Up to 407 kindergarten, elementary, and middle school students have skipped classes since September 5 as their parents protest against the construction of a waste treatment plant in the northern Vietnamese province of Hung Yen, local authorities said on Friday.

Dao Trong Khang, chairman of Hoa Phong Commune in My Hao Town, said that the authorities, school management boards, and teachers are trying to convince parents to let their children return to schools.

“As far as we have been informed by the families in question, the parents have simultaneously made the children to stay home as a way to show their disagreement against the construction of the Hoa Phong waste treatment project in Hoa Dam Village, Hoa Phong Commune,” Khang said.

The chairman added that the local and provincial administrations have explained to residents several times about the eligibility of the project and the investor’s preparation for an environmental impact assessment but to no avail.

Children play on a street instead of going to school as their parents protest against the construction of a waste treatment plant in Hoa Phong Commune, My Hao Town, Hung Yen Province, Vietnam in this photo taken on September 9, 2022. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre

According to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper’s research, the Hoa Phong waste treatment project is meant to treat industrial waste only, with a designed capacity of 65,000 metric tons of industrial waste per year. 

It is expected to produce about 16 million solid bricks and 7,000 metric tons of aluminum and copper each year upon its operation.

The commune- and provincial-level authorities have repeatedly held dialogues and listened to 150 local people’s concerns about the project’s environmental issues and its impacts on daily life and production.

The latest dialogue took place on August 31.

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