Vietnamese authorities have pledged to support foreign firms and foreigners hit by recent worker riots taking place in many industrial parks, mostly in the southern region.

The riots broke out on May 13 and 14 in Ho Chi Minh City, the southern provinces of Binh Duong and Dong Nai, and Ha Tinh Province in the central region after aggressive elements took advantage of peaceful marches against China’s unauthorized placement of drilling rig Haiyang Shiyou 981 in Vietnamese waters to incite violence.

Rioters then attacked many companies including foreign-invested enterprises, damaging corporate assets, looting property, and even resisting police officers.

Vietnam is committed to protecting foreign investors, Minister of Planning and Investment Bui Quang Vinh said Thursday in a document sent to foreign embassies, organizations, and provincial People's Committees.

The ministry urged in the document that stronger measures be taken to ensure the resumption of normal business activities in industrial parks around the country.

Vinh said it is a pity that spontaneous rioting happened in the past days and Vietnamese authorities at all levels will help foreign investors and businesses overcome this difficulty.

He added that the ministry hopes to receive sympathy and support from business associations and organizations in order to pacify foreign investors.

The riots were instigated by many bad people who disguised themselves as workers to make use of peaceful marches against China’s illegal placement of drilling rig Haiyang Shiyou 981 in Vietnamese waters to provoke extremist behavior, causing the loss of property for a number of foreign-invested enterprises, worrying the investor community, and seriously affecting the investment environment in Vietnam, Vinh said.

“Vietnam took strong measures to prevent those violent activities from escalating and spreading. Many riot leaders and instigators have been arrested for investigation and they will be punished pursuant to the law,” the minister underlined.

To remedy the situation, central and local state agencies have proactively provided official information for the workers, asked them not to listen to the incitement by extremists, and advised them to be responsible for protecting foreign-invested businesses for the country’s and their own interests, he said.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment has sent emergency documents to local authorities, the management boards of industrial zones and economic zones, and Departments of Planning and Investment, urging them to control the situation and safeguard the assets and production activities of foreign enterprises in Vietnam.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on Thursday issued an official message to the Ministry of Public Security and relevant ministries, demanding they protect foreign investors.

Timely response

Also on Thursday, Le Hoang Quan – chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, said at a meeting with the consuls general of many countries, trade associations, and representatives of foreign enterprises that the city has stepped up security measures to ensure maximum support for foreign firms. 

"We have directed that all agencies coordinate with their counterparts in such neighboring localities as Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Tay Ninh, and Vung Tau to ensure absolute safety for foreign businesses and expats in Vietnam,” Quan said.

The city authorities are checking all the information and will assist companies that had their assets damaged in the riots in rebuilding their demolished facilities as well as offer tax relief to them so that they can resume their operations, the chairman added.

Many foreign businesses coming from Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Germany, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Hong Kong complained at the same meeting that many workers took advantage of the crowds to break into their production facilities to loot assets, forcing many foreign experts to find shelter.

Meanwhile, Tran Van Nam, deputy chairman of the Binh Duong People’s Committee, asserted on Wednesday that the provincial authorities will leave no stone unturned to protect foreign investors and their assets.

He said local officials will evaluate damage suffered by businesses and give financial support to those enterprises which had their properties destroyed in the recent riots.

The Binh Duong government has also called on people to keep calm, act with restraint, and not to be incited to commit illegal acts.

Over 1,000 people have been arrested on suspicion of inciting the riots, which left one dead and injured 149 others.

Police are classifying them into groups for such charges as “openly appropriating property,” “destroying or deliberately damaging property,” “causing public disorder,” and “resisting persons in the performance of their official duties.”