Despite their hopes, they continue to face difficulties in carrying out tasks, such as official procedures, due to the lack of an official hamlet designation. These issues have led to a variety of problems, creating a situation where they still struggle with unresolved bureaucratic hurdles.

A name without recognition

In February of this year, Tòng Văn Phiếu, after careful consideration, decided to renovate and fortify his house, where he lives with his mother. However, due to a lack of funds, Phiếu’s mother, Tòng Thị Giót (born in 1954), provided her “red book” (land use right certificate) as collateral to apply for a bank loan. Unfortunately, this request could not be processed due to bureaucratic complications.

“When I went to the Nam Thanh ward People’s Committee to inquire about the procedures, the staff informed me that my mother’s red book still belonged to Team 18, Thanh Hưng commune, Điện Biên district. Therefore, we had to go to the district for an extension. However, the district also encountered issues, as the red book was in my mother’s name, and she was over the age limit, so the bank refused to grant the loan. My application to transfer the red book into my name has been pending since July last year with no response!” Phiếu shared.

This issue is not unique to Phiếu’s family, as many households in Pa Pe face similar bureaucratic difficulties when dealing with administrative procedures.

Lò Văn Thận, head of the Pa Pe cluster, explained that, following the administrative reorganization in January 2020, the provincial People’s Committee adjusted the residential boundaries, merging part of the C4 hamlet and Pa Pe hamlet from Thanh Hưng commune into Nam Thanh ward, Điện Biên Phủ city. The C4 community was added to Residential Quarter 7 in Nam Thanh ward. However, Pa Pe, with 103 households at that time, still hasn’t received official hamlet status, and is temporarily referred to as a residential cluster.

As of now, Pa Pe has grown to 119 households, with 73 Thái households, one Tày family, and the rest being Kinh, most of whom migrated from other areas. Out of these, 67 households still have red books under Team 18, Thanh Hưng commune, and face issues when processing land-related procedures such as transferring ownership, selling, or applying for bank loans. Some household heads, due to old age, have passed away but the red books remain under their names, causing further delays in transferring ownership to their descendants.

Hopes for a new hamlet

The lack of official hamlet recognition has also left Pa Pe residents without adequate infrastructure. Despite several requests to local authorities, while there is now access to electricity and water, a stretch of about 500 meters on National Highway 12 passing through the community lacks high-voltage power lines and proper drainage. Lò Văn Thận expressed frustration, saying, “We have made many requests to the authorities, but it feels like we have been forgotten.”

As the Pa Pe community still lacks formal hamlet status, there is no official administrative structure. In order to help local authorities track developments in the area, Nam Thanh ward People’s Committee has been supporting Lò Văn Thận with a monthly stipend of VND 1 million since January 2022, increased to match the current salary of a hamlet head in 2024. However, despite this, Thận continues to shoulder the full responsibilities of hamlet leadership.

In addition to being the head of the hamlet, Thận also serves as Deputy Secretary of the local Party cell, overseeing 11 party members, and manages tasks related to the grassroots front, farmer organizations, and conflict resolution. “Just attending meetings, reporting, and implementing new policies alone fill my schedule. Organizing meetings, evaluating family values, and resolving social issues, especially land disputes, all fall on me,” Thận explained.

When will it end?

Through numerous meetings and voter outreach, Pa Pe’s residents have repeatedly requested the establishment of an official hamlet to make administrative procedures easier. At the end of 2024, the local authorities submitted a proposal to measure the land and issue new red books for the 67 affected households. However, as of now, they have received no resolution or response.

In March 2025, the Điện Biên Phủ city People’s Committee, Nam Thanh ward People’s Committee, and local organizations held several meetings to clarify the situation. They agreed on a plan to reassign the C4 residential cluster from Residential Quarter 7 to Pa Pe, ensuring that the new hamlet will meet the necessary criteria for official recognition.

“Our greatest hope is for Pa Pe to officially become a hamlet, with a proper name and legal procedures in place to ensure our rights are recognized. When forming the new hamlet, we hope it retains the name Pa Pe, as it is closely tied to the historical significance of the location, which is mentioned in General Võ Nguyên Giáp’s map of the Điện Biên Phủ Campaign,” said Lò Văn Ép, a resident of Pa Pe.

After more than five years of delays and challenges not caused by the community itself, over 100 households in Pa Pe continue to wait for a resolution. It is hoped that the Điện Biên Phủ city People’s Committee and relevant authorities will promptly address the legitimate request of Pa Pe’s residents. Like a person’s birth certificate, the decision to officially recognize the hamlet is crucial for them to fully enjoy their rights and benefits.