Part 2: Sadness on the land of "golden joy"

Mr. Lu Thanh Binh - Chairman of Cam Muon Commune People's Committee said that the complexity originated in 2010, when InnovGreen Company implemented a forest planting project on Cam Muon land. But the sad story on the "golden land" only really began when the participation of 3 companies Tan Hong Import-Export Joint Stock Company, Bac Son Company Limited and Lac Viet Culture and Communication Joint Stock Company in gold mining.

Accordingly, on March 21, 2011, Nghe An Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 814/QD-UBND.TN granting a mineral exploitation license to Tan Hong Import-Export Joint Stock Company. The total licensed area is 112.1 hectares in Quang Phong and Cam Muon communes - Que Phong district. Of which, the exploitation area in Cam Muon commune has an area of ​​57.4 hectares. On June 25, 2011, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 2379/QD-UBND.TN granting a mineral exploitation license to Bac Son Company Limited; The exploitation area in Quang Phong commune has an area of ​​15.89 hectares; the mine reserve is 34 kg.

Then, on June 30, 2011, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 2521-QD/UBND-TN granting a gold mining license to Lac Viet Culture and Communication Joint Stock Company in Cam Muon commune with an area of ​​17.05 hectares; the mine reserve requested for exploitation is 19.5 kg. All of these units were granted a 5-year mining license. As for Bac Son Company Limited, although it was only granted a gold mining license in Quang Phong commune, because it had acquired shares of Lac Viet Culture and Communication Joint Stock Company, it also carried out gold mining in Cam Muon.

In reality, the presence of companies and enterprises in Cam Muon has not brought about socio-economic development but has contributed to making the golden land more complicated and unstable. A series of machines, equipment, and vehicles were transported and noisily dug in many streams, disturbing the psychology of people who were used to peace. Khe Quye, Khe Lac, Khe May... everywhere are muddy with red water due to gold mining activities. Many fields in the area have been sold by people to gold mining enterprises. And never before has the life of the people in the villages along the Quang - Cam Muon river been so noisy and urgent. Enterprises and gold mining machines have become the "civilizers" of the population. Many people believe that they have lived and clung to the forest land and streams for generations, so the gold on this land cannot be exclusively exploited by enterprises.

So from manual gold mining, in many different forms, people rushed to buy machines to participate in gold mining. The Cam Muon community formed many groups and teams to contribute capital to buy mining machines. Some sold buffaloes, others sold pigs, mortgaged their house and land certificates... regardless of wrongdoing, all aimed at only one goal, which was gold! Without the techniques and experience of "finding" mines, gold diggers had businesses to borrow and "eat off". Wherever gold mining businesses went, gold diggers followed. Streams were dug up, many banks and plots were turned into caves and holes. Due to ineffective business and the complicated situation, all 3 companies withdrew. Of which, only Tan Hong Import Export Joint Stock Company had a record of on-site inspection of the mine area and requested to return the mineral exploitation license. Meanwhile, Bac Son Company Limited and Lac Viet Culture and Communication Joint Stock Company quietly moved vehicles and machinery out of the area.

Chairman of Cam Muon Commune People's Committee Lu Thanh Binh said that when leaving Cam Muon, Bac Son Company withdrew along Quang Phong Commune road without informing the commune authorities. Before leaving, Bac Son Company Limited had not yet completed 3 projects: Community Cultural House, 1 power line to Quye village, 1 primary school as promised to Cam Muon people...

But all of that is no longer important, the people of Cam Muon can now proactively seek their dreams. From manual gold mining and only mining gold when they really need money to build a house, get married or during holidays, they can now master two mining technologies: operating Dong Phong machines to suck soil, screen gold as well as using cyanide, mercury to separate metal... Not only that, they have linked up with many subjects outside the area, outside the province to form gangs and groups of bandit gold miners who operate extremely recklessly. Especially with the appearance and participation of a group of "gold pickers" from Thai Nguyen province, with the support and concealment of the local people, the situation of illegal gold mining has become chaotic.

The peak started at the end of 2012, when Thai Nguyen gold diggers found gold strips (original gold, which is the origin of alluvial gold when flowing down the slope to the streams) on Khe Hang mountain. According to many local people, the leader who found the gold strips on Huoi Hang peak was Mr. Vi Van Bang, a Thai Nguyen native whose second wife was from Tuong Duong district (Nghe An). No one knows exactly how much gold was found on Huoi Hang mountain, some say over a quintal, others say several dozen kilograms. But this has made the dream of wealth of the "gold bandits" groups clearer, and they just aim straight for Huoi Hang! And not only local "gold bandits" but also gold diggers from all over the country flock to Cam Muon, in which, the largest group are "gold bandits" from Thai Nguyen province. According to Vice Chairman of Cam Muon Commune People's Committee Lo Van Vinh, at peak times there were 400-500 people from the specialty tea land. "The Thai Nguyen people were as numerous as the local people, it was impossible to differentiate them" - Mr. Vinh said.

In Cam Muon, if before many families did not make gold, after the event of finding original gold, now they also form groups, borrow money, buy machines to go to Huoi Hang mountain to try their luck. With a mountain of about 2 hectares, there was a time when over 1000 people gathered. As a matter of course, where there is demand, there is supply. Shops and services followed suit and spring up, even on Huoi Hang peak there are many social evils such as drugs, gambling, prostitution. Especially anyone can exchange, buy and sell gold right on the spot. The owner of Phong Van gold shop (Kim Son town, Que Phong) said that she could not remember how many trees, how much gold she had bought from Cam Muon gold workers. She also said that she had bought gold many times from Mr. Vi Van Bang (Thai Nguyen). “I can’t remember, sometimes 20 trees, sometimes 30 trees. Generally, when people bring them for sale, I buy them. The price depends on the gold’s age…” - the owner of Phong Van gold shop said.

Police forces on duty at Huoi Hang mountain.

The husband digs for gold, the wife carries food, the elderly and children stay in the village to look after the house. This seems to be the new model of many families in the Cam Muon community. But despite the concentration of human and material resources, the number of people who find gold and become rich can be counted on the fingers of one hand, while the number of people who are in debt is increasing day by day. Ms. Lo Thi Que in Cam Noc village said that to pursue the dream of gold, her family had to sell many assets, even borrow up to 330 million VND. The interest rate is calculated daily at the rate: borrow 100 thousand, have to pay 10 thousand. That means with a loan of 330 million VND, her family has to pay interest of up to 33 million VND per month. The problem is that the gold mining group led by Ms. Lo Thi Que's family has not found any gold, while still having to worry about food for the 15 members participating. Her eyes were sunken with worry, but Mrs. Que still hoped: "If I let her work, I will be able to pay...".

In Huoi Hang Mountain, there are over 200 wells and tunnels created with a network of horizontal and vertical paths under the mountain. In the context of many complicated problems arising in Huoi Hang Mountain, the Provincial People's Committee has directed Que Phong District and related units to take many measures to prevent violations of the Mineral Law. With the support of the Provincial Police, the People's Committee of Que Phong District and Cam Muon Commune have organized campaigns to chase and sweep gold bandits.



Illegal gold miners leave the gold mine.



Blasting collapses gold mines and wells in Huoi Hang

From June 29 to July 2, 2013, the task force conducted propaganda campaigns, dismantled tents of illegal gold miners, and detonated mines to collapse many wells and tunnels on Huoi Hang Mountain, but the situation did not calm down much. Many groups and individuals acted against and obstructed the activities of law enforcement forces, threatening and terrorizing local officials.

Even at the present time, with the argument that Huoi Hang belongs to Cam Muon commune, from ancient times until now, local people have been attached to this land so they have the right to exploit gold. Besides, the gold mine on Khe Hang mountain was found by indigenous people so the authorities cannot chase them away to create conditions for Vu Truong Giang Investment Construction and Trading Joint Stock Company (a business that is gradually being granted a license by competent authorities to exploit gold and minerals in Huoi Hang mountain) to exploit.

Some reckless subjects challenge the authorities.

Mr. Lo Van Hat (in Cam Pom village) - a party member and representative of the People's Council of Cam Muon commune, when asked, said that the people participating in gold mining in the 3 Cam villages demanded that the enterprise compensate them for the money they had spent, otherwise they would continue to harass the gold mine and would not stop. In fact, to oppose the government and the authorities, the illegal gold mining groups in Cam Cang, Cam Pom and Cam Noc have met many times and agreed on dispute solutions, causing instability in the Huoi Hang gold mine. They seek support in the community by putting pressure on each individual and family.

On the last bus of the day from Que Phong back to Vinh city, we unexpectedly met a second-year student at Vinh University named Vi Thi C. C is the person we met at the Huoi Hang gold field when she helped her father sell goods. Late one afternoon, C shared: “They came to each house and asked everyone to follow them to Huoi Hang mountain. If we didn’t go, we would be cursed and gossiped about. I don’t know when our village will be at peace…”.

Nhat Lan - Dao Tuan