The security and order situation in Muong Nhe district has become stable, and local authorities and people are actively preparing for the elections of the National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Nguyen Phuong Nga made the statement on May 12, while answering reporters’ queries on the situation in Muong Nhe district of the northwestern mountainous province of Dien Bien .

Nga said in the past few days, there has been information that exaggerated and reflected incorrectly the situation in Muong Nhe district, with a bad intention to distort the Vietnamese State ’s policy and the real situation in Vietnam .

According to the spokeswoman, in late April and early May, a number of extreme elements used arguments to deceive, entice, excite, draw and even force H’Mong ethnic minority people from other localities to gather in villages in Muong Nhe district for the so-called “establishment of the H’Mong Kingdom”, causing disorder and instability and affecting the lives and production of local residents. Due to severe weather and unhygienic living conditions, a number of people fell ill and one child died from disease.

In the face of this situation, Muong Nhe district’s authorities and mass organisations helped these people to thoroughly understand the schemes and plots of bad elements so that they voluntarily returned home. Local authorities also provided food, medicines and allowances to help these people stabilise their lives.

People who had engaged in extremist acts were arrested for investigations and being handled in line with law, Nga said.

The spokeswoman affirmed that Vietnam is a united nation, comprising 54 fraternal ethnic groups. The Vietnamese State has paid special attention to the implementation of the policy of equality, solidarity, respect and mutual assistance among ethnic groups and creating favourable conditions for ethnic groups to develop together and closely adhere to the common development of the Vietnamese community.

“ Vietnam always gives top priority to ensuring the rights of ethnic minority groups, as evidenced in its laws, policies and national programmes, and has reaped a wide range of achievements that have been acknowledged by the international community,” she stressed.

Recently, a UN Independent Expert on ethnic minority issues visited Vietnam and highly valued the Vietnamese State ’s political determination, policies, measures and programmes designed to ensure the rights of ethnic minority groups in all spheres.

With investments provided by the State and efforts of the local people, the border district of Muong Nhe has effectively carried out the government’s target programmes such as programmes 134, 135 and 167, and reduced the poverty rate by 5 percent a year.

In 2009, the district embarked on a socio-economic development project aimed at speeding up poverty reduction in a sustainable manner, with a total funding of almost 6 trillion VND for the 2009-2020 period./.