Peaceful people, peaceful area

Building conventions and village covenants for village peace

Phu Kha 1, Na Ngoi commune is a village with 100% Mong people, mainly with the surname Vu, with a long history of residence. Taking us on a tour around the village, Party Secretary Vu Ba Tong said: Phu Kha means on the top, covered in fog.

A corner of the mountain forest seen from Phu Kha 1 village. Photo: KL

The village has 84 households, 517 people, and a party cell with 6 party members. For generations, Phu Kha people have worked hard to unite to eliminate hunger and reduce poverty, and build a new life. In addition to growing rice and ginger, people mainly raise cattle, with an average household raising 5-6 cattle a year. Large households such as Vu Va Re and Vu Chu Va raise about ten cattle. The village currently has about 95 cows and 120 buffaloes.

Party cell and Pu Kha village management board discuss the situation in the village. Photo: KL

Why was Phu Kha 1 chosen to build a model for people's security? Hearing our question, Party Secretary Vu Ba Tong honestly answered: "Recently, there have been some gullible people who have been lured and incited by bad people to participate in illegal religious activities, causing resentment in the clan and disturbing the security situation in the village. Now everything is fine, with the help of the Party Committee, the government, departments, organizations and functional forces on all fronts, so the people are excited and very satisfied."

A peaceful house in Pu Kha 1 village. Photo: KL.

The first thing that the Steering Committee of the model embarked on was to support the people of Phu Kha 1 village in building and supplementing village conventions, village regulations, and clan regulations in accordance with the actual situation. In particular, promoting the good customs of the village, eliminating backward customs; promoting the spirit of neighborly solidarity, participating in reconciliation activities, helping each other in labor, production, difficulties, and hardships.

Mobilize family members to comply with the laws and village regulations, not to participate in social evils, not to listen to bad propaganda, not to follow other religions, but only to follow the long-standing beliefs and customs of the Mong people. It is strictly forbidden to introduce other customs and religions to the people, affecting the good customs of the nation; causing disunity, disorder, and insecurity in the village. The village regulations with specific, concise, easy-to-remember, and easy-to-understand provisions are posted on the door of each family so that everyone can remember and not violate them.

The Pu Kha 1 convention is posted in front of every house. Photo: KL

According to Mr. Lau Ba Cho - Head of the Ky Son District Party Committee's Mass Mobilization Committee: An dan is a clever mass mobilization model deployed in Phu Kha 1 village at the end of 2021, including many contents, propaganda and mobilization work specific to ethnic minority and border areas to raise awareness and sense of ownership of cadres, party members and the masses in self-management of village security, compliance with the Party's guidelines, policies, and policies, state laws, and local regulations. The focus is on combating illegal proselytizing, stabilizing village security, supporting people to change their awareness in production, animal husbandry, and poverty reduction.

The education of Phu Kha village children is taken care of. Photo: KL

Change mindset and farming practices

First of all, it is to help people change their crop seasons, grow ginger for sale, and open roads to livestock production areas. Previously, people's farming practices were only to grow rice once a year, leaving the rest uncultivated for weeds to grow. Now, people are being allowed to grow rice twice a year, starting with Ms. Mua Y Sua's household as a pilot.

“Up until now, my family and the villagers have only grown rice once a year on terraced fields. Now, with the guidance of the cadres, we can grow rice twice a year. The rice is growing well and has already produced ears. I am very happy. If we succeed, we will have more rice to eat and will not have to worry about hunger…”- Ms. Mua Y Sua happily said.

In addition, the Steering Committee of the model also actively coordinated with the District Department of Agriculture and the Youth Volunteer Team to help her apply scientific achievements to production and prevent pests and diseases to increase productivity such as yellow leaf disease, root rot in ginger plants, and armyworms in corn plants. At the same time, specific responsibilities were assigned to political organizations at the district and commune levels to deploy appropriate models to help people.

The model steering committee also actively coordinated with the District Agriculture Department and the Youth Volunteer Team to help people prevent pests and diseases to increase productivity such as yellow leaf disease and root rot in ginger plants. Photo: Lu Phu

Mr. Va Ba Gio - Deputy Secretary of the Na Ngoi Commune Party Committee said: On the local side, we also strengthen direction, consolidate the core leadership role of the village party cell, the effectiveness of self-management activities of the village management board, mass organizations and prestigious people in the village. Enhance the role and responsibility of the Standing Committee members and civil servants assigned to be in charge of the village. At the model launching ceremony, the steering committee mobilized people to clean up the village, make trash cans, repair and clear inter-village roads, roads to production and livestock areas, and mobilize households to produce winter-spring crops to ensure food security.

The waste collection model is strictly followed by the people of Pu Kha 1. Photo: KL

Head of the Front Committee of Pu Kha 1 village, Vu Giong Tong, also said: since the model was implemented, there have been many changes in the village, such as environmental sanitation work. Thanks to the support for building 3 centralized garbage pits, people have known how to classify garbage and bring it to the centralized garbage pits for burning, limiting the situation of littering, affecting the common living environment.

Units such as Na Ngoi Border Post, National Defense Economic Group 4, District Military Command... also have many "hands-on" activities to help the village such as guiding cultivation and livestock techniques, supporting breeding animals. In addition, the Steering Committee of the model also called for support to build a house of gratitude for Mrs. Za Y Bo - a person with revolutionary contributions worth 100 million VND.

The newly inaugurated house of gratitude of Mrs. Za Y Bo, Phu Kha 1 village. Photo: KL

It is known that due to difficult life, in recent years, many people of working age in Ky Son district have left their villages to work far away in many localities in the country and neighboring countries such as Laos, Thailand... However, due to limited cultural level, understanding of the Party's policies and the State's laws, some people have been taken advantage of by bad guys, incited and persuaded to abandon their customs, traditions, and traditional cultural values ​​of the Mong, Thai, and Kho Mu people... and to illegally proselytize, causing insecurity and disorder in the area, causing resentment among the people.

A corner of Phu Kha 1 village. Photo: KL

In addition to the model of people's security in Pu Kha 1 village, Na Ngoi commune, the Ky Son District People's Committee has coordinated with localities and units to build a model towards "3 peace" (peace for people, peace for the area, peace for the border) in some areas such as Yen Hoa village, My Ly commune... The timely intervention and effective direction of Party committees, authorities, departments, and socio-political organizations from the district to the grassroots level, in propaganda, mobilization, and education with focus and key points, have made individuals and households voluntarily pledge to give up participating in illegal activities and proselytizing, return to traditional customs and practices, worship ancestors, and unite with the villagers to build a new life. From there, ensuring peace for people, peace for the area, and peace for the border.

Khanh Ly