Why can't the long-standing land dispute between people of two communes in Tan Ky be resolved?
(Baonghean) - The dispute over 21 hectares of forest land in Khe Da area between the people of Phu Son and Nghia Hanh communes (Tan Ky) has lasted for many years without being resolved. The local authorities said that they were "powerless"...
LAND IN PHU SON COMMUNE
In November 2018, Nghe An Newspaper published an article reflecting on the forest land dispute between people in Phu Son and Nghia Hanh communes (Tan Ky district). Specifically, Mr. Ho Van Cong's family and many other households in Trung Son hamlet, Phu Son commune in 2002 were handed over land in the Khe Da area by the Tan Ky district Forest Protection Department, Tan Ky district land office, and Phu Son commune.
However, in 2016, when Mr. Cong and everyone organized to plant trees in this area, the People's Committee of Nghia Hanh commune requested not to do so because they thought that this land belonged to the administrative boundary of Nghia Hanh commune. After that, many households in Nghia Hanh commune secretly organized forces to clear the forest and plant acacia trees on the forest land that had been assigned to the people of Phu Son commune.
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| People of Phu Son commune helplessly watched people of Nghia Hanh commune cultivate their land. Photo: PB |
The land dispute between the people of the two communes in this area is becoming more and more complicated. On May 4, 2017, Steering Committee 513 of Tan Ky district issued Notice No. 55 on the administrative boundary line between the two communes.
The announcement clearly stated that the disputed and encroached land belongs to the administrative boundary of Phu Son commune, therefore, the People's Committee of Nghia Hanh commune is responsible for propagating and mobilizing the cadres and people of Nghia Hanh commune not to encroach or intercrop. Nghia Hanh commune must also create all favorable conditions for Phu Son people to cultivate on the land that the State has granted them the right to use.
However, after this announcement, the people of Phu Son commune started farming and production but were suspended by the People's Committee of Nghia Hanh commune. After that, some people of Nghia Hanh commune continued to arbitrarily spread and encroach on the administrative boundaries of Phu Son commune that had been assigned to households for management, leading to conflicts and affecting security and order.
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| People in Hamlet 1, Nghia Hanh Commune entered Khe Da area to dispute land, spontaneously cutting and burning vegetation on the area assigned by the State to people in Phu Son Commune. Photo: PB |
On December 27, 2018, the People's Committee of Tan Ky district issued Conclusion No. 21/KL-UBND stating that the area where citizens of hamlet 1, Nghia Hanh commune illegally cleared forest land plots No. 248, 254, 273, 277, 284, 288, 292 on map No. 2 within the administrative boundary of Phu Son commune was allocated by the State to Trung Son hamlet, Phu Son commune in 1997. By 2002, this area was allocated to households in Trung Son hamlet to use for protection, conservation and afforestation.
Disagreeing with this conclusion, Mr. Hoang Duc Thang and many citizens of Hamlet 1, Nghia Hanh Commune continued to complain to the Provincial People's Committee. The incident was then assigned by the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, in coordination with the Department of Home Affairs and other departments and branches, to establish an inter-sectoral working group to focus on directing a final resolution.
Based on the verification results, on May 22, the Provincial People's Committee issued Official Dispatch No. 3423/UBND-BTD requesting the People's Committee of Tan Ky district to completely resolve the situation of encroachment on forestry land by citizens of Nghia Hanh commune and citizens of Phu Son commune.
In Document No. 2623/BC.STNMT-TTr dated May 15, 2019, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment proposed the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee not to recognize the claim of some citizens residing in Hamlet 1, Nghia Hanh Commune for the right to use an area of 21 hectares in Khe Da area including land plots No. 248, 254, 273, 277, 284, 288, 292 on map sheet No. 2 within the administrative boundary of Phu Son Commune.
The Provincial People's Committee assigned the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee to assign the People's Committee of Tan Ky district to seriously and promptly implement the contents stated in Conclusion No. 21/KL-UBND dated December 27, 2018 on the results of inspection, verification, and settlement of the encroachment of forestry land by citizens of Nghia Hanh commune with citizens of Phu Son commune. In Official Dispatch No. 3423/UBND-BTD dated May 22, 2019, the People's Committee of Nghe An province also agreed with this recommendation.
COMMUNE AUTHORITIES ARE POWERLESS
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| Many large crops were also cut down and burned, the damaged area was more than 10 hectares. Photo: PB |
In the conclusion in December 2018, Tan Ky District People's Committee assigned the Chairman of Nghia Hanh Commune People's Committee to strengthen land management, propagate to people not to encroach, clear land and plant forests on the area assigned to households in Phu Son Commune. If there is any encroachment of land by citizens of Nghia Hanh Commune in the above area, the Chairman of Nghia Hanh Commune People's Committee must take responsibility.
However, the situation of people in Nghia Hanh commune entering the above area to clear land and burn trees continues to recur even though the Nghia Hanh commune government has agreed to determine the administrative boundary of Phu Son commune.
“Mr. Hoang Duc Thang and some citizens of Hamlet 1, Nghia Hanh Commune knew that Khe Da area belongs to Phu Son Commune’s administrative boundary, but they continued to file complaints. Although the People’s Committee of Nghia Hanh Commune has repeatedly explained, propagated, and mobilized, up to now, the people still do not agree.”
Recently, according to the people of Phu Son commune, every day dozens of people from hamlet 1, Nghia Hanh commune continue to come to this land to massively clear and burn the ground cover. Continuously on June 14, 15 and 16, despite the hot weather with temperatures above 38 degrees Celsius, despite the warnings of local authorities not to burn the forest, this group of people still burned the forest and cleared the ground cover on the encroached land.
"Now the commune government is also helpless. If the people of Phu Son commune move up, it could create a hot spot for security and order."
“The commune’s responsibility is to protect its citizens according to the district and province’s conclusions. However, the commune police force has 3 comrades, and the village police force is also very small. Meanwhile, each time the people of Nghia Hanh commune come, there are nearly 50 people. Can we arrest them or not? How can we handle them when the commune’s authority is limited?”, Mr. Cong said, adding that if we do not handle it thoroughly, it could become a hot spot in the long run. Because now, not only Phu Son commune but Nghia Hanh commune is also helpless.
According to the recorded images, a large forest area of more than 10 hectares was burned to a crisp, many large trees were cut down mercilessly. Because the burned forest area was long and close to the acacia plantations of other households, it was affected.
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| This situation has lasted for many years but has not been completely resolved. Photo: PB |
“On June 18, the Chairman of the Commune People’s Committee and the Secretary of the Commune Party Committee also reported directly to the district leaders to ask for their opinions on how to handle the situation. Now, the district is assigning the commune to stabilize the situation, not allowing people to have conflicts, fight and become a hot spot like some other localities before,” said the Chairman of Phu Son Commune.
According to the leaders of Tan Ky district, the local government is partly responsible for the above incident. Therefore, the district has assigned the People's Committee of Nghia Hanh commune to propagate to the people in the commune not to encroach, clear land and plant forests on the area assigned to households in Trung Son hamlet, Phu Son commune. At the same time, the People's Committee of Phu Son commune is assigned to mobilize the people not to let disputes and conflicts occur leading to insecurity and disorder on the administrative boundary of Phu Son and Nghia Hanh communes.
"Regarding the arising problems, the district has directed the relevant authorities to investigate and resolve them thoroughly."
