Vietnam Fishermen Sue Taiwan’s Formosa Steel Unit over Fish Deaths

Hundreds of fishermen in the central provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh gathered on Sept 26 to sue Taiwan-invested Formosa Hung Nghiep Ha Tinh Steel Corporation for causing pollution that harms their lives and leave them penniless. More than 500 people from Nghe An’s Quynh Luu district and Ha Tinh’s Ky Anh town filed claims seeking compensation from Formosa that acknowledged its toxic chemicals caused massive fish deaths along thousands of kilometers of coastline in the localities. An official from Ky Anh court said that there were also more than 40 letters of complaints rejected due to incompletion. An official from Ky Anh People’s Committee was cited by the newswire VietNamNet as saying that people packed the road leading to the court, causing traffic congestions. Under Vietnamese law, the claims must be filed individually. The judiciary official said that the court needs to answer the petitioners if it processes their claims after five working days. The pollution, which was caused by the release of untreated toxic waste into the sea by Formosa, becomes the nation’s worst environmental disaster, devastating the regional fishing and tourism industries. The incident has sparked protests in Vietnam. Catholic priest Dang Huu Nam told the AP that the fishermen on Monday [Sept 26] traveled 200 km in 15 buses to Ky Anh People’s Court while about 5,000 people from the town gathered outside the courthouse on Monday to show their support. Formosa Ha Tinh’s steel complex includes a steel plant, a power plant, and a deep sea port. Formosa admitted to poison the sea and compensated $500 million to cover short-term consequences. But the amount is trivial to cover damage which is believed to last for generations as local experts said. After the environmental disaster which trigger public indignation, top leaders, including President Tran Dai Quang, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, and Parliament Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan affirmed that the country will continue giving a close watch on the Taiwanese company and will close it if recurrence found. (VnExpress.net Sept 27, VietNamNet Sept 27, AP Sept 26)