Noong O - the desire to revive

Noong O Village, Huu Lap Commune (Ky Son) is located in the middle of a valley, surrounded by rugged mountains. Photo: Cong Kien

Unforgettable memories

This is the second time we have “infiltrated” Noong O valley. The first time was 5 years ago, when the road was still extremely steep and slippery, always worrying about the “iron horse” slipping or someone suddenly jumping out of the bushes to block the road. Now the road is easier to travel, the nearly 10 km section from Xop Thap village to Cha Lan has been mostly concreted. That means the steepest and most winding, most difficult section has been handled, the remaining section from Cha Lan to Noong O is also about 10 km, still a dirt road but relatively flat and easy to travel. There is also no worry of being blocked, because this time there is Vice Chairman of the Commune People’s Committee Kha Van Mooc leading the way, he knows every section of road, slope, ravine and stream.

After more than an hour of “galloping”, the “iron horse” had descended Noong O slope. Village Chief Luong Van Man was waiting under the ancient tree at the entrance of the village. Nearly 90 high and low roofs were hidden in the middle of the valley, surrounded by towering and rugged mountain ranges.

Compared to 5 years ago, the pace of life has shown signs of change, most clearly the main road of the village has just been concreted, the kindergarten and primary school have just been newly built, there are new, solid and quite spacious houses, with the sound of shuttles clattering... However, there are still abandoned houses, the doors are closed, the garden is overgrown with weeds because the owners are working far away or are serving a sentence for drug trafficking and transportation.

Noong O village has invested in building internal roads. Photo: Cong Kien

Village chief Luong Van Man recounted: “Before 2000, Noong O was the most prosperous village in the commune, never lacking food, with countless buffaloes, cows, pigs, and chickens. However, just a few years after getting involved with drugs, it became desolate and desolate, and now it is worse than other villages…”

In the memories of the villagers, in the past, the fields were vast, the rice and corn crops were heavy and bountiful every year, each family had dozens of buffaloes and cows. Partly because the land here was very good, partly because the people were hard-working and diligent, so they had a fairly prosperous life. During each crop season, many people from other villages crossed Cha Lan slope to Noong O to buy or borrow food. Because of that, there were always drug traffickers and transporters "looking" at this place to make illegal profits.

Moreover, Noong O is located in a "prime" location, adjacent to 4 communes, including Bao Nam, Pha Danh, Huoi Tu and Muong Long, so "white goods" traffickers often come here to set up "bases" to operate. Initially, they befriended and lured young people into drug addiction. The threat grew from there, many people in the village could not resist the temptation of the "white ghost".

Although the authorities have made many efforts to prevent it, due to its remote location, rugged terrain, and proximity to many communes, the “white death” traffickers still operate recklessly. They even set up camps on the mountains and set up guards to exchange drugs. The consequences left behind are devastated villages, many families separated, dozens of people in drug rehabilitation camps and serving prison sentences, Noong O is known as the “white village”.

Desire for revival

It has been nearly 20 years since the “white tornado” came, enough time for it to destroy several generations in Noong O. And also long enough for the Thai people here to realize the harmful effects of the “white substance” on the peace of the village, the happiness of each family and the pain of each condemned fate. That is, time and the consequences of drugs have helped them wake up, even though it was late, and begin to conceive the desire for revival.

After the breakdowns, separations and physical and mental devastation caused by drug-related issues, it is time for everyone to wake up and hope to rebuild their lives, especially the young. Families have begun to focus on farming, investing in raising livestock, poultry and weaving with the hope that life will return to the prosperity and peace of the past.

Village Chief Luong Van Man

Noong O village, Huu Lap commune (Ky Son) has no electricity grid and must use electricity from a mini hydroelectric plant. Photo: Cong Kien

In particular, witnessing the losses and consequences of the generation of fathers, uncles and seniors, the young people could not help but be afraid. Not wanting their lives to be bound by the "white ghost", after finishing their studies, they all sought ways to work far away with the determination to avoid the deadly temptation. Most of them went to industrial zones in the South and the North to work as workers, spending frugally, saving money so that a few years later they could return home with capital to do business and develop the family economy.

As if to prove it, Mr. Man led him to the house of Mr. Lu Thao Tham (born in 1952) - a person who had used drugs for many years and had been to rehab many times. Mr. Keo was sitting and knitting, his wife had just returned from the forest to collect firewood, the hardship was clearly visible on her face.

He said: “In the past, I was foolish enough to get involved with drugs and suffered from it all my life. Now my children and grandchildren are all working far away to stay away from the “white ghost” and save money so that in a few years, when they return, they will have capital to start a business.”

Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Kha Van Mooc commune said that recently, Huu Lap commune has increased coordination with the district police and neighboring communes to destroy drug exchange spots and monitor suspicious subjects, so the situation has calmed down. The road from the commune center to Noong O is being upgraded, making travel and patrols more convenient, so drug criminals no longer dare to act recklessly.

We visited the Noong O kindergarten and primary school, which had just been supported by the State to be built solidly and spaciously with a total cost of more than 800 million VND under Program 135. The bustling sounds of studying, the distant singing and the loud laughter, made it seem as if this place had never been the "capital" of drugs in the highlands of Ky Son.

The Noong O village kindergarten and primary school has just been invested in and built spaciously. Photo: Cong Kien

Teacher Pham Thi Khanh - in charge of the school said: "Although they are young, the children already know the harmful effects of drugs on their lives when they see relatives or neighbors serving prison sentences or undergoing rehabilitation. I always tell them that drugs are toxic, and those who sell and use drugs are bad people, and must stay away..."

Looking at those innocent faces and listening to those clear sounds, everyone hopes that when they grow up, the children in Noong O will have enough courage to live a healthy life, enough "resistance" to not be seduced by drugs, to find back the prosperous, peaceful life that adults have lost.

"With the awakening and aspirations of the local people, hopefully Noong O will soon revive."

Vice Chairman of People's Committee of Kha Van Mooc Commune