The road to death sentence of a Mong male education graduate

(Baonghean.vn)- Participating in two drug rings, Ha Ba Hua received one death sentence and one life sentence. That is the price to pay for those who want to make money through drugs like Hua. However, behind that sentence is the pitiful love of a Mong boy.

Being so used to standing in the dock, Ha Ba Hua (born in 1989), residing in Ta Ca commune, Ky Son, still kept a calm expression on his bright face. The last time I met Hua, I felt like I had seen him somewhere before. Searching my memory, it turned out that less than 3 months ago, Ha Ba Hua was sentenced to death by the People's Court of Nghe An province for his involvement in the illegal trafficking of 20 heroin cakes from Laos to Vietnam.

Defendant Ha Ba Hua received 1 death sentence and 1 life sentence.

The little information I gathered about Hua made me full of contradictions, less anger and more sympathy. I blamed Hua for being too selfish, and felt sorry for Hua, because in this border area, not many people graduated from the regular Pedagogical University 1 and graduated with a good degree like Hua. If he could find a job, perhaps, Hua would be standing on the podium right now, passing on his passion and youthful aspirations to the Mong and Khmu students in the border area. However, that will never happen, and Hua will not have the opportunity to stand on the podium again.

Not being able to find a job after months of hard work at university was Hua's first shock. The second shock was that Hua's young wife had ovarian cysts on both sides, meaning that her chance of becoming a mother was almost gone. Hua felt sorry for himself and his wife, and tried every way to find a cure, but where could he get the money when the couple only lived off the grocery store in this deep mountainous area. The goods were just things Hua brought from Laos, and selling them to people on both sides of the border would not make much profit.

When the doctor informed Hua that his wife needed surgery to limit the growth of the tumor, Hua became even more worried about money. Hua remembered a man named Kham who had gone to Laos to get goods for his wife to sell. Kham said that when he returned to Vietnam, he would find someone to buy heroin, and for each successful transaction, Kham would pay Hua $2,000.

While taking his wife to the provincial hospital for a check-up, Hua met Hoang Van Quang (born in 1973, residing in Xuan Son commune, Do Luong, Nghe An). Hua invited Quang to buy and sell heroin, but Quang had no money. Hua called Kham to discuss, Kham agreed to let Quang buy on credit, and when he sold the heroin, he would pay Kham. The first shipment was around May 2015, and Hua was paid 2,000 USD by Kham. With the money, Hua took his wife to have surgery to remove one of her ovaries. The hope of having a child for Hua and his wife was rekindled.

“A habitual thief”, Hua continued to act as a “bridge” between Kham and Quang. Each time the transaction was successful, Hua pocketed 2,000 USD, equal to several months of hard work for the couple. On the fourth transaction (August 19, 2015), when Hua was delivering 8 heroin cakes to Quang near Quang’s house, he was caught red-handed by the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department of Nghe An Province Police. At the time of their arrest, Hua and Quang had successfully sold 20 heroin cakes. In the trial on March 25, 2016, Ha Ba Hua and Hoang Van Quang were both sentenced to death by the People’s Court of Nghe An Province.

When being escorted back to prison, Hua shook his head, “accepting his fate!”, while Hua’s wife put her face down on the table and sobbed. Her dream of becoming a mother was gone forever, and she could no longer keep the man who loved her by her side…

While waiting for the President to respond to Hua's letter of amnesty, the investigation agency clarified Hua's role in a drug ring led by Nguyen Quoc Khanh (born in 1960), residing in Thanh Duong commune, Thanh Chuong. That was in August 2014, Hua agreed to a man named Lau (in Laos) to transport 20 heroin cakes and 400 grams of pink opium from Laos to Vietnam to deliver to Nguyen Quoc Khanh and his accomplices. In the trial on September 12, 2016, Nguyen Quoc Khanh was sentenced to death, while Hua was sentenced to life in prison.

With two heavy sentences on his shoulders, Hua's path to return has probably come to an end! Perhaps Hua's young wife could not bear this shock twice, so she did not come to court? I will always remember Hua's words when he had the last word before the court gave its verdict on the case: "The defendant only asks to live, to have a chance to atone for his mistakes, to be able to take care of his wife. She no longer has the ability to have children, she also has no future...".

40 heroin cakes, 2 sentences on his shoulders, for the one who has sown so many white deaths, destroyed so many peaceful homes, perhaps Hua's way back has been closed forever...

Nhu Binh