HCMC – Polluter Vedan Vietnam last Friday signed a minute to compensate nearly VND120 billion for farmers from Long Thanh and Nhon Trach districts in Dong Nai Province for damages cause by its illegal discharge of untreated wastewater into the Thi Vai River, but one stakeholder could prevent the deal from going through.
The sum includes VND88.8 billion for farmers in Long Tho and Phuoc An communes in Nhon Trach and VND30.7 billion for Long Phuoc and Phuoc Thai communes in Long Thanh.
Most families in Dong Nai as of September 9 had accepted the compensation offer while only Vien Dong Company still insisted on individually suing Vedan. Vien Dong has demanded compensation for its 28 hectares of farming land in Long Thanh District.
Representatives signing the minute will cooperate with relevant departments to try and persuade Vien Dong to accept the offer. The offer will still take effect even if Vien Dong insists on bringing the lawsuit to the court, as it will be settled in a separate case.
Vedan in the minute pledged to give the sum providing that local farmers would not file a lawsuit for damages. The minute was signed between representatives of farmers’ unions in the locality and Yang Kun Hsiang, general director of the Taiwan-based monosodium glutamate producer.
Vedan would transfer half of the compensation to farmers within seven days of the signing day. The remainder would be transferred on January 14, 2011 at the latest, underwritten by the HCMC branch of Bangkok Bank.
Vedan two years ago was found to discharge untreated wastewater into the Thi Vai River. Dong Nai Province suffered most from the pollution.
Vedan has so far headed off lawsuits from angry farmers, tired of waiting for their losses to be paid for, by agreeing to compensate nearly VND220 billion for three affected localities of Dong Nai, Ba Ria-Vung Tau and HCMC. The sum is nine times higher than that initially offered by Vedan.
