On the eve of Spring, I hear stories of the Dan Lai people's transformation.
(Baonghean.vn) - I have visited Mon Son (Con Cuong) many times to see the Dan Lai people in Khe Bung and Khe Khang, in the core area of Pu Mat National Park. Each time is different, and my feelings about the changes and breakthroughs of this ethnic group who "sleep sitting up" are becoming increasingly strong.
The historic migration
I returned to Mon Son at the end of the year, when the spring atmosphere had already permeated everywhere. This was truly the perfect time to observe the changes in the Muong Qua region, and above all, to "see with my own eyes and hear with my own ears" the stories of its transformation.Dan Lai peopleThis is something that many people, including my colleagues, have often mentioned. Few people know that just a few decades ago, the Dan Lai people were considered "indigenous people" deep in the forest...
Nevertheless, the harsh weather with temperatures below 12 degrees Celsius was a real challenge as we faced a 20-kilometer river journey to reach two purely Dan Lai villages upstream on the Giang River: Bung and Co Phat villages.
Waiting for me at the gate of the Mon Son Commune People's Committee headquarters was Hoang Nhat Son, the Deputy Secretary of the Commune Party Committee, a border guard officer who had been assigned to the commune three years ago. Knowing my determination to go to Co Phat, this deputy secretary in his green military uniform rubbed his hands together to stop trembling and said, "It's cold," and then we set off.
From the ferry dock at the foot of the Pha Lai dam, we boarded an aluminum boat and traveled upstream on the Giang River, venturing deep into the core of Pu Mat. This season, the Giang River's water level was still high, with waves lapping against the shore with a gentle murmur. The propeller attached to the stern of the boat rose and fell, churning up white foam, stirring up the entire river area for a brief moment before disappearing into the deep, silent green of the mountains.
According to Mr. Son, Mon Son commune currently has nearly 2,400 households with 9,600 people, spread across 14 villages. Among these, two villages, Co Phat and Bung, are exclusively inhabited by the Dan Lai ethnic group. These two villages have nearly 250 households with over 1,000 inhabitants. Previously, when the road from Xieng village in the commune center to these two villages was not damaged, travel was much easier. However, in recent years, after several floods, the road has been damaged and eroded, making boat travel the only viable option.
Although he was only recently appointed as Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the commune, Mr. Son has spent many years living in Mon Son and with the Dan Lai people, so he understands their customs and way of thinking. He said that more than 20 years ago, the Dan Lai people lived crowded together in the core area of the Pu Mat forest, mainly subsisting on hunting and gathering, living in close-knit communities, and practicing consanguineous marriage. Facing the risk of genetic degeneration and the impact on the conservation of the Pu Mat forest, the Party and State developed a plan to relocate the Dan Lai people out of the core area of the Pu Mat forest.
In the early 2000s, after a period of surveying and assessment, the first 36 households out of more than 200 Dan Lai households living in the Khe Khang and Khe Bung areas were relocated to the Tan Son and Cua Rao resettlement sites in the center of Mon Son commune. By 2006, the Project for the Conservation and Sustainable Development of the Dan Lai ethnic group in the core area of Pu Mat National Park was approved by the Government. Subsequently, in addition to the households that had already moved, dozens more households were relocated to the Thach Son and Ba Ha resettlement sites in Thach Ngan commune.
Applications to be removed from the list of impoverished households.
The story of the historic migration of the Dan Lai people captivated us, making the journey of over 20 kilometers feel shorter. After nearly two hours, we arrived at the Khang stream area, where the Dan Lai people of Co Phat village live together.
The village of Cò Phạt currently has 126 households with 516 inhabitants. After the households on the resettlement list were moved to new locations, the remaining households have basically settled down. Speaking with us, Mr. La Văn Linh, the Party Secretary of Cò Phạt village, has served as an "official" in this remote village for 30 years. Born in 1963, Mr. Linh is one of the oldest residents and also one of the most "progressive" people in Cò Phạt. Since the age of 20, he has been encouraged by border guards and local authorities to participate in social activities in the village. After many years serving as village militia leader and village head, he has now been elected as the Party Secretary of the village's Party branch, which has 14 members.
Speaking about the changes in the Dan Lai people, Mr. Linh shared that since the government implemented the policy of relocating the Dan Lai people from this core area to resettlement sites, their lives have seen significant improvements. The Dan Lai people have learned to cultivate rice, raise buffalo and cattle, and some households have even purchased tractors to mechanize agriculture. This is something no Dan Lai household ever imagined would happen.
According to Mr. Linh, in the past, the villagers only lived around the Khang stream, fishing and gathering roots and fruits from the forest to survive. Now, many people have gone to school, found work far away, and some have even become teachers or officials in the commune. In particular, all the children in the village now attend school, with over 60 children studying at secondary school outside the commune center, and 3 children attending high school.
Even Mr. Linh's family is a prime example of economic development. Besides cultivating rice and being self-sufficient in food, his family also raises 5 cows, 6 buffaloes, and many chickens and ducks. Notably, at the end of 2023, the family of this Party branch secretary voluntarily submitted an application to the Mon Son Commune People's Committee to be removed from the list of poor households. He said, "Being poor forever is shameful. Although my family is still struggling compared to the general standard of living in the commune, at least we have a house and our lives have improved. But there are many families in the village with even more difficult circumstances. By leaving the list of poor households, I can share the burden with other families and set an example for them to rise out of poverty."
Mr. Linh proudly shared that he was one of only two people from Con Cuong district who had recently returned from Hanoi. He was happy to have visited the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and many places in the capital that he had never seen before. But he believes that in the future, the children of Dan Lai will have more opportunities to leave their village. Currently, more than 10 young people from the village have participated in overseas labor export programs, and dozens more are working as factory workers in industrial zones.
Besides Mr. Linh's family, at the end of last year, Mr. Le Xuan Duong's family in Co Phat village also submitted an application to be removed from the list of impoverished households. Similar to Mr. Linh, Mr. Duong's family has now built a three-room house, raises 10 buffaloes and cows, and hundreds of chickens and ducks. He wrote the application to voluntarily leave the poverty list because he did not want to become a burden to the State or the local government.
On the way back, Deputy Secretary of the Commune Party Committee Hoang Nhat Son shared some very good news: not only people like Mr. Linh and Mr. Duong in Co Phat village, but also in Tan Son village, in 2023, four Dan Lai households submitted applications to be removed from the poverty list. These were the families of Mr. La Van Bao, Mr. La Van Thai, Mr. La Van Hoa, and Ms. Le Thi Hoa. This is truly good news for the local government.
Visiting Ms. Le Thi Hoa's home, we learned that her family was one of the first 36 households relocated in the early 2000s. Ms. Hoa was only 5 years old when they were relocated. After getting married and moving out on their own, Ms. Hoa and her husband faced many difficulties and were classified as a poor household. After several years of hard work, they have now managed to save enough money to build a fairly spacious house. Currently, her husband works as a factory worker in the South, earning over 10 million VND per month. Ms. Hoa stays at home farming, raising buffaloes, and taking care of their two children. In 2023, her family applied to be removed from the list of poor households to allow other, more disadvantaged families to benefit from this policy.
Reaching out to the international arena
In particular, in Mon Son commune over the past year, people have been buzzing about Nguyen La Vi Na, a student at the No. 1 Ethnic Boarding High School in the province, who excellently won a Silver Medal at the TIMO International Mathematical Olympiad in Thailand in March 2023. Nguyen La Vi Na is the eldest daughter of Mr. Nguyen The Thao - Vice Chairman of the People's Council of Mon Son commune. And she is the pride of the Dan Lai people in Mon Son commune in general.
Mr. Thao's family is often referred to as the "United Nations Family," as his father is Kinh, his mother is Thai, and his wife is a native Dan Lai from Khe Khang. Even more surprisingly, his wife, Ms. La Thi Hang, was also one of the first Dan Lai students to attend Nghe An Ethnic Boarding High School in 1995 and is currently a primary school teacher in Mon Son commune.
Despite not having the opportunity to receive formal English language training like her peers in the lowlands, Nguyen La Vi Na excelled in the TIMO International Mathematical Olympiad, bringing glory to herself, her family, and her school.
Ms. Hang shared that being able to study and return to raise the children of Dan Lai is a source of happiness for her. For her daughter, Nguyen La Vi Na, she also hopes that she will have the opportunity to study and improve her knowledge. Although she doesn't have high expectations for her daughter's academic achievements, the Silver Medal at the TIMO International Mathematical Olympiad is a well-deserved accomplishment. It's also an encouragement, helping the children of Dan Lai to be confident in themselves and continue to pursue new horizons in the future.
Our biggest concern is that currently, because the Dan Lai households are living in the core area of Pu Mat National Park, allocating land to them is very difficult. The need for land for housing and production, totaling nearly 400 hectares, has not yet been met. Therefore, many support policies, such as the housing support policy implemented by the Ministry of Public Security last year, cannot be carried out. This is a significant disadvantage for the people.
Sharing about the changes in the lives of the people of Dan Lai, Mr. Lo Van Thao - Chairman of the People's Committee of Con Cuong district, said: In recent years, with the involvement of the local Party committee and government, and the support and cooperation of various units, especially the Mon Son Border Guard Station, the lives of the people of Dan Lai have gradually developed.
Besides support from the Fatherland Front's "Cattle Bank," the officers and soldiers of Mon Son Border Guard Station actively engage with the people in the villages, supporting them in livestock farming and cultivation, gradually changing the hunting and gathering habits of the local people... These are encouraging signs not only for the people of Dan Lai but also for the government and people of Mon Son.