Nam Non Undercurrent
When you go to Xang Tren or any other village in My Ly, just by looking at the house you can tell if that family has a drug addict or not!". I jumped up and looked up. Xang Tren village has 120 households, only a few big houses with tiled roofs can be seen, the rest are dilapidated houses.
Face to face with drug ring
To get to the center of My Ly - Ky Son commune, the only way is by boat. The project to open a car road to the center of the commune from the Government bond fund is being implemented by the units but it will take 3 more months to open the technical route. Thus, to get to My Ly at this time, if going upstream Nam Non from Ban Ve boat station, it will take 7 hours on the water, and if going by the only road from Muong Xen through Muong Long intersection, it will take at least 4 hours.
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Xieng Tam Wharf. |
The Party Secretary of My Ly Commune, Kha Bien Phong, took us on a field trip around the commune by motorboat. He said: "Let the journalists know which routes drugs enter My Ly?...". This season, the Nam Non water is relatively large, the river surface is rolling with fierce waves, but the Honda 20 CV engine still pushes us upstream.
Passing Xang Tren village, our boat swayed, rocked, and struggled with each white roll of water from Canh Trap waterfall. Passing Canh Trap waterfall and passing Xang Tren Border Control Station, the boat swayed again as if it was about to capsize, forcing the whole group to get down and lift the forest trees to get up, leaving only the boat and the driver struggling with the fierce water.
After only about 10 minutes of crossing the waterfall, we arrived at Canh Mai waterfall, right next to the K1 milestone. Captain Ha Van Ngoc, Head of the Xang Tren Border Control Station, said: This is the "Indochina junction", with 3 border markers of the two countries Vietnam and Laos, 2 markers on our side and one on the other side. Drug traffickers take advantage of this sensitive area to set up camps, gather goods from Laos to find opportunities to transport them inland.
Then Mr. Ngoc led us to the area where the anti-drug crime working group of Border Guard Station 527 and My Ly commune jointly raided and demolished last month. On a fairly flat piece of land, there were only firewood, ashes, canned food and... syringes left. From here, drugs follow two main routes: the Nam Non River and the small wheat road from Laos, then depending on the specific situation, they are smuggled into the country. The cleverness of these groups is to take advantage of the location adjacent to the border of the two countries, if they are raided by domestic anti-drug forces, they can go by river or road to Laos.
Sad story of My Ly
Drugs have turned innocent and honest people into criminals who traffic drugs for hire, and are then sentenced to death or life in prison. The chain reaction is that hundreds of addicts have to "live with" drugs for the rest of their lives. Chairman of the People's Committee of Kha Ngoc Minh commune showed me a list of addicts from the newspapers: "This is a public report, in reality there are more. When will My Ly be at peace...!?". The whole commune has 96 addicts, mainly concentrated in the Thai villages downstream along the Nam Non River: Xieng Tam village has 35 people, Xang Tren has 27 people, Hoa Ly has 17 people, Xop Tu has 5 people and Yen Hoa has 3 people.
The central village of Xieng Tam commune is located next to the Nam Non river, with 122 households and 35 addicts on the list. Vi Dinh Tam's family has 3 sons, all of whom are addicts, and the youngest son, Vi Van Cuong, born in 1990, was arrested for drug possession. Next door, Vi Van Tun's family, under their rickety house, has to witness their two sons, Vi Van Ly and Vi Van Thanh, wandering and wavering in their drug cravings every day and every hour. He said in a choked voice: "How can I close my eyes when my children are like this...!". At night in Xieng Tam village, behind the flickering light of the mini hydroelectric plant through the makeshift wooden planks, is the scene of addicts wandering in the mist.
Going upstream Nam Non for about 15 minutes by motorboat, you will reach Xang Tren village, the second largest village in the number of drug addicts in My Ly commune. Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of the commune Vi Van Ba said: "Going to Xang Tren or any village in My Ly, just by looking at the house, you will know whether that family has a drug addict or not!". I jumped up and looked up. Xang Tren village has 120 households, only a few big houses with tiled roofs, and many dilapidated houses. If the Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of the commune said so, then the number of drug addicts is not 27 as reported but more!?. Coming to Xang Tren and hearing the story of Mrs. Kha Thi Vut's family, everyone was heartbroken. Her husband died early, she worked hard to raise her children alone, thinking that when the children grew up, she would be rewarded, but unexpectedly, 5 out of 6 of her children had become drug addicts. The second son, Kha Van Phung (born 1970), was arrested for drug possession and sentenced to 30 months in prison.
Why helpless?
My Ly is located upstream of Nam Non, bordering the Vietnam - Laos border, an important position in national defense and security. Due to the remote location and rugged terrain, it is very difficult to control crimes, including drug crimes. According to a summary report on the crime situation in the area, My Ly currently has 96 registered drug addicts. Recently, the forces have established and deployed special projects to combat drug crimes, arresting 14 cases/17 subjects trafficking and storing drugs, 14 people were imprisoned for drug-related crimes. However, the reality in My Ly is that the activities of all kinds of crimes, including drug crimes, are increasing. Criminals openly set up camps along the river, using high-powered boats to be ready to attack, escape, and challenge the authorities. The Border Guard Station and the commune also organized 4 drug rehabilitation sessions for 168 people, but the result was that they all relapsed.
Returning to Nam Non this time, we continue to witness the sad events that have existed for nearly 10 years. Are we powerless against the "undercurrents" caused by the "white death"?
Reporter: Huu Nghia
