Taiwanese MSG maker Vedan has upped its compensation offer, but farmers say it’s still not enough.
Vedan hoped their offer would help to resolve the issue, but the People’s Committees of the affected farmers are backing their complaint that the compensation is unsatisfactory, compared to the pollution and damages the company caused.
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| Vedan was busted in 2008 for discharging waste water directly into the Thi Vai River. (Documentary photo). |
Pham Khoi Nguyen, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, held a meeting with relevant authorities yesterday, to develop a plan in order to help farmers file a lawsuit against Vedan in court.
Attending the meeting were representatives from the Supreme People’s Procuracy, Ministry of Justice, Environmental Crime Investigation Police Department, Vietnam Farmers Union, Environment and Natural Resources Institute, and representatives from the People’s Committees and Farmer Associations of Ho Chi Minh City, Ba Ria - Vung Tau and Dong Nai.
According to a report from the Vietnam Environmental Administration, Vedan’s illegal discharging of untreated waste-water into Thi Vai River two years ago caused extreme economic damages to the lives of dozens of thousands of local people who live along it. Respective authorities submitted proposals for costs which they requested Vedan to compensate.
During the negotiation process and up until now, Vedan has seemed to show an inherent lack of goodwill and responsibility. The company has submitted inadequate evidence, and in doing so, has managed to avoid paying for the commitments made in providing satisfactory compensation for the economic losses. Outraged by Vedan’s attitude and behaviour, on July 27, hundreds of farmers from Tan Thanh District (Ba Ria - Vung Tau) decided to file a lawsuit against Vedan at the People’s Court.
According to Nguyen Van Hien, Director of Ba Ria - Vung Tau’s Provincial Justice Department, it would take Tan Thanh District’s People’s Court at least a week to process all the 1,255 lawsuit files it had received from the people.
Nguyen Van Phuoc, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City’s Natural Resources and Environment Department, said that the city authorities are also planning to bring the case to court. A representative from the Criminal Law Administration Department of the Ministry of Justice confirmed that they will continue to work in coordination with relevant authorities in providing support for farmers during their lawsuit against Vedan.
Minister Pham Khoi Nguyen said, “Calculations of damages caused by Vedan to the Thi Vai River and the locals have been proven to be accurate and have a clear scientific basis. Even Vedan itself has agreed with the results of the investigation. However, the negotiation and agreement process with Vedan has gone on for 2 years without a result. Therefore, it will be necessary to settle in court. The ministry will deduct money from the Environment Fund to help farmers in this lawsuit.”
Higher compensation, but transfer delayed
On July 28, Vedan Vietnam issued a document to Ho Chi Minh City’s People’s Committee stating that they have increased their compensation amount for farmers in Can Gio District from VND 16 billion to VND 30 billion (USD 1.5 million). Vedan also said that they will raise compensation from VND 10 billion to VND 40 billion (USD 2 million) for farmers in Ba Ria - Vung Tau and from VND 30 billion to VND 60 million (USD 3 million) for Dong Nai.
In the document, Vedan said, the company’s business activities are not steady and they wish to pay the USD 1.5 million compensation in two installments. Vedan would transfer the first half of the amount (USD 750,000) to farmers within the next 7 days, while the rest would be delivered between January 10 - 14, 2011.
According to Tran Van Cuong, Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province’s Manager of Economic and Environment Damage Statistics Committee, “It is up to the farmers if they decide to withdraw their lawsuits, no one else can decide in place of them,” Cuong said.