Peace returns to the place where "gold thieves" once ran rampant in Son La

After nearly 4 months, following the report of Nhan Dan Newspaper on the illegal gold mining situation in Lua village, Pi Toong commune (now Muong La commune) and some other areas of Son La province, the "gold-trafficking hotspots" have returned to peace. The people of Lua village have shaken off the fear of digging for gold and returned to the fields...

The area that was once dug up by illegal gold mining by Ms. Vi Thi Chanh's family in Lua village, Muong La commune has been restored to rice cultivation.

Returning to Lua village this time, meeting the commune and village officials and the local people, we all understand that the return of peace to Lua village did not come naturally.

The peace in Lua village clearly shows the decisive participation of the Provincial Party Committee and the People's Committee of Son La province, the coordination of functional forces and the sense of responsibility of the local government. It is also a lesson for the laxity and negligence of some cadres and party members... before the time of operating the 2-level local government model.

Streams and rice fields that were once dug up and stained with murky water are now covered with green rice fields 87.

On June 17, 2025, Nhan Dan Newspaper published an article titled “Are there interest groups protecting illegal gold mining in Son La?”, clearly stating the painful reality in Lua village. The question raised in the article has raised public concern about the situation of illegal gold mining that has persisted for many years and prompted timely and decisive intervention from Party committees and authorities at all levels.

Immediately after the reflection, Son La Provincial Party Committee issued documents and meetings with strong instructions, so that on June 19, the Chairman of Son La Provincial People's Committee convened an urgent meeting and issued documents directing strict handling of illegal mineral exploitation in the areas reported by Nhan Dan Newspaper.

Image of the area of ​​land devastated by machinery due to illegal gold mining in Lua village, Pi Toong commune, now Muong La commune before Nhan Dan Newspaper reported.

At the urgent meeting, comrade Nguyen Dinh Viet, Chairman of the People's Committee of Son La province, thanked Nhan Dan Newspaper for its report that helped the province grasp the situation. The province has assigned the police force to coordinate the investigation and clarification, and the guiding viewpoint is that there are no restricted areas, and that any signs of complicity will be strictly handled.

Also at a meeting held on July 8, Comrade Hoang Quoc Khanh, Secretary of the Son La Provincial Party Committee, frankly pointed out the limitations in the management of minerals in the area under the responsibility of the Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee and the Department of Agriculture and Environment. At the same time, he requested the Provincial Party Committee's Inspection Committee to investigate any signs of violations by groups or individuals, if any.

Images like this no longer exist in Lua village, once considered a "gold-trafficking hotspot".

Even at a meeting directly chaired and directed by the Provincial Party Secretary and Chairman of the People's Committee of Son La province after the reflection of Nhan Dan Newspaper, the story about gold was "broken": In the past, the leaders of the province were not reported and informed about the situation of illegal gold mining?

After the leaders of Son La province held a meeting and resolutely directed many opinions of the heads of some specialized departments and branches, they still "made excuses" with reasons of decentralization and delegation of power to push the ball of responsibility to grassroots officials, but forgot that it is also the responsibility of their branches in advising, planning, and protecting mineral resources...

After restoring the land areas dug up by machines for illegal gold mining, people have planted rice, crops and raised fish.

Not only stopping at Lua village, the reflection of Nhan Dan Newspaper and information from the base has helped the authorities expand the investigation and discover other illegal gold mining locations. Notably, the incident in Suoi Chat village, Gia Phu commune, where the subjects organized large-scale gold mining, with excavators, pumps, solid camps...

On the night of July 15, 2025, Son La Provincial Police launched a special case, mobilizing a large force to suddenly raid through forests and streams. As a result, 60 illegal gold miners were arrested on the spot, and a series of machines and vehicles were confiscated. This is the largest-scale gold mining raid ever in Son La.

Mr. Quang Van Tuong (left of photo) and many other households in Lua village hired excavators to reclaim the land and then plant sticky rice.

After the investigation, the Son La Provincial Police Department has decided to prosecute 42 suspects. This strong legal action not only strictly handles violators but also sends a clear message: Son La Province is determined to stop the illegal "gold rush", with no tolerance for any acts that violate national resources.

Speaking to Nhan Dan Newspaper reporters, Comrade Hoang Quoc Khanh, Secretary of Son La Provincial Party Committee, said: “Not only strictly handling violators, the province has also considered the responsibility of groups and individuals if there are signs of cover-up or assistance. This is not only a matter of resources but also the safety and long-term stability of people's lives.”

In addition to renovating the land to grow rice, households in Lua village also renovate it to make ponds to raise fish.

One of the important factors creating strong changes is the implementation of the 2-level local government model from July 1, 2025. Because before that, Pi Toong commune or Gia Phu commune, belonging to Muong La and Phu Yen districts (old), had a large area, thin forces, and the land and resource management of some departments was still loose and indecisive, allowing gold thieves to operate openly day and night.

After operating a two-level local government, Muong La and Gia Phu communes quickly tightened management: Establishing a permanent working group in Lua village, monitoring people and the area 24/7; organizing meetings with people to request households that violate the law to self-correct; coordinating with the police to set up checkpoints to prevent outsiders...

After being informed and explained by the commune and village, the households hired excavators to reclaim the land that was once illegally mined for gold and use it for agriculture.

It is worth mentioning that the communal officials of the two-level local government apparatus have both carried out the task of preventing illegal gold mining and maintaining administrative work and people's livelihood at the grassroots level. This is a burden that is not easy to share without coordination and support from related sectors.

Returning to the story of illegal gold mining in Suoi Chat and Lua villages mentioned above, it is affirmed that if the new commune level is empowered, supported and placed in a suitable monitoring mechanism, they can completely become a solid line of defense against violations in the field of mineral resources.

The Provincial Party Committee and People's Committee of Son La province have held meetings to point out the limitations and resolutely directed departments and branches to take action to handle the information reported by Nhan Dan Newspaper.

Mr. Nguyen Chi Thanh, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Muong La Commune, said: "We consider this a key political task. After the reflection of Nhan Dan Newspaper, the commune mobilized the entire political system, stayed close to the village and people to mobilize and monitor. Thanks to that, the situation of gold thieves has been prevented so far."

Fieldwork shows that households have reclaimed and restored cultivated land. There are still some locations that have not been leveled because a large amount of land is needed. The commune is continuing to urge and propose the People's Committee of Son La province to support funding and technical means to complete the reclamation.

At the meetings, comrade Nguyen Dinh Viet, Chairman of the People's Committee of Son La province, emphasized that he will resolutely handle groups and individuals if they are found to be assisting in illegal gold mining.

Mr. Quàng Văn Tưởng, who used to participate in illegal gold mining, took us to the field in front of his house and shared: “Since July, my family has hired an excavator to reclaim the land. Now we grow sticky rice 87, sticky rice tan, and stock 30kg of fish in the fish pond, I feel much more secure. Although farming is hard, it is stable, no need to worry about legal issues.”

Like Mr. Quang Van Tuong's family, Mrs. Vi Thi Chanh also excitedly said: "This crop, my family's field will yield nearly 20 bags of rice, enough to eat for the whole year. Thinking back to the days of gold digging, it was both hard and scary to be discovered. After the village meetings, with the officials' explanations, we signed a commitment not to repeat the offense again."

Speaking at the meetings to inform and verify the content of Nhan Dan Newspaper's reflection, Colonel Tran Thanh Son, Deputy Director of Son La Provincial Police, thanked Nhan Dan Newspaper for its reflection, helping the authorities handle the subjects in accordance with the law.

Immediately after the reflection of Nhan Dan Newspaper, with the strong direction from the province, Muong La commune mobilized machinery, took advantage of the soil and rock resources from the project to open the road in Lua-Pa Hat village to fill the dug hole, returning the status of agricultural land.

In addition, the surveillance camera system has been reviewed and installed at key routes, helping to detect suspicious activities early. Propaganda work is maintained regularly in Party cell activities and village meetings, making the preservation of land and resources a self-consciousness of the people.

Gia Phu commune officials once crossed the flood to check and grasp the situation in Suoi Chat village, which used to be a "hot spot for gold thieves".

Mr. Ca Van Hieng, a village security guard, shared: “In the past, we had to mobilize, prevent, and even clash with illegal gold miners and people day and night. Now the village is peaceful, and work is not as stressful as before.”

We need to frankly admit that for many years, the situation of gold thieves has existed without being thoroughly handled, partly due to the negligence and lack of determination from some local Party committees and authorities.

Inside the illegal gold mining area in Suoi Chat village, Gia Phu commune, the subjects invested in large-scale machinery.

It is the laxity and fear of collision that has created conditions for people from other places to brazenly bring in machinery to exploit, causing environmental destruction and insecurity for people's lives.

Today, Ban Lua or Ban Suoi Chat is peaceful, but the risk of recurrence still exists if management is negligent. Lessons from past laxity are a warning bell for Party committees and authorities at all levels not to be subjective.

A Party cell meeting of Lua village with the participation of 73 party members. Today, the Party cell has the content of strengthening the role of party members in mobilizing people not to assist illegal gold miners.

Ms. Vi Thi Dien, Secretary and Head of Lua village, affirmed: “After the press's reflection and the participation of the province, commune and village, up to now there has been no more illegal gold mining. We have integrated propaganda into Party cell and village meetings so that people do not repeat the offense and do not assist illegal gold mining.”

Comrade Ha Thi Kim Thu, Secretary of the Gia Phu Commune Party Committee, said: “Through the reflection of Nhan Dan Newspaper, from the provincial leaders to the cadres, party members and people, all expressed that thanks to the press speaking out, the government has taken decisive action and the people agreed. Otherwise, the illegal gold mining situation will not be completely handled, the commune and village cannot be peaceful.”

60 subjects from various provinces who illegally mined gold in Suoi Chat village, Gia Phu commune, Son La province were arrested by the authorities. Of these, 42 subjects were prosecuted.

Nearly 4 months after the report of Nhan Dan Newspaper, Lua village and many other villages in Son La province, which were once "hot spots" for gold thieves, have returned to peace, clearly demonstrating the results of drastic instructions, consensus of the people and supervision of the press.

The story of illegal gold mining in Son La communes shows that: If management is loosened, group interests will rise, and gold thieves will return. Therefore, Son La is constantly tightening discipline, assigning specific responsibilities, and using today's consensus to create a solid foundation in direction and management, so that no other Lua village or Suoi Chat village will become a "hot spot" for gold thieves in the future.

QUOC TUAN

Source: https://nhandan.vn/binh-yen-tro-lai-noi-vang-tac-tung-hoanh-hanh-o-son-la-post912925.html