Keeping the border from those who "stand at the milestone" in the great depression
Son La has more than 274 km of border with 126 landmarks, bordering the two provinces of Hua Phan and Luong Pha Bang (Laos). On that border, the village elders, village chiefs and prestigious people quietly contributed to keeping the peace. With prestige and exemplary behavior, they have become a "back to life", supporting border guards and police in propagating the law, preventing drug crimes, contributing to building a solid people's heart position at the border.
During the working trip to Pha Luong village (Chieng Son commune), we met Mr. Song A Tua - over 70 years old, who has been the village chief for 35 years, is a prestigious person and also the head of the Song family. Pha Luong village has nearly 130 households, 100% of whom are H'Mong people, located near Sop Bau district of Hua Phan province (Laos). At an early age, Mr. Tua was still the first person to be present when the village had a job, and was also a trusted address when border guards and local police needed to coordinate in handling issues related to security and drugs.
Mr. Tua clearly remembers the period of 1990-200, when drug criminals from across the border often took advantage of trails running through mountains to enter the village, luring young people to transport for hire. "At that time, people lacked information, just thinking about carrying a package of goods to have money. If we do not propagate early, many people will be lured, he said.
On foggy evenings, he and officers from Chieng Son Border Guard Station and commune police go to each house to explain and remind. Some households suspect him, he walked all day crossing the forest to meet in person, using his mother's voice to persuade them: drugs not only bring harm to their families but also affect national security. His reputation has made his words weigh on the people; many important sources from the people that he mobilized helped the authorities destroy small lines right from the village.
The story of Mr. Song A Nha, who was a drug addict when working far away - is a clear testament to Mr. Tua's reputation. Thanks to the persistent advocacy of him and the border guards, Mr. Nha successfully went on a drug rehabilitation and returned to a stable life. "Without Mr. Tua, I would not have had the opportunity to return to work as a useful person. Now that I have been supported to build a new house and a breeding cow from Chieng Son Border Guard Station, I am very grateful and will try to make a living and not become a drug addict, Mr. Nha shared.
Mr. Le Trong Binh, Secretary of the Chieng Son Commune Party Committee, commented: "Mr. Tua is a "lifeline" in the middle of Pha Luong mountains and forests. In addition to encouraging people not to violate the law and to actively do business, each source of information he provided is accurate, helping the border guards and police to stay in the area more firmly. Thanks to that, drugs are unlikely to penetrate the village.
The footsteps of the border guards from Chieng Son to Sop Cop
Hundreds of kilometers away from Pha Luong, Hua Lanh village (Top Cop commune) has Mr. Giang Khua Dinh, a H'Mong person who is considered a "reverend tree" in the border area. For more than two decades, he has always been present in every propaganda campaign of Nam Lanh Border Guard Station and Sop Cop Commune Police. Not only did he propagate by word of mouth, but he also set an example by action: regularly organizing the clearing of border lines and border markers, reminding people not to cross the border illegally, not to resist or assist criminals.
In 2017, when Mr. Song A Denh's family left the village to live in Laos, Mr. Dinh, along with the border guards and the commune police, persistently campaigned for a month. When his family returned, he and the people helped rebuild their houses, divided plant varieties, and supported them to integrate with the community. "To bring a household back is to keep part of the border and security and order," said Mr. Dinh.
From 2017 until now, he has mobilized 7 households not to migrate freely, supported many people to successfully quit drug addiction and provided hundreds of valuable sources of information to the authorities.
In Chieng Khuong commune, Mr. Quang Van Khon (Tao village) is known as the person who voluntarily stuck with nearly 27km of border and 13 landmarks for more than 20 years. Every month he and the Self-management Group patrol, clean landmarks, observe strange traces and monitor strangers entering and leaving the village. There was a time when Chieng Khuong - Muong Sai was a "drug hot spot", so his vigilance became even more important, like the eyes of the authorities in the border forest.
Mr. Nguyen Cong Vien, Chairman of Chieng Khuong Commune People's Committee, commented: "Mr. Khuc is the ears and eyes of the village. Thanks to him, many unusual signs were detected very early, contributing to ensuring security and order in the area."
From propaganda to patrolling - shields from every house
In many border areas, drug prevention work has been implemented synchronously and closely. In Puong village (Chieng Khuong commune), where Na Cay village (Laos) borders, the Party Cell and the Village Management Board have built a fundamental drug prevention model.
Every morning, loudspeakers broadcast information about border laws and warn about criminals' tricks. In regular meetings, the Cell includes the content "not participating, not harboring, not abetting" drug criminals into the village's regulations.
The village organized 5 self-management teams, conducting inter-family patrols according to the motto "self-defense - self-management - self-protection - self-reconciliation". In forests, self-management teams patrol trails and openings; in villages, inter-family groups closely grasp population fluctuations, detect strangers or suspicious subjects early. This model helps prevent early signs of crime.
Along with that is a mechanism to coordinate three forces: Village Management Board - Commune Police - Border Guard Station. Units exchange information every week, jointly organize joint patrols and expand cooperation with Na Cay village (Laos) to prevent drugs from afar.
Thanks to the tight situation, in December 2024, the authorities arrested the case of transporting 444,300 synthetic drug pills of a group of Lao people - a major project with important information contributions from the people.
When security is strengthened, the economy in Puong village is clearly improving: the village currently has 350 hectares of longan, 130 hectares of cassava, more than 600 buffaloes and cows; the poverty rate has decreased to below 12%.
The People's Heart - The Most solid City
From Pha Luong, Hua Lanh to Sop Cop, Chieng Khuong, it is easy to see the image of the village elders and heads of the villages who persistently protect the border with prestige and responsibility. They do not wear military uniforms, do not hold guns, but possess the strongest "weapon": the support of the people and the absolute trust of the community.
It is these "backdrops" that have helped the authorities grasp the area, detect crimes early, and build a solid national defense and security posture. There, each person is a soldier, each village is a fortress, contributing to the early and remote pushback of drugs.
