Đồng Văn riot

After 1949, the People's Liberation Army defeated the Kuomintang army of Chiang Kai-shek. A part of Chiang's remnants fled to neighboring countries such as Laos, Burma, and Vietnam, leaning against the rugged mountains and forests to fight the raids of the People's Liberation Army. In Guangxi, the Kuomintang army took the area of ​​the Thousand Mountains and the border with Vietnam as a base. Defeated in 1951, remnants of the Kuomintang army plotted to occupy the Đồng Văn Plateau to establish a base.[1]

After the August Revolution, the Hmong king Vương Chí Sình left his mansion in Phó Bảng and moved to live in Sà Phìn palace. The Hmong king later became the nominal chairman of Đồng Văn district, but his actual power was much reduced.

After the 1959 People's Council election, the key leadership positions in Đồng Văn were mostly transferred from the aristocracy to the elected government. In the past, although there was a people-elected government, administrative power was still closely tied to the interests of the family. Taking advantage of this situation, the remnants of Chiang's army promoted propaganda and colluded with the old aristocrats of Đồng Văn and Mèo Vạc to incite rebellion to establish an "independent Hmong Kingdom". Hmong king Dương Trung Nhân, supported by the United States and internationally, was about to return to rule Đồng Văn. The Kuomintang troops across the border were painted as an international army returning home to help the king recover the territory. In early 1959, groups of bandits started burning down the committee's headquarters in Phố Cáo, Bạch Đích and Thắng Mố communes.

In May 1959, Vương Chí Sình went to Sà Phìn to set up a local force to stop the bandits. However, when he returned to Hanoi, his subordinate Vàng Chúng Dình (former Kuomintang veteran) quickly stepped up armed activities, beyond the control of the former Hmong king.

On 30 November 1959, a 40-man bandit platoon led by Vàng Chỉn Cáo locked the Cán Tỷ Heaven Gate, cutting off the arterial road from Hà Giang to . The next day, the band of bandits blocked Heaven's Gate, arrested two groups of horses carrying goods from the province to Đồng Văn, and chased the cadres back.[2]

On 9 December, the Central Committee sent father and son Vương Chí Sình to lead a delegation of Fatherland Front cadres to Đồng Văn to negotiate with bandit boss Vàng Chỉn Cáo, persuade them to disband, and not help guide the mob. However, the negotiations failed completely.

A week later, a series of areas throughout Đồng Văn district were attacked and looted by bandits. On 12 December, Vàng Chúng Dình led 200 people to attack Đồng Văn town at the same time Vàng Dúng Mỷ attacked Mèo Vạc and robbed a trade store. In Lũng Phìn commune, the bandits destroyed the headquarters of the committee, robbed goods, destroyed the granary, and killed two commercial officials and two people. On 20 December, Phàn Chỉn Sài (Yao ethnicity) sent a group of bandits to attack Na Khê and Bạch Đích, forcing district officials to hang them on a tree as a target for soldiers to shoot. On 28 December, Giàng Quáng Ly occupied Yên Minh while Vàng Chỉn Cáo and Phàn Dền occupied Cán Tỷ and Đông Hà (Quản Bạ).

On 28 December, the Politburo instructed the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Public Security, the Party Committee of Việt Bắc and Hà Giang provinces to quickly take measures to quell the riots on the basis of a serious development assessment.

The armed police mobile detachment coordinated with local militia and guerrillas, Regiment 246 of Việt Bắc Military Region, and Mobile Battalion 12 of the People's Public Security Command began to attack and sweep across the region. All sites are occupied and operated. After many raids, the armed forces pushed the bandits out of residential areas.

Hoàng Văn Bách, Chairman of Đồng Văn town, together with a militia platoon of self-defense forces repelled many attacks on the town of 200 gunmen led by Vàng Chúng Dình. Vàng Chúng Dình sent 300 more troops to attack Đồng Văn again but failed to capture, the gunmen had to run to Ma Lé and Mã Sồ areas close to the border.

The armed forces continued their pursuit. The campaign lasted from 29 January 1960 (Lunar New Year's Day) to the end of 31 January, and was successful. Nearly 400 bandits were scattered, most of them surrendered their weapons. Vàng Chúng Dình had to flee to the Thập Vạn Đại Sơn to hide. Vang Cong Dinh was later conspired to be captured by security officers posing as special envoys from the South.

The bandit riots gradually subsided, and by 1962 it was completely disbanded. In 1963, the gang leaders were put on trial.