Lesson 5: Don't be swayed by short-term gains.

(Baonghean) - Along with other localities in the province through which National Highway 1A passes, in the early days of April, the Party committee, government, and people of Nghi Loc district are urgently using all means to quickly hand over the land to ensure the timely completion of National Highway 1A. It is noteworthy that, for the common good, many people have set aside their concerns about right and wrong, gains and losses, and cooperated with the government to accelerate the land clearance process. However, there are still some households who, for their own small immediate gain, deliberately "create difficulties" for the government, affecting the construction progress…

For the past two days, traveling along National Highway 1A through Nghi Trung and Nghi Thuan communes (Nghi Loc district), we witnessed the urgent atmosphere as residents worked together to dismantle shacks, remove signboards, and cut down trees to hand over the land to the construction unit. All of this was done voluntarily and willingly. In Hamlet 16 – previously considered a difficult area to resolve in Nghi Loc – all 31 households along the road have simultaneously dismantled their structures and buildings to hand over the land. Some families, like Mr. Dang To Lam's (Nghi Thuan district), who had two shacks in the cleared area, have even hired additional workers to speed up and facilitate the dismantling process. Mr. Nguyen Van Nghi, who initially disagreed, is now the most enthusiastic participant in the dismantling and land handover. Speaking with us, he happily stated: “We agree with the conclusion of the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; mistakes should be corrected, but first and foremost, we must prioritize the common good and the vital transportation artery of the country. We, the people, will abide by the policies and guidelines of the state, but we also hope that after the completion of National Highway 1A, if there are any unsatisfactory aspects, the state will ensure the rights of the people are protected.”

The Nghi Loc district authorities and relevant departments held a dialogue with households in Nghi Long commune.

Always staying close to the scene to encourage the people, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Quang - Secretary of the Party branch of Hamlet 16, said: After receiving the Notice from the Provincial People's Committee, especially after the Chairman of the District People's Committee personally came to dialogue and explain, the people understood the state's policies and voluntarily handed over the land. Some households, like the Lieu Hoa family, even though they had not yet received compensation, actively dismantled their houses to hand them over... By the end of the afternoon of April 7, 2014, the dismantling was basically completed.

Minutes confirming compensation for the PMU1 Project in Dien Chau in 1994.

Mr. Nguyen Ba Diep, Deputy Head of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment and Vice Chairman of the Land Clearance Council of Nghi Loc district, said: "Despite facing many obstacles, with the decisive involvement of the entire political system and the support of the people, Nghi Loc district has handed over 94% of the land to date."

Currently, only about 0.78 km of land remains to be handed over, mainly because 17 households in hamlets 2, 3, and 6 of Nghi Long commune have not yet agreed to hand over the land. They claim that they have lived on the land since before 1980. Previously, during the PMU1 project, the state compensated them for 1.5 meters, and now they are demanding compensation for the land within the PMU1 boundary. At the dialogue with the 17 households on the afternoon of April 7th, some families, such as Ms. Le Thi Thiem and Mr. Nguyen Van The, even cited the 1994 property compensation record of the Nghi Loc District Land Clearance Committee as a pretext to demand that the authorities resolve the issue. This demand is contrary to regulations because: Firstly, this property compensation record lacks legal validity as the signature section for the PMU1 representative is blank. Meanwhile, with similar records, in some communes along National Highway 1A in Dien Chau district, there are signatures confirming compensation from PMU1... Secondly, according to document No. 1268/PMU1-QLDA2 dated July 26, 2010, on "the implementation of land clearance work for the PMU1 project, National Highway 1A in Nghe An province" sent to the Steering Committee for Support, Compensation, and Resettlement of the National Highway 1A upgrading and expansion projects through Nghe An province, it clearly states that "the area where traffic infrastructure under the PMU1 project has been constructed has undergone procedures for permanent land acquisition." “…The land area from the base of the construction site to the land clearance markers of the PMU1 project for sections passing through rural areas is calculated from the base of the embankment slope and the top of the excavated embankment slope, extending 7m on each side. Sections with adjacent railway lines only have land clearance markers placed on one side. Within this area, the project has compensated for all structures, buildings on the land, and trees and crops…”. This shows that, during the land clearance phase, the project owner did not provide land compensation. Therefore, the claim by some households that they received land compensation within the 7m range from the base of the road on each side is completely unfounded. If it is true that land compensation was received within the marked boundary, then the compensation settlement by the local National Highway 1A Land Clearance Compensation Council during that period needs to be reviewed to see if it complied with regulations.

Residents of Hamlet 16, Nghi Thuan Commune (Nghi Loc District) voluntarily dismantled their property on the land to hand over the site.

According to Mr. Le Van Nghia, Chairman of the Nghi Long Commune People's Committee, although the district and commune authorities have repeatedly propagated, persuaded, and explained that these demands are contrary to state regulations, as stipulated in Clause 3, Article 5 of the regulations issued with Decision 04/2010/QD-UBND dated January 19, 2010, of the Provincial People's Committee, which clearly states: "For land areas that have been cleared by the state during the implementation of policies over the years, and which the land users no longer use or are using but are re-encroaching on (including cases where there is no decision to reclaim the land), the land will be reclaimed without compensation," the households still do not accept the demands.

During the dialogue on the afternoon of April 7th, Mr. Le Van Khang, Chairman of the Nghi Loc District People's Committee, once again clarified the people's concerns and demands, stating the consistent policy of the Provincial People's Committee as expressed in Notice No. 147/TB.UBND-GT dated April 3rd, 2014: "For land areas that were previously cleared over various periods, including the former PMU1 project, no land compensation will be provided." However, the households still insisted on their demands that violated regulations. Many households attended the dialogue to raise their concerns and questions, but then left without listening to the explanations of the presiding officials. Therefore, a common ground has yet to be found between the people and the government. These households have shown stubbornness in protecting their immediate personal interests, disregarding the common good, including their own rights.

National Highway 1A is a vital artery of the country, playing a crucial role in the socio-economic development of every locality it passes through. Since the opening of the North-South Highway, this is the second time the Party and State have undertaken the renovation and upgrading of National Highway 1A. The period following the country's liberation proceeded smoothly, driven by the enthusiasm for opening a major road connecting the North and South, with no one considering personal gain. However, during the Doi Moi (Renovation) period of 1993-1998, when the state decided to upgrade and expand National Highway 1A, with the war more than 20 years behind and the economy developing, some people began to focus on personal gain, leading to demands for land compensation. Therefore, although "land is a national asset," the State still has policies to support and compensate the people. In the present day, land has become extremely valuable, making it very difficult to reclaim even vacant land within the designated boundaries. For many, a single inch of land has become a painful possession. They exploit outdated policies of the past, using principles that are no longer relevant to blackmail the government and pursue their own self-interest.

If some residents' claims for compensation are deemed "justified," the local authorities should direct the Land Clearance Compensation Council to create detailed records of the current status and origin of each household. Residents, for their part, must provide detailed legal documents that align with their claims to serve as a basis for comparison with current regulations on land clearance compensation policies applicable to National Highway 1A. Furthermore, consideration should be given to recovering any previously disbursed compensation that residents are still clinging to in their demands. However, alongside resolving these unresolved issues, everyone must agree to hand over the land so that National Highway 1A can be opened to traffic on schedule. It is unacceptable for the individual, irregular interests of 17 households along a 0.78km stretch of National Highway 1A passing through Nghe An province and the total 1887km section from Thanh Hoa to Can Tho to be affected. Historical evidence has proven that national interest is paramount; no one, no organization, can stand above the national interest. In this case, the uncooperative and obstinate behavior of some residents in hamlets 2, 3, and 6 of Nghi Long commune also negatively impacts the image and self-respect of the people of Nghe An, who are deeply patriotic and revolutionary in the cause of national construction and defense.

Everyone has their moments of weighing the pros and cons, but the important thing is that by this point, many people have understood that "national interest is one's own interest," and have therefore agreed to hand over the land to ensure the project proceeds on schedule. For example, 172 households in Quynh Giang (Quynh Luu) who were initially granted land use rights certificates within the PMU1 area and deliberately refused to hand over the land have now understood and actively cooperated with the authorities to complete the handover. Furthermore, 31 households in Nghi Thuan and 41 households in Nghi Trung (Nghi Loc) simultaneously dismantled their property and structures within the affected area (a total length of 1km) to hand over the land to the construction unit during the two weekend days, Saturday (April 5th) and Sunday (April 6th), a situation they had previously strongly opposed.

Therefore, the 17 households in Nghi Long (Nghi Loc) also need to "learn from others and reflect on ourselves" to understand and comply with the State's policies, because no one has the right to obstruct or infringe upon the interests of the nation...

Text and photos:Reporters' Team