Part 1: Resolutions delivered in mother tongues

If Party resolutions are the “compass for action,” then language is the bridge that carries them into everyday life. Disseminating resolutions in ethnic languages has helped remove language barriers while showing respect and closeness between the Party and the people. This reflects the principle of “putting the people at the center,” ensuring that resolutions do not remain on paper but become action and belief in the lives of people at the westernmost tip of the nation.

“Hearing it in our own language makes it easier to remember and act”

On an early autumn morning in Nậm Sin hamlet (Mường Nhé commune), mist still lingered on the forested hillsides. In a small wooden house, village elder Hù Chà Thái, Party cell secretary and respected leader of the Si La people, carefully studied Party resolutions and local directives. Later that evening, he would summarize and share them with villagers in their mother tongue.

Thái has long been a trusted figure, village elder, respected leader, and village head. In August 2024, he was again elected by the villagers and the local Party committee as Party cell secretary of Nậm Sin Hamlet, entrusted with conveying the Party’s policies and State laws to 58 households and over 200 Si La people.

He explained his method: “Hearing it in our own language makes it easier to remember and act. If only Vietnamese is used, many villagers may not fully understand. That’s why I translate into Si La so they grasp the meaning better. Because the Si La language has no writing system, I usually draft and shorten the content, then translate it into simple spoken words tied to daily life before sharing with the villagers.”

Thanks to this approach, the people of Nậm Sin have actively embraced Party initiatives, from safeguarding security and protecting forests to building new cultural practices. Trust in the Party cell has grown, and villagers are more confident in contributing ideas for community development.

At a village meeting in Huổi Meo hamlet (Mường Pồn commune), the words of village head Vừ A Dếnh rang out clearly in the Hmông language. A Hmông officer from the Mường Mươn Border Post, accompanying us, translated: “Today we discuss the Party’s resolution on agricultural development and building new rural areas. The Party calls on every family to participate…” The meeting atmosphere became close and engaging; villagers listened attentively, and elders smiled with understanding.

Since resolutions began being translated into Hmông, Dếnh has read and explained them in the native language, adding specific examples. “When it’s in Hmông, people immediately understand and know how to apply it in life. The resolution no longer feels distant, it’s as familiar as a village story,” he said.

Spreading resolutions widely

In a neat stilt house in Cấu hamlet (Mường Chà commune), Party cell secretary Tao Văn Vin proudly said: “When hearing resolutions in their own language, people find them easy to understand and remember. The closer the Party is to the people, the closer the people are to the Party.” At 66, Vin still leads the way in bringing Party resolutions to the Thái community in their mother tongue.

In the past, many villagers were hesitant: “It’s too hard to understand,” “It feels far away.” But once translated into Thái and tied to daily concerns like forest and water protection, attitudes began to change.

Vin explained: “Language is the bridge. When I speak their language, people feel the Party is right beside them, not somewhere distant.” Recently, the Cấu hamlet Party cell issued a resolution on environmental protection to address household waste polluting streams and harming health. It set goals: 100% of households to have garbage pits or mini incinerators, weekly village cleanups, tree planting, and maintaining a clean, green landscape.

Thanks to Vin’s patient explanations in Thái, the resolution quickly took root. Within three months, hygiene inspections showed marked progress: in April 2025, 25 households reached grade A; by June, this had risen to 31, with no households at grade C. These results demonstrated people’s consensus and concrete action.

Vin emphasized: “Explaining resolutions in the ethnic language helps people understand, remember, and internalize them without misinterpretation. That’s why our resolutions always meet or exceed targets, especially in building new rural areas. When explained in Thái, people voluntarily donate land, contribute labor, and build waste pits and mini incinerators. The closeness of language fosters unity and brings resolutions into daily life.”

Delivering resolutions in mother tongues has made them easier to understand and remember, bringing the breath of daily life into Party documents. Party secretaries, village heads, and elders across Điện Biên’s 19 ethnic groups have become “bridges” carrying the Party’s resolutions into every household, fostering trust and consensus. This proves that when the Party speaks the people’s language, resolutions truly enter life, becoming a driving force for change at the westernmost frontier of the nation.