Plans for the projects, including a total area of nearly 1,150 hectares (2,840 acres) in seven towns and districts, have already made life hard for thousands of farmers, who have not been allowed to transfer their land titles, change the purpose of land use or build a house since the projects were announce, a newspaper reported.

Regulations ban such changes to land slated forgovernmental projects.

Tay Ninh is located along the border with Cambodia.

"The farmers have asked us to cancel the projects if we fail to invest. We discussed [the issue] thoroughly over the past two years before the decision,” said Huynh Van Quang, deputy chair of Tay Ninh People’s Committee.

The canceled projects include Binh Minh, Bau Rong, Co Khi, Tan Dong, Suoi Ngo, Dong Khoi, Suoi Can, Bau Don, Long Chu and Tien Thuan.

The provincial administration also modified plans for the Tan Ha Industrial Complex project, shrinking it from 150 hectares to 50 hectares.

Ho Minh Hai, a farmer whose land had been zoned for the Bau Don project, said he everybody was happy about the decision because now they would get to keep their land.

"We are farmers. We don’t know how to make a living if our farms are revoked,” he said.

Another farmer, Hai Nguyet, said she had to buy a land plot nearby to build a house because she could not do so on the previously-zoned land.

The provincial deputy chair Quang said authorities were looking into another 13 industrial complex projects and would cancel more if they came across unworthy projects.