When people understand the "true face"

Not long ago, an unfortunate incident occurred in My Yen village (Cam My commune, Cam Xuyen district, Ha Tinh province ) when a construction unit built a pontoon bridge across the river to mark the location of a sand mine for the North-South expressway project. However, as the saying goes, "when the house burns down, the rats come out," and the people identified those "hiding behind the scenes," thus learning a lesson to prevent being misled or incited.

Given the democratic nature of the regime, the Vietnamese State has always paid special attention to and prioritized the democratic freedoms of its citizens. The exercise of these rights must be based on the supremacy of law. However, in practice, over the past years, some citizens have abused their democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the state and the legitimate rights and interests of organizations and individuals, and have faced severe penalties. This serves as a cautionary lesson for citizens who deliberately misunderstand or are naively misled by malicious individuals or external forces, disregarding the law.

Mr. Ha Huy Hung, Chairman of the People's Committee of Cam My commune, spoke with a reporter from Ha Tinh Newspaper about public opinion in My Yen village.

Those who instigate "invisibility"

To uncover the truth behind the incident in My Yen village, we meticulously planned our work, meeting with numerous leaders of agencies and departments, as well as local residents.

According to local authorities, as of December 11, 2023, the incident had been ongoing for over five months. Progress has been very slow due to residents' disagreement with the higher authorities' plan for sand mining in the village. A prominent example of this was the obstruction of construction work on a pontoon bridge across the Ngàn Mọ River on December 11.

The area designated for sand mining is in My Yen village, Cam My commune.

Speaking with us, Mr. Phan Cong Loi, Deputy Head of the Propaganda Department of the Cam Xuyen District Party Committee, said: “According to information from the working groups of the District Party Committee Standing Committee, the police force, relevant units, and the locality, on the day the incident occurred, the majority of those who gathered to obstruct the construction unit were women and some children. These were mostly people who had been incited and manipulated by other individuals beforehand. The list monitored by functional agencies from the province to the district includes 8 people who regularly incite people to oppose sand mining in My Yen village. Notably, on December 11th, many of these people did not appear, so the villagers realized their mistake in being incited and manipulated.” This information was also confirmed by the leaders of Cam My commune when we spoke with them.

Through our on-site visit to My Yen village and our interactions with many people, we gained valuable information and developed a deeper appreciation for the villagers. Ms. VTT from My Yen village expressed: “Some villagers were surprised that those who had urged them to obstruct and oppose the construction were nowhere to be seen all day. The villagers realized their intentions and felt foolish. They wanted to incite the villagers, but they themselves knew that opposing the Party and the State would be severely punished according to the law.”

That's absolutely true! The law is always strict; no one is above or outside the law. The incident that day led to 11 people being summoned by authorities for questioning, including many who had live -streamed , posted, and commented on social media with inflammatory and false information about the My Yen sand mining project. At the police station, these individuals admitted their actions were illegal and pledged not to repeat them; those who had posted false information removed their previous posts from Facebook.

The sand mining area in My Yen village, from the red line to the bank of the Ngan Mo River, contributes to "redirecting" the river's flow, thereby improving the flood drainage capacity of Ke Go Lake.

In addition to the individuals who were penalized, according to Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh, Secretary of the Cam Xuyen District Party Committee: "Regarding the posting and dissemination of false information on social media, we have also identified some individuals residing in southern provinces. These individuals were subsequently interviewed by district officials to clarify the procedures related to sand mining and other legal regulations, especially regarding the abuse of freedom of speech."

According to many residents of My Yen village, the underlying reason for obstructing the construction unit from carrying out its tasks in the planned sand mine area is that a company had previously explored the area to conduct mining operations. At that time, some villagers rallied the people to strongly oppose the plan, forcing the company to abandon it. For this reason, some people are taking advantage of the situation to incite villagers to gather and protest, even though this time the sand mining operation is to serve a key national project.

When the people clearly understand the policy

Returning to the people of My Yen village as the old year was drawing to a close, we felt truly heartwarming. Chatting in his cozy home, Mr. Le Huu Anh from the former Hamlet 2 (My Yen village was formed by merging the former Hamlets 2 and 3) expressed: “About 5 or 6 months ago, I saw on TV that the Prime Minister said: Regarding the construction of the North-South expressway project, localities should maximize and utilize available resources.”

"Personally, this is the first time I've ever seen such a large-scale project. I'm not saying this out of favoritism. The government is launching a key project for the development of the country, and even as an ordinary citizen, I'm very excited. What the head of government said is very insightful and very reasonable. Therefore, the whole country must comply for the benefit of the nation."

Peace has returned to My Yen village and to every home there.

Mr. Anh and his wife, Ms. Le Thi Ha, also added: "Before, when we passed by, we often heard about protests against sand mining; now people understand the situation clearly. We no longer hear those whispers and gossips."

As a Party member, Ms. Tran Thi Su (My Yen village) confided: “I myself used to participate in community movements. Many women in the village were very enthusiastic about the common cause, but the recent incident has truly saddened me. Previously, I tried to persuade them in various ways, but many didn't listen. I was also very worried that if I wasn't careful, my family and I might be misunderstood by the villagers. But now, I see that the villagers have reached a consensus and are not listening to the rumors or criticisms about the opposition.”

“I told my sisters, if we don’t trust the Party and the State, who else can we trust? The projects are being implemented at all levels for the strategic development goals of the nation, not something we can oppose whenever we want. No matter what they say, if the project marks the boundary between our houses, we will have to relocate. If the land where my house is currently located is within the North-South expressway project area, I am ready to move to make way for the project,” Ms. Su stated resolutely.

Party member Tran Thi Su is seen chatting with Nguyen Van Duong, Vice Chairman of the Cam My Commune People's Committee, and a reporter from Ha Tinh Newspaper.

Ms. NTL, a woman (who wishes to remain anonymous) whose land is within the planned mining area, also confided: "Previously, I didn't fully understand the policy and didn't pay attention to the responses from higher authorities, so I disagreed. Now, there's no problem at all. To be honest, my younger sibling, who initially supported the majority, has now changed their mind and is waiting for the government to process the land compensation for that area. In general, many people don't understand the policy and regulations; even with organized dialogues or individual meetings, they refuse to listen."

With joy evident on his face, Mr. Nguyen Trong Hung, Secretary of the My Yen Village Party Branch, said: “Previously, some people had a rebellious attitude or incited others, but now, the people understand and agree.” Mr. Ha Huy Hung, Chairman of the Cam My Commune People's Committee, said: “Most people in My Yen have understood the policies and guidelines of the higher authorities and the strictness of the law. Currently, the people's morale is stable, and most are very much in agreement with the policies and guidelines. Although there are still some individuals who are not completely comfortable, I think it just needs more time.”

Over the past period, Ha Tinh province has made many efforts to ensure the supply of construction materials for the North-South expressway.

According to Mr. Hoang Van Ly, Deputy Head of the Propaganda Department of Cam Xuyen District Party Committee: “After the instigators were summoned and dealt with, the people have clearly understood the issue. Through monitoring public opinion and private information channels, I see that people in neighborhood groups and areas in My Yen have all agreed and no longer show the opposition they had before.” Some people who previously “mistakenly” opposed the policy now find it inconvenient to speak out in public, but in their hearts they understand and agree with the major policy, for the benefit of the country and their homeland.

These developments have brought very positive news at the beginning of the new year 2024, creating confidence in a My Yen that always prioritizes the interests of the nation and the community.

(To be continued)

Manh Ha - Vu Vien

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/chinh-quyen/phong-ngua-loi-dung-quyen-tu-do-dan-chu-xam-pham-loi-ich-cua-to-chuc-ca-nhan-bai-1-khi-nguoi-dan-hieu-ro-mat-that/260359.htm