Eradicating heresy - A journey of effort and faith in the border area of Quan Ba

BHG - Heretical religions disguised as religious activities have infiltrated the ethnic minority areas in Quan Ba district to spread ideology aimed at dividing national unity and distorting traditional customs and morality. This is an issue that needs to be resolved immediately.

Evil religion entered Quan Ba

Quan Ba is a mountainous district in the northern border of Ha Giang province, with a natural area of over 540 km2; a population of over 59,000 people with 19 ethnic groups, of which the Mong ethnic group accounts for over 61%, the Dao ethnic group accounts for 13.02%... The district has 13 communes, towns, 107 villages, residential groups, 79 extremely difficult villages, 54.34 km of border adjacent to China. Cultural, religious and spiritual life in Quan Ba district is extremely rich. However, due to the negative impact of globalization, all kinds of evil religions have begun to appear under the guise of religion in the ethnic minority areas of the district.

Quan Ba district forces approached households following the "San su khe to" cult in Pan Ho village, Quan Ba commune. (Photo courtesy)

In October 1997, Mr. Tan Phong Din, in Lung Van Chai, China, was discovered carrying a notebook written in Chinese characters and meeting 11 households in 3 villages Then Van 1, Then Van 2, Chin Sang, Cao Ma Po commune with the content of the argument "Do not eat blood pudding, do not drink alcohol, do not worship ancestors, do not make offerings when sick, do not bathe when giving birth, if you are sick, burn incense and call on Ho Di Hoa, Lord De Su will come to bless you and you will be cured, if anyone does not follow by the year 2000, they will be struck by lightning".

In December 1997, Tan Seo May, born in 1968, with permanent residence in Ma Quan hamlet, Yunnan province, China, came to the house of Tan Ta May, a Dao ethnic group with permanent residence in Chin Sang hamlet, Cao Ma Po commune, Quan Ba district. There, Tan Seo May preached the message "Do not steal, do not drink alcohol, do not fight, do not destroy the ancestral altar, God will bless you with good luck" and incited Tan Ta May to preach this message to her relatives and clan. Afterwards, Tan Ta May took Tan Seo May to Quyet Tien commune, Quan Ba district to preach this message to some relatives in the clan and 17 households believed in this evil religion.

In 2006, a cult called “San Su Khe To” began to appear in Pan Ho village, Quan Ba commune, Quan Ba district, spreading the ideology of “No blood pudding, no work, still have food, just pray when sick and you will be cured, destroy the ancestral altar and hang the symbol of the Cross to worship and pray”. There were 28 groups of households here who believed in and followed this cult.

Evil and cunning

The emergence and dissemination of ideologies directed by evil cults towards ethnic minorities in mountainous, remote and isolated areas such as Quan Ba district. The reason for this "choice" of evil cults is to take advantage of the ethnic minorities' economic difficulties, low level of education, harsh geographical location and natural conditions, and their lives mainly relying on closed, self-sufficient agriculture with low efficiency. Traditional cultural institutions are weakened, ethnic minorities' beliefs are simple, some of their customs and practices are still cumbersome, superstitious, and costly in funerals and weddings, which have become a burden on the lives and hinder the progress and development of ethnic minorities. In addition, the attraction of Chinese people through the form of visiting relatives along with foreign radio stations such as FEBC, Vê-rê, TAT broadcasting in the Mong language with strong frequencies.

Mr. Ma Mi De, former Head of the Security Team, Quan Ba District Police, directly participated in the fight against and prevention of heresy in 1997 in Cao Ma Po and Quyet Tien communes.

According to the reporter's investigation, the evil cult that was introduced into Quan Ba district in 1997 by Tan Seo May in Cao Ma Po and Quyet Tien communes originated from the lowlands. May himself was incited by others that if he propagated this evil cult to 12 people, he would receive "fortune" and God's blessing on health and wealth. Those who listened to May's preaching and continued to propagate it to 12 other people would also receive "fortune". To achieve that "fortune", they had to abandon the custom of ancestor worship.

Mr. Ma Mi De, former Head of the Security Team, Quan Ba District Police, who directly participated in the fight against and prevention of the evil cult spread by Tan Seo May in 1997, said: “When Tan Seo May moved to Cao Ma Po commune, the district police officer in charge of the area promptly grasped the situation. During the process of closely following, he saw that he was holding documents to gather people to spread oral propaganda at Tan Ta May's family. Then, he and Tan Ta May went to Quyet Tien commune to continue spreading. Through the links through professional work, while the subject was spreading the evil cult in Quyet Tien commune, the district police force arrested Tan Seo May. Proceeded to take statements, complete the archived records and deport Tan Seo May from Quan Ba district according to regulations”.

“In 1997, the Quan Ba District Police and local authorities focused on each household following Tan Seo May's cult to propagate and persuade with a spirit of perseverance, persistence, and slow and steady wins the race. The authorities had "taken root" at the grassroots level for 2 years. By 1999, the households following the cult realized that following the cult was wrong and that it weakened and exhausted the economy and culture. The households abandoned the cult and returned to worshiping their ancestors and developing the economy,” Mr. De recalled.

As for the "San su khe to" cult in Pan Ho village, Quan Ba commune, the 28 households following this cult are all Mong people, with difficult economic lives and low levels of awareness. The nature of this cult is to spread the idea of dismantling altars and eliminating the ancestor worship of the Mong people. In addition, households here are often sick, and bad people take advantage of this detail to spread the idea of the "San su khe to" cult that: "sickness is caused by ancestor worship, just need to dismantle the ancestral altar and worship the cross, pray to God and you will be cured".

Talking to Mr. Ly Van Minh, Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Quan Ba district, he said: “The group following the heretical cult “San su khe to” in Nhiu Lung hamlet and Pan Ho hamlet, Pan Ho village does not organize weekly collective prayer readings. Only two meetings a year are held to review and summarize the activities of the heretical group at the group leader’s house. During the meeting, the group leader will evaluate which households have implemented the heretical ideology that has been spread. Initially, the locality’s approach to the heretical group here was difficult, because the households lived in seclusion, were self-sufficient economically and had little contact with outsiders.”

In Quan Ba district, the cult focuses on spreading ideology with arguments that attack the economic, cultural and social life of ethnic minorities. The cult paints a "rosy" picture for the people by neglecting production and praying to a "non-existent" force to bring them material wealth; when sick, they do not go to the hospital but treat themselves at home with "holy" water and incense; the cult causes division in the solidarity among ethnic groups in the district, within villages and hamlets between followers and non-followers of the cult; gathering in large numbers to listen to the propagation of the cult, causing insecurity and disorder in the countryside.

The plots and tricks of the heretical propagators in Quan Ba district all confuse the minds and play on the wavering, gullible, and trusting psychology of the ethnic minorities here. Their purpose is to undermine the people's trust in the Party's policies and the laws of our State.

Part 2: "Reforming the thinking" of the revolution in the evil region

Article and photos: Hoang Chinh (Quan Ba)

Source: https://baohagiang.vn/xa-hoi/202506/xoa-trang-ta-dao-hanh-trinh-no-luc-va-tham-dam-niem-tin-o-vung-bien-quan-ba-ky-1-am-muu-cua-cac-the-luc-thu-dich-ab86305/