Over 100 farmers have illegally claimed land plots belonging to a forestry company in the southern Vietnamese province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau and turned them into their cassava plantations.

Local residents started gathering in the land areas managed by Ba Ria-Vung Tau Forestry Company (BAFOCO) in Hoa Hoi Commune, Xuan Moc District on Saturday morning.

The pieces of land are located within a 4,400-square-meter area of which BAFOCO has legal ownership.

There were only 10 people at first, Dang Thanh Minh, chairman of the People’s Committee in Xuan Moc District said, adding that the mob grew larger until the number of people exceeded 100.

Many of them were planting their cassava on the land parcels, Minh continued.

Security guards of the company filmed the incident and reported it to local authorities.

The provincial People’s Committee convenes an urgent meeting on July 14, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Local officials were unable to convince the farmers to stop their illegal action and had to impose administrative fines upon the violators.

According to Luu Ngoc Chau, chairman of BAFOCO, the firm’s security guards and officers tried their best to avoid physical confrontations with the locals.

The provincial administration convened an urgent meeting on the afternoon of the same day to prevent the situation from escalating.

Competent authorities were tasked with talking with each family about the issue as well as sternly punishing those who stirred up the disorder.

It was a clear violation, Nguyen Van Trinh, chairman of the Ba Ria-Vung Tau People’s Committee, asserted, adding that the local residents may face criminal charges if they repeat such offense.

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