The sad story on Pa Khom peak
(Baonghean.vn) - From a teacher, an example of love for Mong students, Tho Pa Sau has now become a death row inmate for trading in "white death". On the day Pa Sau received the death penalty, many relatives and colleagues were still surprised because no one thought that a teacher like Pa Sau would step onto the path of death because of the magic of money.
From the village's enlightened teacher
We met Tho Pa Sau (born in 1975, residing in Tri Le commune, Que Phong district)In the last months of 2013, when Sau was teaching at the Pa Khom remote location, Tri Le 2 Primary School, Tri Le commune, where 100% of the Mong people live. Tho Pa Sau has a small, thin figure and a simple mountain and forest character. We were impressed with this teacher because the first time we met Sau, Pa Sau was lighting a big fire next to the classrooms and bringing out students without warm clothes to warm up.
This image was later known to many charitable organizations and individuals and supported the Mong students studying at the Pa Khom remote site with warm clothes, books, and shoes to go to school. At that time, Pa Sau was a shining example for his fellow countrymen, because Pa Sau was also a descendant of the Mong people, also living in a poor family in the most difficult place in the mountainous region of Nghe An at that time.
Therefore, Pa Sau always has love for students, children of the Mong people. Pa Sau knows how to overcome all difficulties to follow "letters", wishing to brighten his own future as well as to bring glory to the Mong people of the highlands of Tri Le.
 |
Tho Pa Sau always loved his students wholeheartedly. Photo: Xuan Hoa |
Tho Pa Sau was born into a large family in Muong Long village, Tri Le commune, Que Phong district. Before Pa Sau, there was an older brother in the family who was involved in the white death trade and had to suffer the highest penalty of the law.
In the 1990s when Pa Sau was still a student, the road from the border commune of Tri Le to the center of Que Phong district was really difficult when having to overcome the legendary slopes of Bu Chong Cha. Not to mention that Muong Long village was even more remote with the red slope still haunting those who had traveled this route to reach the Mong villages of Tri Le commune.
I thought that would cut short Pa Sau's dream of pursuing education. But fortunately, he was cared for by the locality and supported by his family, so Pa Sau was determined to build his future with his dream of education. In 1999, after finishing the elementary teacher training class, Pa Sau was assigned to teach in his hometown, Muong Long village, Tri Le 4 Primary School, Tri Le commune. At that time, Pa Sau was one of the very few Mong children in Tri Le commune who could follow the path of education to become a teacher, so Sau became a shining example for many families to follow and set an example for their children. Then, his enthusiasm for the profession and love for his students, who were also Mong children, made him even more loved by the people.
 |
| For the Mong people in Tri Le commune, Que Phong district, Tho Pa Sau has been a role model for them to follow for many years. Photo: Xuan Hoa |
After teaching for a few years, Sau married a local woman and had a child. His teaching was so good that he was sent to study at Nghe An Pedagogical College. However, life's events did not leave Sau alone when his wife at home, unable to wait for Sau to return from school, married another man. He was abandoned by the woman he loved, and most of his siblings went to Laos to settle down and make a living. However, Sau did not give up and became even more determined to study well.
After returning to his hometown, Sau was transferred to teach at Tri Le 2 Primary School. Here, Sau continued to teach at the Pa Khom hamlet - a place where fog covers the whole year round, and the cold is the biggest torment for the small Mong students who lack food and clothing. At times like these, Sau lit a fire around the classroom, contacted friends and acquaintances to ask for warm clothes for the poor students here.
To the dealer of white death
On the afternoon of April 22, 2018, when hearing the news that Pa Sau was arrested for drug trafficking, the people of Pa Khom were all surprised. According to the indictment, at about 2:00 p.m. the same day, Pa Sau received a phone call from Tua (a Laotian) who accompanied him to Chau Thon commune, Que Phong district. Sau went to the meeting point and was paid 400 USD by Tua and carried the drugs to Chau Thon commune.
At 6 p.m. the same day, upon receiving Tua's order, Pa Sau had just brought a bag of drugs near the passenger bus to buy goods when the police suddenly rushed in and arrested him on the spot. Tua quickly escaped into the forest, and the passenger bus also quickly stepped on the gas and fled. The police arrested Pa Sau with the evidence of 7 kg of heroin and synthetic drugs.
 |
| Tho Pa Sau was sentenced to death for drug trafficking. Photo: Xuan Hoa |
In September 2018, Tho Pa Sau’s drug trafficking case was brought to trial. On the trial day, Pa Sau’s colleagues were present. Sau’s wife, who had not registered her marriage with Sau, also brought her 4-month-old baby to the court. Sau and her baby were born more than a month after Sau was arrested. Father and son had never met each other.
When appearing in court, Pa Sau himself still claimed that he did not commit the crime of drug trafficking but only translated for Tua because Tua did not know the language to get paid. Pa Sau's face was calm throughout the entire trial, occasionally Pa Sau turned back to look at his young child below whose face he had never seen clearly. Looking at his colleagues, Pa Sau's eyes seemed to want to explain something that was difficult to put into words. Although Pa Sau refused to admit to drug trafficking, with clear evidence, the panel of judges determined that the amount of drugs that Tho Pa Sau participated in was very large, the crime was especially serious... and sentenced the defendant to death.
Instead of his initial alertness, Pa Sau turned around to look at his wife, children, and colleagues. Then, when Pa Sau's wife tried to bring the child whose face he had never seen before to give to Sau, she was stopped because she was not allowed to. Pa Sau took his two hands, which were wearing shiny handcuffs, and covered his face, crying, and walked out to the escort car.
 |
| Now, on the top of Pa Khom, Tho Pa Sau will be absent and the mirror of that year has been obscured by white death. Photo: Xuan Hoa |
“I went to elementary school with Sau and taught with Sau for many years at Tri Le 4 Primary School and then taught together at Pa Khom, but I never thought Sau would dare to get involved in drug trafficking. Sau is gentle, quiet, loves his students very much and is also friendly with his colleagues. However…”, Mr. Luong Trung Thanh, a colleague who taught with Sau at the Pa Khom branch, Tri Le 2 Primary School, Tri Le commune, Que Phong district, sadly said.
From the hands holding chalk, the hands guiding the Mong students to follow the letters, the hands warming the poor students in the cold, Pa Sau has now been stained with the black ink of greed for money. If Pa Sau had thought more carefully like the previous incidents of his family, perhaps now on the top of Pa Khom, Pa Sau would still be a shining star for the Mong people, Tri Le to look up to... But now, it's all too late.
Leaving the court, many people could not help but feel sad at the separation of Pa Sau and his wife, father and son. And the image of the teacher lighting a fire to warm his students kept flickering before their eyes, making many people feel even more regretful for Tho Pa Sau's mistake.