Na Tang village is located in the border area, 6 km away from Vietnam – China, Ban Chat border gate and 20 km away from the Dinh Lap district center. There are 45 households of 200 people of Tay and Nung ethnic minorities living in the village. About 100 ha of primary forest have been well managed by the villagers for hundreds years. In mid 2013, a group of loggers has built a 6 km-long road running through the watershed protection forest for illegal logging. Given such situation, the villagers with village leader’s leading have united to protect their forest rights.
Na Tang village, Binh Xa commune, Dinh Lap district, Lang Son province
Following an article written on Lang Son newspaper in early 2014, a team of LandNet members in Huu Lung and CIRUM, decided to, make a visit to Na Tang village on June 14, 2014 to witness and learn how the villagers have aggressively fought against the loggers out of their hundreds-year primary forest so impressed.
We reached to the Na Tang village. A 32 year-old man, Mr. Loc Van Luc, village leader receives us. After quick introduction, Mr. Luc led us to a community-managed natural watershed forest, where the loggers (outsiders) have built an off-road for illegal logging and transportation in mid 2013.
Na Tang villagers have been living here for hundreds of years and hundreds-hectare natural watershed forest has been protected by ancestors, according to Mr. Luc. This forest is very rich in precious trees, such as De (Fagaceae), Tram (Canarium) and Lat (Chukrasia velutina), being traditional livelihood of the villagers and supplying water for villager’s drinking and irrigation for over 30 ha of rice fields. The forest is used, managed and protected by four clans living in the village, who have verbally set up strict regulations on forest use, management and protection. For instance, nobody is accepted to exploit the forest without permission, and that those who really need timber for house repair should talk to the village head first and then their request should be accepted by the village meeting before they can go to the forest for logging. These regulations have been passed down from generations to generations.
Watershed forest in Na Tang village
“Have watershed forest - Have water and food for human and animals. Lose forest – Lose everything” – says Mr. Luc.
Following him we went further 2 km through the forest to get to the off-road. The road is 6 km long and 4 m wide running from the main road, which has been built by a group of around 20 people with bulldozer from June to August 2013. I jokes him it looks like a patrol road of the border army officers and curiously ask him if the local authorities and villagers knew about this violation and what they did to prevent it. He says communal authorities knew very well, but they are quiet. We could not stand to see our forest losing, we, a group of villagers, decided to voice out at Communal People Committee (CPC) to ask the authorities to take action. However, their request was responded with general and unclear response. Being dissatisfied with the authorities’ irresponsibility the village head came up with his own solution. He first organized the village’s meeting, gathered everybody, husband and wife, the old and the young, especially the village elder (80 years old) to involve in the meeting. A Minutes of meeting signed by villagers and elders and sent to CPC requesting them to get involved to stop the loggers. Unfortunately, no solution had been made by the commune. Given such situation, Mr. Luc again held 2nd village’s meeting, and the second Minute of meeting was sent out to CPC. In the meantime, he is so smart to ask his friend’s assistance to send out a message on a social network known as Facebook. The message stated: “Please help our watershed forest in Na Tang village”. Knowing this, some communal officials met him and said: “Please be patient. We will solve”. Actually, the communal officials are not strong enough and do not dare to deal with this challenged issue. Finally, Mr. Luc decided to contact with a young journalist from Lang Son province, quietly inviting him to his home and asking him to co-operate to raise this issue to the public. Very soon, the article released on internet.
Road built by loggers for timber exploitation
Mr. Luc’s efforts were progressive. CPC has to send an official letter to the District People Committee (DPC), and also asked village representatives to meet DPC for the complaints. After discussion with the villagers for selecting village representatives, there are 6 villagers who is better speaking out chosen traveling to DPC together. It is quite interesting that all villagers contributed in cash costs (petrol and food) for those 6 representatives to travel to DPC to work. At DPC they met district officials and told them the story. Two days later, Mr. Luc learnt that an official letter issued by DPC and sent to CPC asking to involve and solve the issue (this letter did not send to the village level). After that Mr. Luc said, forest rangers and local policemen continuously come to Binh Xa commune for investigation. As a result, a volume of about 30 - 40m3 of timber illegally exploited has been confiscated for further investigation.
However, feeling nervous about the fact that the loggers have still left logging machines inside the forest Mr. Luc thought: “ If they don’t remove the machines, I will contact the Television and journalist again”. Fortunately, all the machines were removed after a while. The forest is now feeling quiet and peaceful.
To end the story that seems to be on and on, he suddenly pointed his fingers forward and said: “Over there is forest full of De trees as big as of 3 people’s arms wide. Thanks to the villager’s prompt and aggressive struggle against the loggers to prevent them from expanding the road any further, this forest has been saved, otherwise today you can not see any hundred year- old trees such like these”.
Saying goodbye to Mr. Luc I feel happy with the thought that bravery and power of solidarity of the community have helped the Na Tang villagers to get forest sovereignity. People like Mr. Luc will keep their primary forests stay forever.
By Le Kien Cuong
LandNet coordinator in Huu Lung
Watershed forest in Na Tang village“Have watershed forest - Have water and food for human and animals. Lose forest – Lose everything” – says Mr. Luc.
Road built by loggers for timber exploitation
