Workers need to remain calm and composed, and not let themselves be taken advantage of by unscrupulous individuals.

On the afternoon of May 15th, the Propaganda Department of the Ha Tinh Provincial Party Committee held a press conference to provide information on the situation in the Vung Ang Economic Zone. Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Le Thanh Long attended and spoke at the press conference.

Scene from the press conference on the afternoon of May 15th. Photo: Tien Phong Newspaper

According to reports from authorities, on the morning of May 14th, approximately 40 people on motorbikes, carrying banners, marched to protest China's placement of the HD 981 oil rig in Vietnam's exclusive economic zone. In response, provincial and Ky Anh district authorities promptly arrived, disseminating information and urging the crowd to remain calm, behave appropriately, and avoid being exploited by malicious individuals.

However, at around 4:30 PM on the same day, clashes broke out between Chinese and Vietnamese workers at the blast furnace construction site. At the main gate of Formosa, some individuals incited unrest by claiming that a Vietnamese worker had been beaten to death by Chinese workers at the construction site; consequently, thousands of Vietnamese workers present gathered, and some engaged in fights with the Chinese. In some locations, the extremists set fire to temporary structures; some individuals stole materials and equipment from the construction site.

During the incident, 149 people sustained minor injuries and one person died en route to the hospital. By midnight on May 14th, authorities had dispersed the gatherings, extinguished the fires, and stabilized the situation both inside and outside the Formosa project area. Currently, the Ky Anh Police have initiated criminal proceedings and detained 76 people in connection with the disturbance, property destruction, theft, and intentional infliction of injury.

At the press conference, representatives from relevant agencies and leaders of Ky Anh district provided information and answered questions, clarifying some details and issues of interest to the press in order to ensure objective and timely reporting, contributing to guiding public opinion and stabilizing the situation.

Speaking at the press conference, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Le Thanh Long stated that the clash that occurred in the Vung Ang Economic Zone on May 14th was a regrettable incident. On behalf of the provincial leadership, Deputy Secretary Le Thanh Long extended his deepest condolences to the families of those who died and to the workers who were injured in the clash.

Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Le Thanh Long affirmed that immediately after the incident occurred, the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Committee, and the entire political system mobilized to propagate and encourage people and workers to restrain themselves and remain calm to prevent malicious individuals from taking advantage; mobilized functional forces to manage and protect the safety of experts, workers, and property at construction sites, workplaces, and residences; continued to care for those injured, and arranged security at hospitals and medical facilities to ensure absolute safety.

"We respect the way people express their patriotism, but we cannot accept and must resolutely deal with acts of violence, incitement, exploitation for the purpose of causing unrest, theft of property, etc.," emphasized Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Le Thanh Long.

According to Ha Tinh Newspaper