Two Hmong boys cycled hundreds of kilometers to find their mother.

Although not fluent in Vietnamese and never having traveled far, when Hinh and Chu learned that their mother had gone to Hanoi to find work, they cycled to Hanoi to look for her.

At 5:30 PM on April 18th, two boys rode their bicycles past the gate of Mr. Ha Van Chuan's house in Thung Khe hamlet, Thanh Son commune, Mai Chau district, Hoa Binh province.

Seeing that the two children were tired, hungry, and had blisters and swelling on their feet, Mr. and Mrs. Chuan called them into their house to feed them, bathe them, and cut their hair, while simultaneously reporting the incident to the Mai Chau district police.

The two brothers, Chu (left) and Hinh (right), were taken to the Mai Chau district police station for care after being discovered by local residents on the evening of April 18. Photo: Mai Chau District Police.

According to Bui Van Duy, a police officer from the district, initial conversations revealed that the two children couldn't recall their full names. The boy who identified himself as the older brother said his name was Chu, 15 years old, and his younger brother, Hinh, was about 13 years old. The children also couldn't remember the address of their village or commune, only saying they lived in Muong Cha (presumably Muong Cha district, Dien Bien province).

The two boys are half-brothers. Their father's name is Vu A Khu, Chu's mother is Giang Thi Giong, and Hinh's mother is Thao Thi Su. Since their father passed away, their mothers have gone away to work, and the two brothers have been collecting scrap metal to make a living and living in a makeshift shack by the roadside, but the exact address is unknown.

"We only have the most basic information because the two boys are from the Hmong ethnic group, have never been to school, and don't speak or understand Vietnamese fluently," Duy said.

The two brothers, Chu and Hinh, rode their bicycles from Muong Cha (believed to be Muong Cha district, Dien Bien province) to Hanoi to search for their mother. Photo: Mai Chau District Police.

That evening, Hình and Chu were taken back to headquarters to arrange accommodation and undergo health checks. The unit also assigned officers fluent in the Hmong language to encourage the children and gather more information to assist in the search for their relatives.

By the morning of April 19th, when his health and spirits had stabilized, Chu further recounted that he had started his journey to Hanoi about two weeks prior, after being given two old bicycles by an acquaintance (whose identity is unknown). Neither of them knew the way to the capital, so they followed the main roads, asking for directions along the way.

"Since my mother started working, she hasn't come home to visit. People around here say she went to Hanoi to work. I miss my mother, so I want to go find her," Chu recounted.

The Mai Chau District Police contacted the Muong Cha District Police and the Muong Cha District Education Department in Dien Bien Province to verify the information and locate the brothers' relatives, but as of the afternoon of April 19th, there had been no results.

According to the district police officer, if it is true that Chu and Hinh traveled from Muong Cha district, Dien Bien province to the place where Mr. and Mrs. Chuan helped them in Mai Chau, they would have traveled approximately over 400 km.

Quynh Nguyen

Source: https://vnexpress.net/hai-cau-be-nguoi-mong-dap-xe-hang-tram-cay-so-di-tim-me-4736272.html