[Vnbiz] "Mountain Pirates" attack rangers

[Tran Dinh Hoanh]

Dear CACC.


According to this VNExpress article, on August 26 more than 30 "mountain
pirates" attacked the ranger station at Quang Tan Forest District (my
translation of Lam Truong Quang Tan) (Dak Nong), injuring 9 rangers.  The
cause for the attack was that "Quang Tan Forest District was proceeding to
clear up and reclaim the forest land that the forest pirates had ruined,
sold and bought unlawfully, to regrow the forest."

Well, this article doesn't sound right.  First, "pirates" don't stay at one
location and sell and buy the land or the woods.  "Pirates"
are usually constantly on the move, mostly in secret or under disguise,
including disguise by fake  paperworks.  People who stay at one place on the
land are usually regular citizens.  Second, "pirates" don't usually start
the attack.  Usually they get caught while doing something illegal and then
they attack to run (i.e., more or less "defensive attack").  They don't go
to the police (ranger) station to start their own attack.

I sense from the article that the forest authority is claiming the land
and, for some reason, the citizens on the land feel angry.  Chances are some
citizens feel that injustice has been done to them.

Whatever the truth is, I think this case deserve some serious attention from
the central authority.  This case should not be left to the local
"authority" to deal with "lam tac."  Calling people by "lam tac" won't make
them pirates.

And the press should be more intelligent, fair minded and accurate.  If the
local authority calls these people lam tac, then the press should says that
"more than 30 people, who the forest authority at Quang Tan Forest District
calls lam tac,..."

Also, this case is in Dak Nong.  Any case involving any piece of land in Tay
Nguyen may involve some deep-rooted ethnic issue.  We need to be more
careful and should not take the word of the local authority for granted.
Someone in the central government needs to keep a close eye on these
problems.

Have a great day!

Hoanh

_________

Chủ nhật, 27/8/2006, 09:47 GMT+7

Xử lý vụ lâm tặc tấn công gây thương 9 kiểm lâm

 Ngày 26/8, Công an huyện Đắk R'Lấp (tỉnh Đắk Nông) đã khám nghiệm hiện
trường, thu thập chứng cứ để xử lý vụ hơn 30 lâm tặc tấn công làm bị thương
9 nhân viên bảo vệ rừng của lâm trường Quảng Tân.

Khoảng 15 giờ ngày 24/8, hơn 30 lâm tặc bất ngờ sử dụng hung khí như dao, lồ
ô vót nhọn, gạch đá... tấn công nhân viên trạm bảo vệ rừng tại tiểu khu 1532
lâm trường Quảng Tân. Trạm bảo vệ rừng bị lâm tặc đập phá hoàn toàn, cả 9
nhân viên bị thương phải cấp cứu ở Bệnh viện Đa khoa huyện Đắk R'Lấp.

Nguyên nhân dẫn đến vụ hành hung này là do lâm trường Quảng Tân tiến hành
giải tỏa, thu hồi diện tích rừng bị lâm tặc phá và mua bán trái phép để
trồng lại rừng.

(Theo Người lao động)


-- 
Tran Dinh Hoanh, LLB, JD
Attorney of Law
Washington DC
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