To reach Huong Lam and Huong Xuan Communes, one needs to follow the winding way, dozens of kilometers long, and go to Ban Giang Border Station, called Station 575.

Those who visit communes may feel surprised because they will not see the natural forests. The forests, located in the border area with Laos, under the control of Chuc A Company, have turned into bare hills.

The areas near the Station 575 are the most stricken areas. Many forests have been turned into deserted land. In other forests, trees were burnt some days ago, while trunks were still lying on the mountainside.

Reporters saw many forests with burnt and felled trees located adjacent to the provincial road that links Huong Lam Commune and the Station 575, not far from Chuc A Company’s head office.

No one can explain why illegal loggers could chop down trees in the areas, in front of officials of state management agencies. 

According to Nguyen Cu Duan, head of the Huong Khe Forest Rangers’ Unit, all the devastated forests were natural forests put under the control of Chuc A Company. He confirmed that the devastation has been occurring in recent days.

The forest rangers’ unit has taken tours of devastated forests and found 30 hectares of forest burnt after one week. However, more devastated forests are expected to be discovered in the coming days as they continue searching.

“It is Chuc A Company which must take the responsibility for the deforestation,” Duan said, adding that the local authorities had many times sent dispatches to the company, requesting to tighten control to prevent illegal logging.

Luu Van Tuyen, deputy director of Chuc A, confirmed that 15,100 hectares of forests and forestland had been put under the company’s management. These include 14,611 hectares of natural forests and 175 hectares of planted forests. The company has allocated 1,768 hectares of forests to local households for protection and development.

When asked why the forests had been destroyed, Tuyen said people were cutting down trees to get site clearance to grow acacia.

Tuyen said he did not know why Chuc A, as the forest owner, could not stop the illegal logging, which has occurred now for a month. 

He said it was very difficult to catch illegal loggers because they use modern telecommunication devices to contact each other.