Nghe An's achievements have great contributions from more than 490,000 ethnic minorities.

Nghe An Newspaper would like to publish the speech of Provincial Party Secretary Nguyen Dac Vinh. Title given by Nghe An Newspaper.

Dear delegates and guests!

Dear Congress!

Today, I am very pleased to attend the 3rd Congress of Ethnic Minorities of Nghe An Province. On behalf of the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee, and Fatherland Front Committee, I warmly welcome all delegates, distinguished guests, and 249 outstanding delegates representing over 490,000 ethnic minorities of the province to attend the Congress. I wish you good health and happiness. I wish the Congress great success.

Comrade Nguyen Dac Vinh - Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation spoke at the Congress. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Dear delegates!

Dear Congress!

In the early days of the revolution, despite having to endure countless difficulties and challenges, ethnic minorities remained steadfast in following the Party and Uncle Ho; made efforts to build the first bricks of the revolutionary movement, united and contributed to the success of the national liberation cause, making the victory of the August Revolution in 1945, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

Since taking power, our Party and State have always paid special attention and care and issued many policies for ethnic minority areas. Up to now, there are a total of 118 policies, including 54 direct policies and 64 indirect policies for ethnic minority and mountainous areas.

The policy system for ethnic minorities and mountainous areas is increasingly synchronous and comprehensive, covering most areas of economic and social life. The State continues to allocate resources for development investment through programs and projects such as: New rural construction program; Rapid and sustainable poverty reduction program; Settlement policy; Policy to support residential land, production land, and domestic water for poor ethnic minorities and poor households in especially difficult communes, villages, and hamlets.

Nghe An province, with its rich history, culture and revolutionary tradition, is a long-standing home to many ethnic minorities. With the mountainous ethnic minority region accounting for over 83% of the province's area, the effective implementation of the Party and State's policies on ethnic minorities and mountainous areas plays a very important role in the socio-economic development of the province.

Ethnic minorities strive to preserve and promote their cultural identity. Photo: Thanh Cuong

In recent times, the province has focused on implementing many policies according to the Government's Decisions and programs such as the Project on socio-economic development in the Western region of Nghe An province until 2020; Project on building new rural areas in 27 communes in the border area of ​​Nghe An province; Specific policies to support socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas in the period of 2017 - 2020; Support for preserving the culture of ethnic minorities; Policies for prestigious people in ethnic minorities; Promoting the development of human resources of ethnic minorities in the period of 2016 - 2020, with a vision to 2030; Program 135 on supporting infrastructure investment, supporting production development for extremely disadvantaged villages; Policies to support residential land, production land, and domestic water for poor ethnic minorities in extremely disadvantaged communes, villages, and hamlets; Resettlement migration support policies... These mechanisms and policies have created a driving force for comprehensive development for ethnic minorities in the province.

Ethnic minorities have changed their way of thinking and working, promoting the potential and strengths of their localities to develop the economy, eliminate hunger and reduce poverty. The lives of ethnic minorities have been increasingly improved and enhanced; the poverty rate has decreased by an average of 3-4% per year.

The infrastructure system in mountainous areas and ethnic minority areas has received investment attention, basically meeting the needs of the people. The work of building new rural villages, hamlets and communes, especially in 27 communes in the Vietnam - Laos border area has achieved many remarkable results. In particular, 4 communes in the 30a area have achieved new rural commune standards, this is an outstanding achievement, leading the country in building new rural areas in 30a communes.

The Provincial Party Secretary discussed and encouraged people whose houses were at risk of landslides in Minh Phuong village, Luong Minh commune (Tuong Duong) in 2018. Photo: Thanh Duy

There have been many positive changes in the cultural and social fields. The system of boarding and semi-boarding schools for ethnic minorities has been consolidated, expanded and gradually improved in quality. Social security policies have been implemented with attention. Health care has had many positive changes, 100% of ethnic minorities in disadvantaged communes are granted free health insurance cards. Many traditional festivals of ethnic minorities have been restored and gradually promoted in value.

Attention has been paid to the planning, training, fostering and use of ethnic minority cadres. Many ethnic minority cadres have held key leadership positions in the political system from the province to the grassroots level. Many Party cell secretaries, village elders, village chiefs and prestigious people from ethnic minorities have set an example, becoming a center of solidarity in implementing and mobilizing people to participate in the Party and State's policies and guidelines, actively participating in the work of building the Party and the political system.

The most notable point is that security and defense in ethnic minority and mountainous areas are maintained, social order and safety are ensured, and the great solidarity of ethnic groups in the province is strengthened and consolidated. Although life is still difficult, ethnic people still maintain their faith in the Party and the State.

It can be affirmed that the achievements that Nghe An has achieved today have had the enormous contribution of more than 490,000 ethnic minorities in the province. On behalf of the Provincial Party Committee, the People's Council, the People's Committee, and the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee, I warmly commend and acknowledge the efforts, endeavors, and results that the Party Committee, the government, and ethnic minorities in the province have achieved in the recent past.

Officers and soldiers of Na Loi Border Guard Station and people of Dooc May commune (Ky Son) participate in border protection. Photo: Hoai Thu

Dear Congress!

We are happy with the achievements, but we are also very concerned about the shortcomings and limitations pointed out in the Political Report of the Congress. I hope that the delegates and the Congress will focus on carefully analyzing the causes to find effective solutions to overcome these limitations in the coming time.

Dear Congress!

In the current context, ethnic work is facing many difficulties and challenges. Compared to the general level of the whole province, ethnic minority and mountainous areas are still the areas with the most difficult natural conditions; low quality of human resources; socio-economic development faces many difficulties; access to basic social services and welfare is poor and the poverty rate is still high.

Besides, fundamental policies for poverty reduction and socio-economic development such as policies on economy, labor, employment, infrastructure development, settlement of residential land, production land, domestic water, and creation of sustainable livelihoods for ethnic minorities and mountainous areas have not been issued or still have many problems in the implementation process.

To effectively carry out ethnic work in the coming time, I request that Party committees, authorities, the Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations, and ethnic minorities in the province focus on implementing the following contents:

National Highway 7A cuts through the administrative center of Anh Son district. Photo courtesy: Sach Nguyen

The first,We must have a common view that we must do everything to ensure that the mountainous areas do not lag far behind the lowlands. The common characteristic of ethnic minorities is that they often live in mountainous, remote and isolated areas with very difficult infrastructure, but the investment rates are very large. For Nghe An province, we need to continue to focus on implementing the socio-economic development projects in the western part of Nghe An province until 2020; the new rural construction project in 27 communes in the border area of ​​Nghe An province; continue to arrange special policies to support socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas in the period 2017 - 2020...

We also see that the Western region has invested in two major routes, namely Route 7 and Route 48. There is a connection between these two major routes and we continue to build a connection system to create better regional links. Thanks to this transportation system, the Western region of Nghe An province has improved a lot and up to now, the living conditions of the people have improved a lot.

The State Reserve Department of Nghe Tinh region distributes rice to ethnic minorities participating in planting, caring for, and protecting forests in Thach Ngan commune, Con Cuong district. Photo courtesy

Monday,The characteristic of mountainous areas is that the land fund for housing and living is very difficult. Here, we need to pay attention to this issue, need to take practical care of people's lives. The most basic infrastructure such as electricity, clean water, health care, schools... all need to have more appropriate investments.

We also need to have a policy system to reallocate forest land. One is to hand over the forest to the people for protection, there needs to be a policy to develop crops under the forest canopy, especially medicinal herbs and high-value plants. Second, we also need to find a way to arrange and distribute production forest land reasonably to the people. This has many difficulties due to the characteristics of the region, the cost of surveying and allocating land to the people is already very large.

In addition, we must continue to support the development of economic production models in mountainous areas. In practice, the Western Nghe An region currently has a forest economy, some places with land advantages focus on developing raw material areas, growing fruit trees, etc., which has helped people improve their lives a lot. In some ethnic minority areas, with unique cultural features, community tourism models have been initially built, creating new rural villages and hamlets associated with economic development.

Children in Huoi Moi village, Tri Le commune, Que Phong district happily go to school. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Tuesday,We need to consider education as the fastest and most sustainable way out of poverty. With this point of view, we recommend that ethnic minority households in general, and ethnic minority households in particular, create the best conditions for their children to go to school. When children are able to study properly, the opportunity to escape poverty is the clearest.

At the same time, we must also pay attention to collecting, inventorying, preserving and promoting the cultural identity of ethnic minorities, from eating culture, living culture, dressing culture, language, writing, and religious culture associated with building a new way of life.

Wednesday,We must build solidarity among ethnic groups and create consensus so that people have absolute trust in the leadership of the Party and State.

Thursday,Continue to focus on planning, training, fostering, and effectively arranging and using ethnic minority staff.

Friday,I hope that the ethnic minorities in the province will love and help each other; promote the spirit of self-reliance, not expect, depend on, not accept poverty; overcome all difficulties and challenges, strive to compete in labor and production to increase income, eliminate hunger, escape poverty, strive to become rich legitimately, together foster the fine and precious tradition of solidarity of the ethnic minorities of Vietnam in general and of the ethnic minorities of Nghe An in particular.

Dear delegates!

Dear Congress!

Today's Congress of Ethnic Minorities is a symbol of the strength of the great solidarity of ethnic groups and an occasion to praise and honor the great contributions of ethnic minorities to the cause of building and defending the Fatherland. This is an extremely important political event in the lives of ethnic minorities in the province.

I believe that after this Congress, ethnic work and the implementation of ethnic policies in the province will have new developments and achieve even greater results, contributing positively to the successful implementation of the goals set out in the Resolutions of the Party Congresses at all levels and the Resolution of the Provincial Party Congress, contributing to making Nghe An soon become a fairly well-off province in the Northern region as Uncle Ho always wished.

Once again, I would like to send to the leaders of the Central ministries, departments and branches; the provincial leaders of all periods; the delegates and distinguished guests, my best wishes for health and happiness. I wish the Congress great success.

Thank you very much!