldiers are silently contributing day and night to maintaining peace and security in every village and hamlet. They are not only law enforcement officers, but also a reliable support and a bridge between the government and the people...

Tien Dong -Technique:Hong ToaiJune 30, 2025

Amidst the scorching June sun and the biting, dry winds from Laos that scorched the soil in the Nghe An countryside, we had the opportunity to meet with local police officers and soldiers who are silently working day and night to maintain peace and security in every village and hamlet.

We arrived in Quynh Lap, a coastal commune in Hoang Mai town, where the people mainly live by fishing and processing seafood. In the salty sea breeze, we met Lieutenant Tran Van Long – Secretary of the Youth Union of the Quynh Lap Commune Police. With a sturdy build and sun-tanned skin, he smiled kindly when asked about his work: "In coastal areas, the work of a commune police officer is not only about maintaining security and order, but also about protecting livelihoods and preserving village traditions."

First Lieutenant Tran Van Long was born in Quynh Long commune, now Thuan Long commune (Quynh Luu district). After graduating from the People's Security Academy in 2015, he was assigned to work at the Hoang Mai Town Police Department. From 2019 to the present, he has been transferred to work at the Quynh Lap Commune Police Department. With his enthusiasm and proactive participation in the unit's movements and activities, as well as youth movements, in March 2024 he was elected Secretary of the Commune Police Youth Union and Deputy Secretary of the Quynh Lap Commune Youth Union.

Quynh Lap is a relatively unique area within Hoang Mai town. The commune has 8 villages, but is divided into two zones. Three villages – Dong Minh, Dong Thanh, and Tan Minh – are located in the coastal area bordering the Dong Hoi Industrial Zone, where the residents mainly engage in fishing. The other five villages are in the central area: Son Long, Tam Tien, Tan Thanh, Tan Hai, and Dong Tien. Currently, there are approximately 500 young people in Quynh Lap who are of eligible age to participate in youth activities. In recent years, along with economic development, security and order risks have also increased: from social vices and conflicts arising from alcohol consumption to violations of land and marine environmental laws. "Sometimes, a small clash between fishermen and strangers at the fishing dock, if not handled promptly, can easily escalate into a major conflict," shared Lieutenant Long.

To maintain peace in a densely populated coastal commune, Lieutenant Long chose to be close to the people, understand them, and rely on them. Attending village meetings, boat group meetings, and going directly to the fishing docks and squid processing facilities to encourage people not to indiscriminately discharge waste into the sea or use destructive electric fishing methods are ways he "takes root" in their lives. "The people in coastal areas value loyalty and friendship; as long as you work diligently and speak reasonably and compassionately, they will listen and support you," Lieutenant Long shared.

In particular, in his role as Secretary of the Youth Union Branch and concurrently Deputy Secretary of the Commune Youth Union, Senior Lieutenant Tran Van Long has always been exemplary and proactive in building many meaningful youth projects and activities. He has implemented many activities to strengthen the connection between professional work and the commune police force with the Youth Union organization; advised on and effectively implemented tasks such as building a population data system; issuing citizen identification cards and electronic identification codes... in the area; building security surveillance camera models; the "Residential area free from youth involvement in social vices" model; the "Safe fishing for the peace of the sea and islands" model; promoted the dissemination and education of law compliance awareness among students and young people; and organized volunteer and social welfare activities in the locality. Through these efforts, he has contributed to promoting the role of young people in ensuring security and order at the grassroots level.

Despite the demanding and stressful nature of his professional duties as a commune police officer, Lieutenant Long still manages to allocate his time effectively to fulfill his role as Deputy Secretary of the Commune Youth Union. For him, youth union work is not only a political task but also a place to connect and spread the spirit of initiative and volunteerism among local youth, contributing to maintaining security at the grassroots level.

During his service, Lieutenant Tran Van Long has received numerous commendations and certificates of merit from Party committees and authorities at various levels. In particular, in 2024, he was awarded a certificate of merit as a "Model Soldier at the Grassroots Level" by the Director of the Nghe An Provincial Police; and a certificate of merit from the Standing Committee of the Nghe An Provincial Police Party Committee for outstanding achievements and winning third prize in the essay writing competition on defending the Party's ideological foundation...

Leaving the coastal area of ​​Quỳnh Lập, we traveled along National Highway 7 to Lượng Minh commune in Tương Dương district. This area was once a "hotspot" for drugs, with unpleasant terms like "drug capital" and "village without husbands," because it lies on a transnational drug trafficking route through the Nậm Cắn border gate. However, after regular police forces were deployed to the commune, Lượng Minh has gradually become more peaceful.

Meeting Captain Nguyen Van Hung, the head of the Luong Minh commune police, we were surprised and impressed when he shared that his unit is comprised entirely of young men, some of whom had just graduated and were assigned to work here, a place considered a key strategic area.

Captain Nguyen Van Hung was born in 1992 in Thanh Chuong district. In 2018, after graduating from the People's Police Academy, he was assigned to work at the Tuong Duong District Police Department.

In this challenging area, he served in various combat units and accumulated practical experience in crime prevention and control. Before taking up his duties in Luong Minh commune in September 2023, Captain Hung previously held the position of Deputy Head of the Yen Na Commune Police, also a key area in Tuong Duong district.

According to Captain Nguyen Van Hung, Luong Minh is a remote and particularly disadvantaged commune located along the Nam Non River, 17km from the district center. It comprises 10 villages, 1,169 households, and 5,310 inhabitants, primarily ethnic Thai, Khmu, and O Du people. Due to the hilly and mountainous terrain and numerous streams, travel between villages is very difficult. Two villages, Ca Moong and Xop Chao, are situated on hills rising from the Ban Ve hydroelectric reservoir, completely isolated from the outside world. Reaching these two villages requires half a day's journey by motorbike, boat, and on foot.

Furthermore, due to the difficult living conditions and low level of education among the people, they are easily drawn into criminal activities such as drug trafficking, theft, fraud, and human trafficking.

With many years of experience working in mountainous areas, when taking on the task in Luong Minh commune, Captain Hung realized that disseminating legal information there could not be done in the traditional way, but required a "three-together" approach: eating together, living together, and working together with the people. He and his colleagues quickly went "from street to street, knocking on every door, checking on every person," actively promoting and encouraging the people to comply with the policies and laws of the Party and the State. At the same time, they reported and did not cover up or harbor criminals, especially drug traffickers, fraudsters, and human traffickers.

In his early days working in Luong Minh, he discovered a child trafficking ring operating in the area, employing sophisticated methods and tactics. After investigating, he realized that the perpetrators often exploited the lack of knowledge, difficult circumstances, and gullibility of the people, luring and deceiving them with promises of high-paying jobs or prosperous marriages, but in reality, selling them abroad. After thorough investigation, he quickly reported the matter to the leadership of the Tuong Duong District Police (before the establishment of the new police force), which then launched a special operation, mobilizing forces to combat the crime and arrest the suspects.

After a period of gathering documents and evidence, and employing a coordinated approach using various investigative methods, on July 8, 2024, the Tuong Duong District Police, in coordination with the Luong Minh Commune Police, successfully apprehended Cut Thi Mui (born in 1991), residing in Ngoc Lam Commune, Thanh Chuong District, Nghe An Province, and rescued the victim CTK (born in 2002), residing in Luong Minh Commune.

Through the investigation and expansion of the case, the police of Tuong Duong district and Luong Minh commune successfully rescued two more victims: XTC (born in 1986), residing in Yen Hoa commune, Tuong Duong district, and LTM (born in 1998), residing in Luong Minh commune.

Thanks to decisive measures, the number of human trafficking cases in Luong Minh commune has decreased significantly in recent years. Many cases have been cracked down on, and the ringleaders have been brought to trial, contributing to deterring crime.

In particular, after being rescued, many victims returning to their localities face psychological and life difficulties. Understanding this, Captain Nguyen Van Hung actively advised local Party committees and authorities and coordinated with social organizations to support victims in stabilizing their lives. He directly mobilized agencies and units to provide financial support, create conditions for victims to learn vocational skills, find jobs, and help them obtain loans to start businesses, preventing them from falling into difficult circumstances that could put them at risk of becoming victims again.

Besides human trafficking, Luong Minh commune previously harbored many complex issues related to drug-related crimes and social vices. To restore peace to Luong Minh, according to Captain Nguyen Van Hung, the prerequisite is to control those who disrupt security and order. To reduce theft, the area must be free of drug addicts; to reduce the number of addicts, it is necessary to cut off the "supply source" – retail outlets – and build a "shield" to prevent drug smuggling into the area.

Captain Nguyen Van Hung and the commune's police force directly advised the Party Committee and People's Committee of Luong Minh commune to issue numerous directives and effectively implement and expand the "Drug-Free Border Commune" project, building 10 "Drug-Free Villages" models in all 10 villages of the commune. These comprehensive measures have fundamentally addressed and halted complex drug-related issues and other social evils arising in the area. Currently, Luong Minh commune is finalizing its documentation to submit to higher authorities for recognition as a "drug-free commune".

With his achievements, Captain Nguyen Van Hung has received numerous commendations from the Minister of Public Security and the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; he has been recognized as an outstanding officer at the grassroots level for three consecutive years. Notably, at the beginning of 2025, he was honored to be one of 105 individuals and 22 collectives representing outstanding commune police officers and forces involved in protecting security and order at the grassroots level nationwide to participate in the "Living in the Hearts of the People" program organized by the Ministry of Public Security.

From Quynh Lap to Luong Minh, from the waves to the deep forests, the stories of Lieutenant Tran Van Long and Captain Nguyen Van Hung are just small glimpses into the countless stories and examples that the police officers and soldiers of the commune police are writing day and night on the land of Nghe An, which cannot all be fully represented within the scope of this article.

What we admire most about Lieutenant Tran Van Long and Captain Nguyen Van Hung is that they see themselves not simply as "law enforcement officers." They are people who live among the people, understand the people, and work with them to preserve traditional values ​​and protect the customs of their villages and forests. In an era of rapid change, they choose to blend in with the people, going door-to-door, listening to every story to build a people's security network in the truest sense of the word.