Clarifying the incident and strictly handling violations in Quy Hop

Hot developments

We arrived at the hill in sub-region 278, Long Thanh hamlet, Tam Hop commune at 9:00 a.m. The situation was extremely chaotic here, with hundreds of people, including Long Thanh hamlet residents, Dong Hop Forestry officials and workers, Tam Hop commune officials, and curious people from neighboring hamlets gathered. On the newly cleared hill, which was dark brown, there were many newly planted young acacia trees, and endless arguments over land management rights between the residents and the forestry workers.

The Tam Hop commune cadres, then the delegation of the District Party Committee and the People's Committee of Quy Hop district carried out propaganda, mobilization and explanation work. But it was only when the People's Committee of Quy Hop district made a record to suspend all activities on the land to wait for the authorities to resolve the matter that the noise and arguments ended. At that time, it was around 12 noon. Then in the early afternoon of the same day, when the district and commune cadres had left the scene, the tension flared up again at a higher level and led to a fight.

The disputed land area. Photo: Nhat Lan

According to Report No. 34/BC-UBND dated August 5, 2019 of the People's Committee of Tam Hop Commune, in the early afternoon of the same day, the People's Committee of this commune received a report of a fight between the people and the forestry farm. After reporting to the District Police for timely support, the People's Committee of the commune organized forces to go to the scene. When they arrived, the fight had stopped. However, some people were injured (3 people, 4 people from the forestry farm) and had to be taken to the hospital. By August 4, 2019, 4 people had been discharged from the hospital... Report No. 34 also informed that about 60 people from Long Thanh hamlet dug holes and planted acacia trees on lots D7, D8, compartment 5, sub-compartment 278 with an area of ​​about 5 hectares.

On the part of Dong Hop Forestry, there was also a document sent to the District Party Committee, the People's Committee of Quy Hop District and relevant authorities. In summary, here is information about the management and use rights of Dong Hop Forestry for land lots D7, D8, compartment 5, sub-area 278; affirming that the people of Long Thanh hamlet arbitrarily dug holes and planted acacia trees, which is against the law. When discovering this behavior, the forestry reported to the District Party Committee, the People's Committee, the District Police and the authorities of Tam Hop commune; then explained, propagated and mobilized people to stop planting acacia trees.

However, due to some instigators, the people did not comply. Regarding the scuffle, after the district People's Committee made a record of suspension, the forestry department only left 2 people in areas D7 and D8. By the afternoon of August 2, the people had re-violated, planted trees again; at the same time, there were acts of incitement, challenge, using sticks, stones... to throw at the forestry department's forces returning to the scene...

Land management rights have been established.

On the afternoon of August 12, the People's Committee of Quy Hop district had a meeting and dialogue with the people of Long Thanh hamlet. At the dialogue, Mr. Vy Thanh Tuong - Vice Chairman of the District People's Committee informed about Decision No. 694/QD-UB.DC dated August 29, 2003 of the People's Committee of Nghe An province on granting the Certificate of Land Use Rights to Dong Hop Forestry Farm (belonging to Song Hieu Agricultural Forestry One Member Co., Ltd.); Map of results of reviewing forestry land of Dong Hop Forestry Farm implemented according to Decision No. 187/TTg; Cadastral map of Tam Hop commune (10-148554 Sheet No. 1) of Dong Hop Forestry Farm area belonging to Song Hieu Agricultural Forestry One Member Co., Ltd. was confirmed by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment on October 2, 2018. Thereby, it was affirmed that the land area at lot D7, D8, compartment 5, sub-area 278, has been assigned by the State to Dong Hop Forestry Farm for management and use.

Mr. Vi Thanh Tuong - Vice Chairman of Quy Hop District People's Committee explained and mobilized Long Thanh hamlet residents on the morning of August 2, 2019. Photo: Nhat Lan

In addition to that information, in 2010 - 2011, for land lots D7, D8, Dong Hop Forestry signed a joint venture contract for periodic production forest planting in Contracts No. 67/HD.LDTR and No. 24/HD.LDTR with Mr. Ha Van Ngoan - a citizen of Long Thanh hamlet. On July 26, 2017, Mr. Ha Van Ngoan authorized Mr. Nguyen Tien Canh to continue using the above land. However, after harvesting acacia, Mr. Nguyen Tien Canh did not continue the joint venture contract for forest planting with Dong Hop Forestry, but arbitrarily hired people to plant acacia, so the organization of acacia planting occurred on Dong Hop Forestry land, leading to a fight on August 2, 2019.

Through determining the current status, the People's Committee of Quy Hop district affirmed that the land area of ​​lots D7 and D8 is not included in the land area that the People's Committee of Nghe An province reclaimed from Dong Hop Forestry Farm to hand over to the People's Committee of Quy Hop district for management according to Decision No. 212/QD-UBND.DC dated August 24, 2012.

Although the information provided by the People's Committee of Quy Hop district has a legal basis, the people of Long Thanh hamlet have many questions and requests for clarification. According to the people, they have implemented the Party and State's policy of dispersing people to reclaim new economic zones since the 80s and 90s of the last century. These land areas were previously reclaimed to grow corn and cassava for many years. When implementing the program of reforesting barren hills, Dong Hop Forestry Enterprise mobilized people to plant forests according to Program 327.

After harvesting, the people and the forestry farm continue to plant acacia forests for raw materials according to a 49/51 mutually beneficial contract. Up to now, one harvest cycle has been completed. Why in 2003, when the State granted land use rights to Dong Hop Forestry Farm, were the people not informed? It is necessary to clarify the origin of the previous forest land and whether the granting of land use rights to the Forestry Farm was right or wrong, and was it reasonable?

At the same time, people also requested to clarify how much forest land area the Dong Hop Forestry Farm recovered by the State to hand over to Tam Hop commune in general and Long Thanh hamlet in particular (Decision 212), and what is the boundary location? Information about the situation of "land recovered but still not handed over to anyone"; the forestry land planning is not close to reality, land boundaries are unclear, many forest land areas and residential land of the people are still overlapping; the land allocation to enterprises overlaps with the land area that the people have cultivated for a long time; some areas of welfare land and cemetery land of the hamlet are also located in the land area of ​​the Forestry Farm...

Dialogue on August 12, 2019 between Quy Hop District People's Committee and Long Thanh hamlet residents. Photo: Nhat Lan

Resolve in accordance with legal procedures and regulations

According to the leaders of Quy Hop district, immediately after the incident on August 2, 2019, the Standing Committee of the District Party Committee held a meeting and gave specific instructions on what needs to be done so that the District People's Committee and relevant agencies can promptly implement it. That is to clarify the rights to manage and use the disputed land area to implement transparency; carry out propaganda and mobilization among the people and remind the forestry company to prevent similar incidents from happening again.

For violations of the law, we will investigate and clarify them to strictly handle them according to the provisions of the law, not allowing bad actors to take advantage of and incite the people. In case people have petitions, complaints or denunciations, we will guide them to exercise these rights according to the provisions of the law...

According to Mr. Le Sy Hao - Head of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Quy Hop district, all related land records and documents prove that Dong Hop Forestry Enterprise was assigned by the State to manage and use the disputed land area. The People's Committee of Quy Hop district has compiled records, documents and information for Long Thanh hamlet residents in the dialogue on the afternoon of August 12, 2019.

At the dialogue, the people made a number of recommendations for consideration and resolution. The District People's Committee took note of this; at the same time, it also made it clear to the people that the recommendations and resolution of recommendations must be carried out in accordance with the procedures and regulations of the law. The people also recognized the problem and committed not to repeat the past actions while waiting for the competent authority to resolve the matter...

Officials of Long Thanh hamlet and Tam Hop commune exchanged information with reporters of Nghe An Newspaper. Photo: PV

Approaching the case from August 2, 2019, we went to Long Thanh hamlet to learn about the reality, grasp information through the hamlet executive committee and Tam Hop commune government to better understand the lives of 164 households living here. Long Thanh is a hamlet enjoying policy 135, about 5-6km from National Highway 48, Sang Le intersection. Regarding land (including residential land, garden land, agricultural land, forestry land), each household is currently managing and using an average of about 1.1 hectares. Also in this hamlet, there are quite a few households that are contracting to grow raw material forests with Dong Hop Forestry Farm at a ratio of 49/51 (in the future it will be 70/30, people benefit 70%, the forest farm benefits 30%).

This is to show that Long Thanh people have in hand the documents of land for production, economic life, although not high, is not as difficult as before. Also through verification, many contract documents and agreements related to cooperation in planting raw material forests between Mr. Ha Van Ngoan, Mr. Nguyen Tien Canh and Dong Hop Forestry Farm show that these men know about the rights to manage and use land of the forest farm. Thus, the information of Quy Hop District People's Committee about the rights to manage and use land in areas D7 and D8 is correct.

Regarding the people's petitions, the most notable of which are concerns about the State granting land use rights to the forestry farm, while the people have contributed to reclaiming and restoring the land, the handling is in accordance with the direction of the Quy Hop District Party Committee Standing Committee to the District People's Committee. Petitions, complaints, or denunciations are the rights of citizens recognized by law. However, citizens must exercise their rights in accordance with the correct procedures and regulations.

The contents under the authority of the commune and district levels, the two-level authorities of Quy Hop will receive and resolve; the contents beyond the authority, Quy Hop district will receive and propose to the competent authority to resolve. As for land grabbing and tree planting on land that the State has assigned the right to manage and use to an organization, it is an illegal act, causing instability and social disorder. This act must not be repeated.

Tam Hop Commune (Quy Hop) - where the dispute occurred. Photo: Google Maps