Final episode: Strictly maintaining legal discipline and fairness in exploitation management...
Now when talking about Cam Muon, Que Phong, everyone knows that it is a land rich in gold mineral resources but at the same time full of complex conflicts. To completely end the illegal gold mining situation, ensure that the national mineral resources are not further violated, it is necessary to strictly maintain legal discipline, fairness in mining management and pay more attention to the lives of the people...
The reason for saying so is because after the raids and expulsion of illegal gold mining in Huoi Hang mountain have temporarily calmed down, in the areas of Khe Quye, Khe May, Khe Hang, there are still dozens of groups and teams bringing machines and tools to openly dig for gold. In the Na Quye area, there are up to 5 groups and teams bringing excavators to mine. In the fields and gardens of the 3 villages of Cam, Don Phat, and May, there are up to dozens of groups and teams equipped with various types of generators and vacuum cleaners still operating day and night.
Standing in the area where people are mining gold near Cam Noc village, Vice Chairman of Cam Muon Commune People's Committee Lo Van Vinh read out the names of each group in Na Quye, and groups of Thai Nguyen people hiding in houses in Cam Cang village. According to Mr. Lo Van Vinh, the district and commune police cannot control the fact that people from other places still reside illegally in Cam Muon every day.
The words of the Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Cam Muon Commune, Lo Van Vinh, are completely grounded, because when we entered the gold pit of Lu Van Ty (a resident of Cam Noc village), Ty did not hide anything when he said that working with him and his wife were about 11 people from Muong Noc commune, Chau Thon (Que Phong). They contributed machinery and equipment, and he let them mine on the mulberry field reclaimed by his family... At the same time, according to the reflection of many local people, there are still hundreds of Thai Nguyen gold "snatchers" hiding and lurking in the forest; dozens of groups of bandit gold diggers and panners still go up to Hang stream every day to quietly listen and observe the situation. The machines and gold mining tools of these groups and teams are mostly buried right on the gold mine or in the nearby mountainous areas, as soon as the police force withdraws, everything will repeat as before.
Through discussion, the leader of Que Phong district also admitted that he knew that there were groups continuing to illegally exploit and said that he was directing the district police force to go back in to prevent this situation.
When asked what Que Phong will do to eliminate illegal gold mining, Mr. Lang Van Minh - Vice Chairman of the District People's Committee said that the district has proposed short-term and long-term solutions.
Mobilizing people to leave Huoi Hang and return home
The immediate solutions focus on the following contents: Arranging forces to block Huoi Hang hill, requesting the People's Committee of Cam Muon commune to send forces to coordinate with the security force to plant trees to cover the hill. Requesting the Provincial People's Committee to support management costs, protect the cost of the sweep and implement other measures to ensure security and order. Mobilizing people to sign a commitment not to participate in or assist illegal gold mining. If any family does not sign the commitment or signs the commitment but does not implement it, the local government will not be responsible if an incident occurs such as a tunnel collapse causing death...
The long-term solution is: Proposing the Provincial People's Committee to direct the relevant agencies to create conditions for capable companies and enterprises to complete the procedures for granting gold exploration licenses as soon as possible to have sovereignty over long-term stable exploitation management.
Regarding Cam Muon commune, when asked what economic programs and projects have been implemented to create jobs and income for people so that they no longer pursue illegal gold mining, Chairman of the People's Committee of the commune Lu Thanh Binh said that there have been state-sponsored forest planting and livestock raising programs and projects for the people of Cam Muon commune. The commune also gives priority to areas with a large number of gold miners such as the three villages of Cam Noc, Cam Cang and Cam Pom. From Project 30a, phase 1, 2011, Cam Noc village was supported with 174 Mong Cai pigs and pig pens for 174 households; phase 2, Cam Cang village was supported with 108 pigs and pens.
Then in 2012, Cam Cang village continued to be supported with 100 Mong Cai pigs and a barn. In 2013, the whole commune was supported with 40 cows, which were divided into 3 Cam villages, each with 10 cows. Regarding the loan program from the Social Policy Bank for hunger eradication and poverty reduction through grassroots social organizations, the total outstanding debt of the whole commune is over 16 billion 700 million VND, of which 3 Cam villages are nearly 4 billion 756 million VND.
However, due to limitations in awareness, geographical conditions, soil, and land, some programs and projects in these places have not been very effective... When we told him that illegal mining still continues in the area, Mr. Lu Thanh Binh could not hide his anxiety because he knew that the local government was largely responsible for this situation.
Gambling – one of the social evils at the gold mine
Mr. Binh said that many times, because of gold mining, people openly opposed the government. Typically, in 2011, illegal gold miners in 3 Cam villages chased and seriously injured grassroots officials of Cam Muon commune, spread rocks to block the road, and set spike traps that punctured the tires of the Que Phong District Party Secretary's car when he went to inspect the gold mine...
To prevent illegal gold mining, Chairman of the People's Committee of Lu Thanh Binh commune said that the Party Committee of the commune has established a separate Propaganda Committee on the issue of gold mining, the People's Committee of the commune has also issued many related Directives and organized inspections to prevent it. At the same time, because there are some opinions saying that illegal gold mining includes children and relatives of officials and party members in the area, the commune is assigning officials to investigate to determine whether this incident has occurred or not...
We also discussed the issue of administrative and population management with Que Phong District Police. According to Colonel Ho Huu Ngoc - Head of the District Police, we should not blame Cam Muon Commune entirely. Because Cam Muon Commune has steep terrain, many forests and mountains, and borders Tuong Duong and Quy Hop districts, so checking and monitoring temporary residence and temporary absence is very difficult. Just a small change is enough for illegal gold miners from other districts and provinces to quickly "hide" in the forest. And even if they are caught, within their authority, the authorities can do nothing other than expel them from the area.
Through the discussion, the local authorities in Que Phong have expressed many thoughts to demonstrate their responsibility, but for us, after the practical days in Cam Muon, there are concerns. Obviously, the inspection and handling of violations against illegal gold mining here is still very loose, lacking in strictness and this responsibility belongs to Que Phong district and Cam Muon commune. That is the reason why the situation of chasing one place then expanding to another, there are no less than 30 groups with hundreds of subjects from outside still brazenly participating in illegal gold mining from Don Phat village to Na Quye. Researching in 3 Cam villages, we learned that there are 3 party cells with over 50 party members, a village management board and mass and social organizations. Many of them expressed their concern about the instability of the village.
Burn illegal camps
It is not by chance that old party members like Mr. Lo Van Hat - a representative of the People's Council of the commune, are upset: Why are some places being pushed and others not like that? People will see that there is discrimination. This is also a reason for the prolonged chaos... It can also be seen that, in addition to the lack of strictness in inspection and handling, the work of mobilizing, propagating and disseminating the law has not closely followed the objective requirements and demands. There is still a fear of conflict because it involves brothers in the village and relatives. Meanwhile, this is really an extremely important content if we know how to apply it closely and flexibly between the State's policies and the basic traditional values of the Thai ethnic group in Cam Muon.
Cam Muon has nearly 60% poor households. People have little land, and besides raising livestock, they have nothing else to do except mining gold. Meanwhile, there are about 11,000 hectares of forest, with many productive forest lands. However, up to now, the afforestation programs in Cam Muon are very few, although people have a need. Therefore, creating conditions for bringing project programs, especially afforestation projects to create sustainable jobs for people is something that Que Phong district and Cam Muon commune need to consider.
A group of artisanal, illegal gold miners
A piece of placer gold is not easily detected.
Huoi Hang after a push
One measure to eradicate illegal gold mining that is being considered by the authorities is to grant licenses to businesses to manage mining. This is necessary, but there needs to be a solution to harmonize the relationship between local people and businesses. In particular, it should consider advising businesses to use healthy local workers to create a harmonious relationship...
A corner of Quyè stream.
There will still be many things that authorities at all levels need to do to eradicate illegal gold mining, but in general, it is necessary to strictly maintain legal discipline, fairness in mining management and pay more attention to people's lives. Only then will Cam Muon return to being a "golden land", and people will be able to live a peaceful life by the soft rivers flowing around the forests of the Pu Huong great forest.
Nhat Lan - Dao Tuan
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