Vedan agrees compensation for farmers
By Ngoc Hung - The Saigon Times Daily
HCMC – Polluter Vedan Vietnam Co. on Monday agreed to compensate farmers in HCMC’s Can Gio District and Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province at VND45.7 billion and VND53.6 billion respectively as demanded to avoid wearisome court proceedings.
The Dong Nai-based monosodium glutamate producer also said it would announce compensation for farmers in Dong Nai Province within the next three days, said Nguyen Van Phung, chairman of the HCMC Farmers’ Union after a meeting here on Monday. The compensation for Dong Nai farmers has not yet been announced while pending the damages calculated by the Institute of Environment and Natural Resources.
The enterprise has plans to sign a compensation agreement with representatives from Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province and HCMC on August 13, Phung said after the meeting at the City Hall attended by representatives of farmers, Vedan and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
“Vedan suggested that it give 50% of the sums for the two provinces one week after the agreement is signed and the rest amount before next January. However, the provinces have yet to agree to the deadline,” Phung added.
Lawyer Nguyen Van Hau, legal representative of Can Gio farmers in the lawsuit, said he would join lawyer Nguyen Trong Nghia and the union to write the compensation minutes.
“We will stop the case as we have achieved our goal,” Hau said.
Bui Cach Tuyen, head of the Vietnam Environment Administration, said the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment applauded Vedan’s goodwill and would create favorable conditions for the enterprise to develop long-term business in Vietnam.
Meanwhile, Vedan representatives after the meeting affirmed that the company did not avoid its responsibilities and wanted to assist farmers either with compensations or financial support.
However, Nguyen Duc, chairman of Dong Nai Province’s Bar Association, said local farmers still had the right to sue the enterprise despite the compensations.
“The two sides will have 40 days for reconciliation after farmers bring the case to court. This is the best way for both farmers and the enterprise,” Duc said.
The enterprise earlier tried to postpone compensating for several times and offered inadequate compensation for economic damages it had triggered by polluting the Thi Vai River. Local governments later affirmed their determination to sue the polluter when duration for the lawsuit was about to end.
The environment ministry strongly advocated the lawsuit against the enterprise, forcing it to suddenly raise the combined amount of compensation to VND130 billion from the earlier suggested VND56 billion, with VND60 billion going to Dong Nai, VND40 billion to Ba Ria-Vung Tau and VND30 billion to HCMC.
The farmers’ case has also won supports from the society. A few days ago, several supermarkets and wholesalers in the country removed monosodium glutamate and other seasoning products made by Vedan from their shelves to boycott the polluter.