Party building

The "leader" at the foot of Puxailaileng Mountain - Part 1: Strengthening the "core" role of the village party cell

Khanh Ly - Thanh Phuc • September 28, 2025 10:20

Stopping by Buoc Mu 2 village, Na Ngoi border commune, asking for the reputable person Gia Tong Thu, the villagers happily showed the way and did not forget to share: That is a "talented person" of our Mong people!.

Stopping by Buoc Mu 2 village, Na Ngoi border commune, asking for the reputable person Gia Tong Thu, the villagers happily showed the way and did not forget to share: That is "talented people" of our Mong people!

Khanh Ly - Thanh Phuc• September 28, 2025

According to the introduction of comrade Xong Va Denh - Deputy Head of the Party Building Committee of Na Ngoi commune, previously, comrade Gia Tong Thu was the Party Cell Secretary of Buoc Mu 2 village, then was trusted by the Party Committee of Na Ngoi commune to be the Party Cell Secretary of Ka Duoi village, at a time when this village still faced many difficulties.

However, with his exemplary pioneering spirit, impartiality, objectivity, and the ability to say what he says and do what he does, "leader" Gia Tong Thu gradually consolidated the political "nucleus" role of the village party cell, becoming the center of solidarity to resolve conflicts and stabilize the situation at the grassroots level.

He received us in a cool, wooden house with a samu roof, in front of the door there was a trellis of blooming roses, next to a pot of Shan Tuyet tea grown halfway up the Puxailaileng mountain range covered in clouds all year round. Recalling the time when he was assigned by the Party to be the "forerunner" in another village, Secretary Gia Tong Thu simply expressed: "When I was assigned to be the Party Cell Secretary of Ka Duoi village, I determined that the first thing I had to do was strengthen the Party organization at the grassroots level.

Because as President Ho Chi Minh pointed out: "Reality shows that where the Party cell is good, work goes smoothly; where the Party cell is weak, work is messy."

Ka Duoi - where Gia Tong Thu was assigned to be the Party Cell Secretary is a Mong village with 46 households and more than 300 people belonging to two clans, Xong and Gia. Previously, many difficult and complicated problems arose in the village. Notably, conflicts within the people lasted for a long time, the qualifications and capacity of some positions in the village's political system were limited, and the phenomenon of people following "strange religions" also appeared in the village. Faced with that reality, in 2022, the Na Ngoi Commune Party Committee considered, discussed and decided to send comrade Gia Tong Thu (born in 1972), Standing member of the Veterans Association, member of the Commune Party Committee, former Party Cell Secretary of Buoc Mu 2 village to be Party Cell Secretary of Ka Duoi village to stabilize the grassroots situation.

“Comrade Gia Tong Thu is an exemplary party member, has prestige, can say what he says, can do it, has been tested and trained in the military environment, understands the customs, habits and psychology of the Mong people, and is good at mobilizing the masses.

This has been proven in practice: After being discharged from the army in 1998, he actively participated in local social work and made many contributions to economic development, ensuring national defense and security and Party work in the area (as deputy commune team leader, then deputy head of commune police for more than 20 years, and concurrently Secretary of the Party Cell of Buoc Mu 2 village for many terms...).

Therefore, the Party Committee of the commune found that comrade Gia Tong Thu was the most suitable person to take on the role of "taking the lead" in Ka Duoi village at that time to stabilize the situation" - said comrade Xong Va Denh - Deputy Head of the Party Building Committee of Na Ngoi.

As for Gia Tong Thu, although he had experience as Secretary of the Party Cell of Buoc Mu 2, when he received the Party's decision to assign him to be Secretary of the Party Cell of Ka Duoi village, he could not help but worry because "he was not a person from the village and the internal situation in the village at that time was quite complicated".

However, with the thought that as a party member and a former border guard, it was impossible to shirk responsibility, Gia Tong Thu accepted the task with high spirit and determination to "fulfill the Party's work, fulfill the people's work" and promised "not to lose the Party's reputation"...

At the time when Gia Tong Thu decided to become the Party Secretary of Ka Duoi village, the village's political system was not yet strong, the position of deputy village secretary had not yet been completed, and the Deputy Party Secretary also intended to resign. The Party cell had 7 party members, of which only 4 were local party members (1 party member was exempted from activities).

Faced with that reality, the first thing that Party Secretary Gia Tong Thu thought of was to strengthen the political "core" role of the Party cell and perfect the mass organizations in the village, because as Uncle Ho emphasized, "to build a good house, you must build a solid foundation."

Thinking is doing, Gia Tong Thu directly met the Deputy Secretary of the Party cell, with his sincerity, to gain support, companionship, and build solidarity in the Party cell.

Along with that, he advised the Party Committee and government to choose capable people who are dedicated to village and people's affairs to perfect the positions of village deputy chiefs and mass organizations such as youth union branches, farmers' association branches, etc.

He also visited, met, and sought the sympathy and support of veteran party members and prestigious people in the village many times. In addition, to strengthen the people's trust in the leadership and direction of the village Party cell, in his role as Party cell Secretary, Elder Tong Thu focused on improving the quality of Party cell activities, ensuring the principle of democratic centralism, promoting the spirit of self-criticism and criticism, and internal solidarity.

At the same time, the Party Committee and the Party cell issued practical resolutions to lead and direct the removal of difficulties and obstacles in the villages. For example, after investigating the cause of the lawsuit situation in Ka Duoi village, it was due to the work of resolving people's petitions and complaints not being stable and not following the correct procedures.

The Party cell has issued a resolution on handling complaints and denunciations, limiting cases that go beyond the upper level. “In handling people’s conflicts and disputes, the word “trust” and the word “heart” must be put first, the resolution process must ensure publicity, transparency, impartiality, objectivity, combining reason with emotion so that the Mong people will believe and listen” - Mr. Gia Tong Thu confided.

With such an approach, during his term as Secretary of the Ka Duoi Gia village Party Cell, Tong Thu participated in successfully resolving 6 disputes, including 4 cases related to land and 2 cases of encroachment on traffic safety corridors.

In addition, to strengthen the "core" leadership role of the village and hamlet Party cell, in addition to the example of cadres and party members, Party Cell Secretary Gia Tong Thu pays special attention to the work of training, creating sources, and developing local party members for the cell. From the end of 2022 to 2024, Ka Duoi Party Cell has admitted 2 new party members. Under the leadership of the Party cell, the mass organizations in the village gradually operate in a disciplined manner, the people are united, security and order are stable...

Commenting on the role of the "talented person" Gia Tong Thu, comrade Nguyen Anh Tuan - Standing Deputy Secretary of the Na Ngoi Commune Party Committee said: Comrade Gia Tong Thu's dedication and devotion to the Party and people's work was not only affirmed when he became the Secretary of the Ka Duoi Party Cell; but before that, he also left many marks in his role as Secretary of the Party Cell of Buoc Mu 2 village.

In 2007, when the Party Cell of Buoc Mu 2 village was established, there were only 3 party members. Of these, only Mr. Gia Tong Thu was a local party member and was the Party Cell Secretary, the remaining 2 party members were border guards and a teacher who had been transferred.

At that time, Buoc Mu 2 village had only 20 households and 100 people. Many people tended to migrate to Laos, making party recruitment difficult.

As Party Cell Secretary, Mr. Gia Tong Thu had to stay close to the village and people to propagate against illegal immigration, and at the same time had to worry about finding ways to develop party members to strengthen and supplement the local source of party members for the Party Cell.

Besides screening, selecting sources, and going to households to propagate, Party Cell Secretary Gia Tong Thu also used all the financial support from Project No. 01-DA/TU of the Provincial Party Committee on "building Party cells, developing Party members in blocks, hamlets, and villages without Party cells, without Party members, and blocks, hamlets, and villages at risk of no longer having Party cells", to motivate and encourage the masses to attend Party sympathy classes.

Thanks to that, during the time Gia Tong Thu was Secretary, the Party Cell of Buoc Mu 2 village admitted 4 more local party members, and for many consecutive years was ranked by the Na Ngoi Commune Party Committee as a party cell that had excellently completed its tasks.

Talking to us, Mr. Gia Tong Thu confided: "The Mong people's changed lives today are thanks to the Party. Therefore, whether I was the Party Secretary of the Buoc Mu 2 village Party Cell or later the Party Secretary of the Ka Duoi village Party Cell, I always focused on creating sources for developing new Party members and consolidating and affirming the "core" role of the Party cell."

It was also from that thought that when the Party Committee of Na Ngoi commune assigned him the task of being the Party Secretary of Ka Duoi village, when the situation in the village had become stable and orderly, Gia Tong Thu chose people to train and create a source of local successors so that he could retire after completing the mission assigned by the Party.

That is young female party member Ly Y Cho (born 1993), admitted to the Party in 2020, formerly the enthusiastic and dynamic President of the Women's Association in Ka Duoi village.

He also skillfully mobilized prestigious people and veteran party members in the village to help him and the Party cell committee, and to train local Party cell secretaries to gain the support and consensus of party members and people.

At the Ka Duoi Party Cell Congress for the term (2025-2027) held in February 2025, young party member Ly Y Cho was elected as Party Cell Secretary of Ka Duoi village.

The fact that a young woman successfully became the head of a Party cell was a "big event" that demonstrated a breakthrough in the thinking of the Mong people in Ka Duoi village, thanks to innovators and pioneers like Gia Tong Thu.

Visiting and chatting with the new Party Secretary of Ka Duoi Ly Y Cho village, she said: When Uncle Gia Tong Thu encouraged me to become Party Secretary, I was also very hesitant and worried, because I was a woman, young and the daughter-in-law of the village, not good at management, and did not have the surname Xong or Gia, did everyone listen? However, Uncle Thu said: "Now the back of Mong women is not only carrying corn and cassava but also carrying the Party's policies and guidelines to the village. You should boldly try your best, if there is anything difficult, I will support you, if you are honest, fair and responsible, then the Party members and people will agree and support you".

“With Uncle Thu’s encouragement, I boldly accepted the task. At first, I was a little confused, but with the help of the Party Cell, the support of the people, especially Uncle Gia Tong Thu who was always ready to guide and instruct me, I have gradually become proficient in the job. Uncle Thu is a shining example for young Party members like me to learn and follow. His example is also a convincing proof of the truth: Where cadres are truly exemplary and dedicated, the Party Cell will be strong and the Party will be strong from the root” - New Secretary of Ka Duoi Party Cell, Ly Y Cho expressed.

(To be continued)