Overcoming the curse of the "haunted forest" to make way for a highway

When the North-South Expressway passes through the villages of Quang Tri, the villagers say to each other: "Because the expressway goes straight and has no... legs, we have to avoid it." This explanation sounds simple but is true to the obvious reality, along with the generous nature of the mountain people, it has turned the stories about land clearance (GPMB) that seemed to be very hot suddenly into much more favorable.

Work first, pay later

For a long time, the compensation price has always been a "bottleneck" in the land acquisition and clearance work. There are many disputes and conflicts between the people and the Land Acquisition and Clearance Council that last for months, even years, without finding a way out because of... compensation money. And when the people do not agree to hand over the site, it means that the construction unit cannot carry out the construction, leading to the project progress "standing still". The consequences are even more serious in many cases, capital will be cut, and related officials will be held responsible for not completing their tasks.

Overcoming the curse of the

The North-South Expressway project runs through forests and villages in the highlands of Quang Tri - Photo: Nguyen Phuc

The North-South Expressway project through Quang Tri has also encountered many problems. Although the entire political system has been involved, the provincial government has had to propose to the central government to postpone the handover date many times. The most recent was the appointment to June 30, 2024. However, those hot issues have seemingly not penetrated the villages of the Van Kieu people, although the expressway still passes through many stilt houses and many gardens of the people.

The Van Kieu people are not two-faced. Therefore, once they agree, they are wholeheartedly “no regrets about the land and garden until the road is cleared”. Many families have not even received a single penny of compensation for land acquisition but still agree to let the construction unit demolish their houses and cut down trees to build the highway. Like Mr. Ho Van Thuan (67 years old), living in Moi village, Vinh Khe commune, Vinh Linh district, all his life he has been “rooted” in the land his ancestors left him, relying on human labor to earn a living. He is happy in his small house with his wife and 8 children and grandchildren. He never thought that one day he would have to leave this house and this garden.

Then, the North-South Expressway project passed by, running through the heart of that simple Van Kieu man's home. The entire garden of nearly 10,000 m2 that his family had painstakingly tended was forced to be demolished to make way for the national key project. Out of nowhere, he suddenly had nothing left but... compensation money! After several nights of tossing and turning, his hair turned grayer and his eyes sunken.

Seeing Mr. Thuan pondering over the large area of land being confiscated, many structures and assets on the land had to be demolished, the GPMB staff also became worried. But strangely, everything progressed at a dizzying speed. “Thuan’s father immediately agreed to the compensation plan of the GPMB Council without any comments, nor did he haggle. Not only that, even though he had only agreed verbally and had not received any compensation, he had already let the construction unit bulldoze his garden,” said Mr. Le Manh Hung, a GPMB staff of the GPMB Council and resettlement compensation support in Vinh Linh district.

Unable to speak poetically, Mr. Thuan explained his actions simply: “The road has no legs, so it goes straight. If I had legs, I would avoid it...”.

Also in the category of "receiving money later, allowing construction first", is the case of Mr. Ho Van Hoan (65 years old), registered in Truong Hai village, Linh Truong commune, Gio Linh district, but the land area was recovered to build the North-South expressway in Vinh Ha commune, Vinh Linh district. Mr. Hoan has a quite nice house, but in just ten days he will have to "say goodbye" to this warm home to build the expressway. Previously, dozens of pepper trees and an entire orchard of 4,500 m2 were also agreed by Mr. Hoan for the construction unit to "handle as they please" more than a month ago even though he had not received compensation. Mr. Hoan analyzed: "For many years, the villagers have lived in hardship because the roads were not convenient. Now that the State has opened a major road, why don't we open our hearts... If our house is demolished, we can rebuild another one, and the expressway under construction cannot be delayed."

In addition to exemplary individuals like Mr. Thuan and Mr. Hoan, all 41 ethnic minority households affected by the North-South Expressway project in Vinh Ha and Vinh Khe communes (Vinh Linh district) also highly agree with the country's major policy. "No one causes difficulties, but the problem is that we have to ask our cadres to come to their homes, drink a glass of wine together, tell each other funny stories... to get the job done," Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Vice Chairman of Vinh Linh District People's Committee happily said.

Overcoming the curse of the "haunted forest"

According to the Van Kieu people in the mountainous region of Quang Tri, the “ghost forest” - where the dead are buried - is an inviolable territory. They even risk their lives to protect the “ghost forest” and impose many terrible punishments on those who dare to touch the forbidden forest. In the tradition of the Van Kieu people, there is no such thing as entering the “ghost forest” to dig up graves and bury them elsewhere, so the news that the North-South expressway passes through the “ghost forest” of the people of Linh Truong commune (Gio Linh district) really makes people panic.

Specifically, the North-South Expressway affected 51 graves of 18 families belonging to 11 clans in the “ghost forest” in Ben Ha village. And the story of the North-South Expressway being “stuck” in the “ghost forest” in Linh Truong commune soon became a hot spot for land acquisition and clearance for this national project.

Of course, Gio Linh District Party Committee and People's Committee cannot stand aside because if the land is "stuck" in any locality, the responsibility of the head of that locality is attached.

Overcoming the curse of the

Mr. Le Manh Hung, a GPMB officer of the GPMB Council and resettlement compensation support of Vinh Linh district, shook hands to congratulate Mr. Ho Van Quy's family on having a new house - Photo: Nguyen Phuc

Many working groups of the District Party Committee and the Gio Linh People's Committee came to Linh Truong, and finally, the government arranged a meeting with all the village elders, village chiefs and heads of major clans to drink a glass of wine with the people, talk to the people and find a way to share in the land acquisition work. That drinking party did not make anyone drunk but it led to a unanimous decision that the people of Ben Ha village accepted to relocate 51 graves that had just been excavated from the "ghost forest" to get land acquisition for the highway.

Now in Ben Ha there is a new “ghost forest” area, which has been planned by the government to be airy and leveled neatly, very different from the dark “ghost forests” of the past. Therefore, Mr. Ho Van Truyen, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Linh Truong commune, said that doing this is truly a “revolution” for the villagers, they have abandoned bad customs, overcome curses, abandoned vague fears to have a civilized life...

Keep your promise to your people

Along with the site clearance work and construction of the North-South Expressway, local authorities have also urgently started building resettlement areas to help people stabilize their lives soon. In particular, the resettlement area of Vinh Khe commune (Vinh Linh district) located along the Ho Chi Minh road has also taken shape. Meeting reporters in his unfinished house, Mr. Ho Van Quy (41 years old), residing in Moi village, Vinh Khe commune, boasted: "My house will probably be finished in about a month."

Mr. Quy has a wife, Mrs. Ho Thi Thanh (37 years old) and 2 children, whose house and garden were confiscated because of the North-South Expressway project. In return, he received 2 billion VND in compensation from the government and a resettlement land plot. “With money, I bought the resettlement land for 209 million VND, and bought another 1.5 hectares of forest for 600 million VND so that I could have a livelihood in the future. Building a house is expected to cost about 600-700 million VND, the rest is for raising children...”, Mr. Quy calculated.

Overcoming the curse of the

51 graves of Van Kieu people in Linh Truong commune, Gio Linh district have just been exhumed from the "ghost forest" to clear the land for the highway - Photo: Nguyen Phuc

It is known that 38 households will be arranged to live in this resettlement area. They will start a new life, in a new home with the amount of money that the government has compensated corresponding to the value of the assets that they had to accept to destroy to support the national project. Also in this resettlement area, in addition to building roads and dividing the plots into squares, the government also installed electricity and water systems, built kindergartens...

“We have told you from the beginning that the new place you move to must be equal to or better than your old place. You have kept your promise to ensure land clearance, so we will also keep our promise to you,” said Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Vice Chairman of Vinh Linh District People’s Committee.

Nguyen Phuc

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