Vietnamese, Lao twinned border villages

Vietnam’s central province of Quang Tri shares 260 km of land border with Laos’ provinces Savannakhet and Salavan. Since a program to establish Vietnamese-Lao twin was signed in 2005, 24 twin communes have been set up, making the shared border a land of friendship. 

Peoples in such communes have helped each other in not only economic development, but also border security maintenance.

Today women of the Phuong commune in Laos’ Savanakhet and Duy Tan commune in Vietnam’s Quang Tri gathered at the house of the chief of Duy Tan’s women’s union.

People of twin villages meeting. Photo: vov.vnv

They talked about many things from experiences in growing cassava, bananas, raising fowls, pigs, cows, or building a new house or organizing a wedding party for their children.

Kongmani, the leader of Phuong commune’s women’s union, said since the two communes were twinned three years ago, villagers of both sides turn closer than ever.

Kongmani said “Phuong and Duy Tan villagers always protect and help each other, especially in terms of planting. Our trading is in pursuant to the law of each country. We also respect one another’s traditional customs.”

Nguyen Viet Sinh, Duy Tan head, said that most women of the two localities now can speak each other’s language due to their periodical exchanges.

Sinh explained that at such a meeting both sides inform each other of their situations for mutual support. In the past we lived in thatched houses and didn’t have enough rice for daily meals. Now the living conditions have improved with up to 4 new storey houses built a year.

Sinh noted that the shared borderline used to see trans-border crime, especially drug smuggling and unplanned migration.

Besides, a number of people with poor understanding of national border issues didn’t abide by regulations on cross-border traffic for visiting relatives, tilling land, immigration, and getting marriage.

Over the past few years since the twin ties were established, the political and defense situations along the shared border have experienced significant progress. People have been educated not to break the law, not to use drugs, and be united to ensure social order at the border area, according to Sinh.

Located in Quang Tri’s Lao Bao town, Ka Tang commune was the first to have formed twin ties with Densavan commune of Laos’ Savanakhet province a decade ago.

Nguyen Thi Thuong, head of Ka Tang women’s union, said many households in the two communes have age-old blood relationship, adding that since the program was launched, villagers of both sides have been more united and considered each other siblings.

"On Vietnamese Teachers’ Day or Women’s Day, for example, we invite Densavan villagers to join the meeting or exchange. At Laos’ holidays, they also invite us to participate in though in such meetings there are only some bottles of beers. But we all feel happy,” Thuong said.

To date 24 couples of communes have been set up along the borderline between Vietnam’s Quang Tri and Laos’ provinces.