What is happening in the border area of A Luoi 1 commune (Hue City) with La Lay commune (Quang Tri) shows an organized environmental destruction, leading to direct consequences for people's lives, livelihoods and health.
In the article "Gold miners cut hills, operating rampantly in the border area of Hue City" published on April 23, 2026, Lao Dong reporters reflected that in the areas of Bung stream, Ru Rau stream, gold miners set up shacks, dug tunnels, and cut hills. More worryingly, gold miners show signs of using cyanide, an extremely toxic chemical. If this toxin is swept away by the muddy water, the consequences will not stop at one exploitation point but spread along Ly Leng stream, flowing into the Dakrong river, passing through many villages.
People do not need chemical analysis to understand the danger. They see water changing color, smell strange odors, and feel it with their own itchy skin after each contact.
Fish and shrimp disappear, children are banned from going to the river, many families have to go far to get clean water. These are the most vivid warnings about a water source that is being poisoned.
Water sources are contaminated, cultivated land is silted up, ecosystems are broken, the price to pay will last for many years.
A river dyed red is not only an image of environmental degradation, but also a symbol of helplessness if this situation is not stopped.
Local authorities are not without action. Sweeps have been organized, machinery destroyed, camps dismantled.
But reality shows that after each time the force withdrew, gold miners returned. Because gold miners do not operate spontaneously and small-scale, they are organized, have vigilance, and have profit calculations.
Meanwhile, functional forces are limited by rugged terrain, thin manpower and insufficient drastic and continuous approaches.
It is time to change the approach, not just sweeping, but to eradicate it from the root.
It is necessary to strictly control the supply routes, sources of chemicals and equipment. Clearly identify the ringleaders and strictly handle them according to legal regulations, instead of just stopping at destroying vehicles.
More importantly, it is necessary to put the interests of the people in the center.
People cannot continue to live in constant fear of toxic water, cannot produce, cannot live normally.
Crackdown on gold diggers is not only to protect forests and land, but also to keep clean water for the people and keep peace for riverside villages.
People want the government to get involved, act more drastically and effectively. Protecting the environment and people's health is not a slogan, but a legal and moral responsibility.
