Need to be more determined in handling illegal deforestation in Dien Bien

NDO - Confirming the fact that many deforestation cases occurred in the area, the leader of the Dien Bien Provincial Forest Protection Department said that the number of cases discovered in the first 3 months of the year increased by 113 cases (137% compared to the same period last year), causing damage to 63.77 hectares of forest. It is worth noting that the number of deforestation cases discovered was mainly concentrated in districts that are considered "hot spots" for deforestation, such as: Muong Cha, Tuan Giao and Dien Bien district.

This situation is ringing an alarm bell for local authorities to take stronger action and take more decisive measures to deal with deforestation.

Referring in detail to the illegal deforestation cases discovered in the past 3 months (from December 15, 2024 to March 15, 2025), Mr. Ha Luong Hong, Head of the Dien Bien Provincial Forest Protection Department, said that out of 195 deforestation cases discovered by functional agencies and local authorities, Tuan Giao district topped the list with a total of 59 cases (of which 57 were administratively handled, 2 were criminally handled); Dien Bien district with a total of 44 cases (31 were administratively handled, 13 were criminally handled); Muong Cha district with 26 cases (25 were administratively handled, 1 was criminally handled); Tua Chua district discovered 18 cases, all of which were subject to administrative handling; Dien Bien Dong district discovered 11 cases, all of which were administratively handled.

Authorities are counting the damage caused by the deforestation incident that occurred at plot 3, sub-area 791, Phi Cao village, Muong Nha commune, Dien Bien district.

A representative of the Dien Bien Provincial Forest Protection Department shared: Among the districts where deforestation occurred, the most exceptional was Tuan Giao district with the total number of detected cases (59 cases) in the first 3 months of 2025 being 1.9 times higher than the total number of deforestation cases in the whole year 2024; Tua Chua district detected 1.2 times more new deforestation cases than in 2024.

Dien Bien district alone, in addition to accounting for a high percentage of deforestation cases in the whole province, also has many violations that require criminal prosecution.

Ms. Lo Thi Thi, Head of the Dien Bien District Forest Protection Department, said that in just 3 months, the number of detected deforestation violations increased by 25 cases (125%) compared to the same period last year. Deforestation occurred mainly in the communes of Muong Nha (7 cases), Muong Loi (12 cases), Muong Pon (9 cases), Na U (4 cases), Hua Thanh (7 cases), Nua Ngam (3 cases)... These are all communes that have detected complex deforestation cases but have not detected the individuals or organizations that violated the law, so establishing records to handle these deforestation cases is very difficult and has no deterrent effect.

Citing specific evidence at the hot spot of deforestation in Muong Nha commune, Mr. Pham Van Thanh, Deputy Head of the Violation Investigation and Handling Department, Provincial Forest Protection Department, pointed out: In 2024, in Muong Nha commune, 20 cases of deforestation were discovered, damaging 16 hectares, including a violation that occurred around November 2023 that was not detected and handled by the commune, leading to more complicated consequences of deforestation in this area. Recently, on January 10, 2025, in Muong Nha commune, the authorities continued to discover a case of deforestation of up to 11,980 square meters occurring in compartment 3, sub-compartment 791 in Phi Cao village. Currently, it is very difficult to verify the subject of deforestation in Muong Nha.

Linking together data on deforestation in the districts of Dien Bien, Tuan Giao, Nam Po, and Muong Cha from 2022 to present, Mr. Ha Luong Hong, Head of the Provincial Forest Protection Department, said: Deforestation still occurs, the main reason is that the subjects of deforestation cannot be identified for strict handling, leading to "ignorance" of the law. Party committees and authorities of some communes are not closely monitoring, showing signs of negligence, deliberately concealing violations in the area.

This situation has been and is potentially threatening the forests and putting more pressure on the forest management and protection forces.

The destruction of protective forest in plot 31, sub-area 778, in Pung Bua village, Na U commune, Dien Bien district occurred at the end of 2024, causing damage to 10,520m2. However, up to now, the functional forces and local authorities have not yet found the subject of deforestation to handle according to the law.

Through inspection, investigation and verification of deforestation cases in the districts, the Dien Bien Provincial Forest Protection Department determined that the reasons for the increase in illegal deforestation and its tendency to become increasingly complicated include both objective and subjective factors.

Specifically, the objective cause is due to customs and practices, the need for wood for house building, fuel and upland production of the people is large while the economic conditions of the people are ethnic minorities are still difficult, so the habit of going to the forest to get wood and clear trees for farming has become ingrained in the way of thinking and doing.

However, the main reason is that the Party Committee and the communal government have not yet fully carried out their assigned responsibilities in state management of forestry. Many communes still consider it the duty of forest rangers and functional agencies, so even when deforestation is discovered in the area, the commune remains indifferent and does not direct the resolution.

In Muong Nha commune (Dien Bien district), in 2024, 20 cases of illegal deforestation were discovered, all near areas with convenient traffic routes. However, the commune authorities almost did not detect them early enough to prevent them. Only when the forest rangers patrolled and discovered them did the commune take action.

In the same area of Dien Bien district, in Na U commune, 6 cases of deforestation were discovered (in 2022), 11 cases were discovered in 2023; in 2024, 12 cases of deforestation were discovered, causing damage to 17 hectares, but only 6/12 cases had records of the incident for investigation and handling, while 6 cases had no records of violations because people resisted and did not cooperate with the authorities.

There is also a situation of deforestation like two communes (Muong Nha, Na U) in Dien Bien district, but in two communes that are hotspots of deforestation in Muong Cha district, Huoi Mi and Sa Tong, the commune leaders are still irresponsible, lax in management, and do not thoroughly handle the deforestation cases discovered in 2023, thus leading to the deforestation situation in 2024 being even more complicated.

In report No. 499/BC-UBND dated August 30, 2024 of the People's Committee of Muong Cha district, it is clearly stated: In the first few months of 2024, Huoi Mi commune had 17 cases of deforestation causing damage to 8 hectares; Sa Tong commune had 28 cases causing damage to 15 hectares; many serious deforestation cases were in convenient locations for traffic, near the village and some were right near the headquarters of the People's Committee of Huoi Mi commune, but the commune still did not know. In Sa Tong commune, the commune leaders also showed signs of concealing the deforestation situation in the area.

To rectify and overcome the situation of deforestation, in February 2024, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Dien Bien province (now the Department of Agriculture and Environment) established an inspection team to implement regulations and responsibilities of the People's Committees of 15 communes in 5 districts, including: Dien Bien, Tuan Giao, Nam Po, Muong Cha, Dien Bien Dong.

Through inspection, the Department has pointed out the limitations and causes of deforestation in communes and districts and requested the District Party Committee and People's Committee of the districts to direct agencies to investigate and strictly handle violators for deterrence, education and general prevention. At the same time, it requested the districts to direct communes with "hot spots" of deforestation to review and clarify individual and collective responsibilities for illegal deforestation and exploitation.

In response to this request, the People's Committees of the 5 districts directed the communes to review and clarify individual and collective responsibilities, but the result was that the reviews all stopped at the level of "seriously reviewing and drawing profound lessons before the district People's Committees".

And of course, according to the results of that review, no individual or group must be held responsible when the number of cases and area of deforestation increases.

Recently, in early April 2025, when a group of reporters went to Na U - one of the communes classified as "forest destruction hotspots" in Dien Bien district, they received more information about new illegal deforestation cases that had just been discovered by local forest rangers. While the records of deforestation in the previous year in this commune still had nearly a dozen violations that required criminal prosecution... they could not be handled because the deforesters could not be found.

Working with us, Chairman of the People's Committee of Na U Commune Sung A Di frankly admitted the deforestation situation, but immediately after that, the Chairman of Na U Commune cited a series of difficulties to explain the question "why deforestation cases are increasing in the area", while Clause 4, Article 102 of the Forestry Law clearly states: "Chairmen of People's Committees at all levels are responsible for forest fires, deforestation or forest loss caused by violations of the law in the field of forest management and protection within the scope of the field and area of management".

Source: https://nhandan.vn/can-kien-quyet-hon-trong-xu-ly-doi-tuong-pha-rung-trai-phap-luat-tai-dien-bien-post874961.html