The Ha Tinh Provincial Labour Federation’s vice president Tran Dac Hoa said, “Vung Ang EZ has now returned to normalcy. People are back to work and Taiwanese and Chinese workers are safe and protected.”

The riot occurred on the afternoon of May 14 at the steel complex developed by Taiwan’s Formosa Plastics Group in the zone, around 500 kilometres from Hanoi. It came after peaceful protests started in the morning against China’s Haiyang Shiyou 981 oil rig illegally placed in Vietnamese waters in the East Sea.

“Ha Tinh mobilised its entire political system to deal with the incident, strictly punished those who incited the riot and have ensured medical care for wounded workers,” Hoa said.

Provincial authorities have also worked with Formosa to ensure security and order, and to protect the complex’s workers and its assets, Hoa added.

In related news, the management board of Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) in the southern Binh Duong province, announced that more than 200 foreign businesses at the park have also resumed normal operations after similar riots in the southern provinces.

“VSIP puts the safety of businesses and all staff as our top priority. We are still on alert and observing the situation closely,” said a VSIP representative.