Que Phong - Nghe An: Affirming the sovereignty of Thai people over the land and forest of Hanh Dich

• In the afternoon of December 24^th, 2013, at the Hall of the People's Committee of Hanh Dich Commune, Que Phong District, Nghe An Province, the Natural Resources and Environment Committee Division (NRE) in coordination with the People's Committee of Hanh Dich Commune, LandNet and the Livelihood Sovereignty Alliance (LISO) held the "Announcement Ceremony of the Decision to Award the Certificate of Forest and Forestland Use Right to the community of Thai people in the villages of Chieng, Pa Co, Pa Kim, and Khom."
  
  
  
   Watershed forest in Khom Village, Hanh Dich Commune
  
  Hanh Dich is a mountainous commune west of Nghe An, next to Vietnam-Laos border. The inhabitants here are mainly Thai families who have been living together for many generations. Their lives and livelihoods are dependent on land and forests. However, in the past few years, their living space, these land and forests, have shrunk as rubber plantations and nature reserves have grown.
   
  In 2011 the Social Policy Ecology Research Institute (SPERI) facilitated a pilot project to allocate more than 400 hectares of forest and forestland under the Joint Circular No. 07/TTLT/2011/BNN- BTN&MT for the Thai community in Pom Om Village, Hanh Dich  Commune. Since then the forests and forestland have been well-managed and efficiently protected based on village regulations and local knowledge. Illegal mining and unsustainable harvesting activities have been stopped. Water sources have been secured.
   
  Building on this excellent model,  the People's Committee of Hanh Dich Commune, Que Phong District has made a plan to submit the People's Committee of Que Phong District for the forest associated with forestland allocation and granting Certificate of Forest and Forestland Use Right to the villages of Chieng, Pa Co, Pa Kim, and Khom.
   
  With the people's consent, the local government and relevant authorities together with the support from the Livelihood Sovereignty Alliance and LandNet on December 24^th, 2013, the communities of villages of Chieng, Pa Co, Pa Kim, and Khom have officially received the management and use right of over 187 hectares of spiritual forestland and watershed forest.
   
  Joining the same joy with the four villages' people, in the Awards Ceremony of Certificates of Forest and Forestland Use Right also are the representatives of 11 villages of Hanh Dich Commune, departments and the governments of Hanh Dich Commune and Que Phong District, LandNet and the local media organizations.
   
  
  Mr. Vi Van Thang (middle) - Deputy Director of Que Phong Natural Resources and Environment Department announcing the Decision of forest allocation combined with forestland allocation and handing over the Certificate of Land Use Right to the village communities
   
  At the ceremony Mr. Luong Quoc Viet, Deputy Chairman of the Commune shared the lessons learnt from the allocation process and added "Forests play an extremely important role to the people. It is important not only when we are alive but also when we die. Everyone needs a place to rest. Only forests give us those things." 
   
  Mr. Lo Hai Nam, Representative of the Management Board of Communities who received the land use rights said that he would be determined to manage and use forestland in conformity with the assigned purpose and ceaselessly care for and protect it so that it in turn serve their own life.
   
  Forest Peoples Land Rights Network (LandNet)