The China Post, March 16, 2017
TAIPEI, Taiwan — A large crowd of Vietnamese workers in Taiwan protested outside the Vietnam Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei on Wednesday morning, demanding that the Taiwan-based petrochemical conglomerate Formosa Plastics ceases operations in their homeland.
The demonstration came one month after several residents in Vietnam were allegedly beaten by Vietnamese authorities when they tried to submit litigation documents against Formosa Plastics’ Ha Tinh steel plant on Feb. 14.
Approximately 500 people, led by local priest Nguyen Dinh Thuc, had demanded that the plant cease all operations following a catastrophic environmental disaster that polluted waters in the surrounding regions last June.
Vietnam’s prime minister had called it the “worst environmental disaster this country has ever seen,” with tons of dead fish continuing to wash ashore in the eight months following the disaster, and the livelihood upon which many local residents depended now completely destroyed.
‘Stop violence’
On Wednesday morning roughly a dozen demonstrators — some of whom were wearing masks in fear of persecution by the Vietnamese authorities — held placards stating “I want fish!”, “Stop the cover up!”, “Stop the violence!”, along with photos of victims bearing bruises on their faces and bodies.
Human rights activist Peter Nguyen Van Hung, who currently resides in Taiwan after escaping prosecution back home years ago, said that residents affected by the incident have yet to receive any compensation following Formosa Plastics payment of a US$500 million fine to the Vietnamese government.
Hung questioned how Vietnamese authorities intended to deal with the police officers’ alleged behavior in the Feb. 14 incident, as well as if residents would receive the compensation they are entitled to.
A representative from the Vietnam Economic and Cultural office in Taipei received a petition letter from the demonstrators but failed to provide any answers, saying simply that he had come to receive their letter. The representative was subsequently escorted back into the building by security.
Taiwanese ‘collaboration’
Kuo, a Vietnamese worker only known by his surname, was present at Wednesday’s protest and said that he previously lived in central Vietnam, approximately 3 kilometers from the steel plant, but had to leave the country because he could no longer earn a living by fishing.
“There’s no way to survive there,” he said, adding that other fishermen had also lost their jobs because of the pollution, but had yet to receive adequate compensation.
Director of the Covenants Watch Organization Huang Yi-bee (黃怡碧) said that a renowned Vietnamese human rights persona “Mother Mushroom” was detained last
October for supporting protests against Formosa Plastics’ steel plant, and is currently still in custody.
Environmental Jurists Association director Chang Yu-yin (張譽尹) warned that this incident demonstrated a Taiwanese enterprise collaborating with the Vietnamese government to exploit locals.
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March 16, 2017
Vietnamese workers call for Formosa Plastics exit
by Nhan Quyen • [Human Rights]
The China Post, March 16, 2017
TAIPEI, Taiwan — A large crowd of Vietnamese workers in Taiwan protested outside the Vietnam Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei on Wednesday morning, demanding that the Taiwan-based petrochemical conglomerate Formosa Plastics ceases operations in their homeland.
The demonstration came one month after several residents in Vietnam were allegedly beaten by Vietnamese authorities when they tried to submit litigation documents against Formosa Plastics’ Ha Tinh steel plant on Feb. 14.
Approximately 500 people, led by local priest Nguyen Dinh Thuc, had demanded that the plant cease all operations following a catastrophic environmental disaster that polluted waters in the surrounding regions last June.
Vietnam’s prime minister had called it the “worst environmental disaster this country has ever seen,” with tons of dead fish continuing to wash ashore in the eight months following the disaster, and the livelihood upon which many local residents depended now completely destroyed.
‘Stop violence’
On Wednesday morning roughly a dozen demonstrators — some of whom were wearing masks in fear of persecution by the Vietnamese authorities — held placards stating “I want fish!”, “Stop the cover up!”, “Stop the violence!”, along with photos of victims bearing bruises on their faces and bodies.
Human rights activist Peter Nguyen Van Hung, who currently resides in Taiwan after escaping prosecution back home years ago, said that residents affected by the incident have yet to receive any compensation following Formosa Plastics payment of a US$500 million fine to the Vietnamese government.
Hung questioned how Vietnamese authorities intended to deal with the police officers’ alleged behavior in the Feb. 14 incident, as well as if residents would receive the compensation they are entitled to.
A representative from the Vietnam Economic and Cultural office in Taipei received a petition letter from the demonstrators but failed to provide any answers, saying simply that he had come to receive their letter. The representative was subsequently escorted back into the building by security.
Taiwanese ‘collaboration’
Kuo, a Vietnamese worker only known by his surname, was present at Wednesday’s protest and said that he previously lived in central Vietnam, approximately 3 kilometers from the steel plant, but had to leave the country because he could no longer earn a living by fishing.
“There’s no way to survive there,” he said, adding that other fishermen had also lost their jobs because of the pollution, but had yet to receive adequate compensation.
Director of the Covenants Watch Organization Huang Yi-bee (黃怡碧) said that a renowned Vietnamese human rights persona “Mother Mushroom” was detained last
October for supporting protests against Formosa Plastics’ steel plant, and is currently still in custody.
Environmental Jurists Association director Chang Yu-yin (張譽尹) warned that this incident demonstrated a Taiwanese enterprise collaborating with the Vietnamese government to exploit locals.