The loss of ancestral land in Van Thanh commune (Yen Thanh): Encroaching on the land of a family with revolutionary contributions?

Yen Thanh District People's Committee directed to clarify

Nghe An Electronic Newspaper published on March 11, 2023 published an article "Panicked because the land left by parents "disappeared", reflecting the case of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hien Luong's family residing in Van Yen hamlet, Van Thanh commune (Yen Thanh), after a period of working away from home, when they returned, two neighboring families encroached on all their ancestral land. The two families that encroached on the land that Mrs. Luong denounced were Mr. Nguyen Thanh Than's family and Mr. Nguyen Van Kiem's ​​family (now used by Mr. Nguyen Van Son).

On March 16, 2023, Nghe An Newspaper continued to have an article“Many irregularities in the case of losing ancestral land in Yen Thanh district”. Through investigation, there are many unusual points that need to be clarified. In addition to the fact that Mr. Than's family's land increased from 260m²according to map 299 up to 501m²according to cadastral map number 19. The most unusual thing is that there are no records of the land of these families, especially the land application as well as the records and documents related to the increase in area.

The land left by Ms. Luong's parents is now located in the garden of Mr. Nguyen Thanh Than's family. Photo: Tien Dong

After Nghe An Newspaper published articles about this incident, on March 21, 2023, Yen Thanh District People's Committee issued Document No. 550/UBND-VHTT on resolving the content of Nghe An Newspaper reflecting the land incident in Van Thanh commune.

Yen Thanh District People's Committee has assigned the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to preside over and coordinate with the Yen Thanh District Land Registration Office, Van Thanh Commune People's Committee and related departments, branches and units to inspect and advise on handling. Report and explain the content reported by Nghe An Newspaper reporters before April 20, 2023. Yen Thanh District People's Committee also assigned Vice Chairman of the District People's Committee Nguyen Van Duong to urge and direct.

Directive document of Yen Thanh District People's Committee. Photo: Tien Dong

In particular, the reporter directly met Mr. Nguyen Tuan Duc (born in 1947), former Head of the Control Board of Van Yen Cooperative and acting Secretary of the Party Committee of Van Thanh Commune, and also a delegate of the Provincial People's Council for 2 terms (1974 - 1977 and 1984 - 1989). Mr. Duc said that in the late 1970s and in the 1980s, the hamlets were divided into production teams. The Cooperative had a policy of considering granting land to a number of households. Among them, the family of Mr. Nguyen Van Xung and Mrs. Nguyen Thi Tiu, whose son Nguyen Van Cuong was married, due to the limited land, while the family had many members, the Cooperative granted Mr. Cuong's family a piece of land to live separately. The old piece of land was continued to be lived on by Mr. Xung, Mrs. Tiu and their 2 daughters.

Mr. Nguyen Tuan Duc, former officer of Van Yen Cooperative, Van Thanh Commune (Yen Thanh) worked with reporters. Photo: Tien Dong

Mr. Duc also affirmed that there was no such thing as the cooperative granting land to Mr. Cuong's family and then reclaiming the land of Mr. Xung and Ms. Tiu to divide it among other households.

Encroaching on the land of a family with revolutionary contributions?

Surprise after surprise. In the process of investigating the case of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hien Luong's family having their ancestral land taken away, we learned that Mr. Nguyen Thanh Than's family is currently being sued by Mr. Nguyen Van Hoang's family (who originally owned land adjacent to Mrs. Luong's parents' land) for land encroachment.

According to map sheet 299, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Than's land plot has number 436 and area 260m2.²After occupying the land of Mr. Xung and Mrs. Tiu's family, this plot of land increased to 501m2.²(number 764 according to cadastral map number 19). During the process of resolving the land dispute between Mr. Nguyen Van Hoang and Mr. Nguyen Thanh Than, when the authorities conducted the measurement, Mr. Than's family's land plot continued to increase to 573.9m². Of which, there are 65.7m²identified as being within the scope of the dispute.

Mr. Hoang's family's land was allegedly encroached upon by Mr. Than's family and a fence was built. Photo: Tien Dong

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Hoang, his family uses a piece of residential land left by his ancestors (originating before 1980). According to map 299, the land plot has number 428, with an area of ​​880m2.². Previously, when Mr. Hoang's family had not yet moved to Hanoi to live, the family's land was adjacent to the land of Mr. Xung and Mrs. Tiu's family. After a while, Mr. Hoang's family completely moved to Hanoi to live because of work conditions, for some reason that land was encroached upon by Mr. Than's family, so that the western part of Mr. Hoang's family's land was adjacent to Mr. Than's family.

Mr. Hoang also said that while his family was away on a business trip, Mr. Than's family cut down trees and encroached on the land, with an area of ​​about 40 square meters.², later when measuring, it was determined that the encroached land was 65.7m². The trees cut down include 4 ancient trees, 1 bamboo bush and some other trees.

In late 2009 and early 2010, Mr. Hoang's family returned to build and renovate the church, which is a place to worship three martyrs Nguyen Quoc Linh, Nguyen Quoc Lung and Nguyen Quoc Hinh, who sacrificed their lives in the Nghe-Tinh Soviet movement. Currently, all three martyrs have their names on the memorial stele at Trang Ke Memorial Site (My Thanh Commune, Yen Thanh District), where the French colonialists executed 72 communist soldiers during the Nghe-Tinh Soviet movement (1930 - 1931). The church is also a place to worship two heroic Vietnamese mothers, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Kinh (Mr. Hinh's mother) and Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thai (Mr. Linh and Mr. Lung's mother). Mr. Hoang's father, Mr. Nguyen Quoc Anh (son of martyr Nguyen Quoc Linh), was also a revolutionary activist before 1945, and is being worshiped by Mr. Hoang's family on this land.

Nghe An Newspaper reporter works with Mr. Nguyen Van Hoang. Photo: Tien Dong

The land encroachment has made Mr. Nguyen Van Hoang's family extremely indignant. After unsuccessfully conducting local mediation, his family filed a lawsuit against Mr. Nguyen Thanh Than and Ms. Dao Thi Hue's family in court. Currently, the People's Court of Nghe An province is handling the case.

Mr. Nguyen Que Linh - Chairman of Van Thanh Commune People's Committee said that the local government itself knew about the case of Mr. Nguyen Van Hoang's family filing a lawsuit against Mr. Than and Mrs. Hue's family. Through the petition of Mr. Hoang's family, the government provided related documents and records.

Mr. Linh said that this disputed land is also related to Ms. Luong's family. According to map 299 still preserved in the commune, the land adjacent to Mr. Hoang's family belongs to Ms. Luong's parents. After a period of time, Mr. Than's family used it, the above-mentioned dispute occurred. "Currently, we also hope that the People's Court of Nghe An province will soon issue a verdict on this issue to stabilize the situation in the locality," Mr. Linh added.

Obviously, the loss of ancestral land for Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hien Luong’s family, along with the encroachment of land by the family of a revolutionary contributor, are issues of concern. This needs to be clarified by the local authorities of Van Thanh commune and Yen Thanh district.