The La Hu ethnic people in the northern province of Lai Chau have recently seen their lives change positively thanks to assistance from the local border guards. The group has a population of more than 6,000, living on high mountain slopes in the four border communes of Muong Te district. There are 30 La Hu households with more than 100 people in Ha Xi- Ha Ne village, the farthest border village of Pa U commune. These households exist mainly on state subsidies. Over the last four years, thanks to the help of the border forces, Ha Xi - Ha Ne locals who once lived a nomadic lifestyle, have learned how to grow wet rice and begun to settle down. Ky Chuy Suy said with border guards taught villagers how to grow wet rice to help them get rid of hunger. Suy’s peer, Ky Hu Bo, recalled that some years ago, they did not know how to cultivate rice and that the only thing they could do was hunting. From now onwards, they can make a living from cultivation. In the past, the La Hu ethnic people’s nomadic nature made it very difficult for border guards to persuade them to settle down. Therefore, the soldiers have learnt to speak their language by living, eating and working together with local people. Captain Ly Chuy Tu, from the Pa U Border Post under the Lai Chau Border Forces recounted that he and his soldiers have worked hard to persuade the minorities to change from working on hills to planting wet rice. With their efforts, nearly 1,000 households with 4,000 people in Pa U commune have now committed to a sedentary life-style. Their lives have changed markedly as they now focus on rice cultivation and animal husbandry and shave topped deforestation and shifting cultivation. Pha Ly Xa, head of Tan Bien commune, Pa U Commune, stated that border forces have helped his villagers build houses, putting an end to living on shacks in the past. They have focused on developing infrastructure. Currently, all remote villages of Pa U commune are accessible by cars. (vietnamplus.vn May 3)
