CTV Danlambao / Translated by Như Ngọc - On the afternoon of May 14, 2014, a bloody conflict targeting Chinese workers occurred at the Formosa project site in Ky Anh, Ha Tinh province. The violence has escalated to a horrific level since the evening, until midnight there is no any sign of ending.
An unconfirmed source told Danlambao that many Vietnamese and Chinese have been killed during the riots. The Ky Anh Hospital is fully packed with injured people. The number of casualties is said to be very large.
Earlier, at 7 a.m. on the same day, about 1,000 Formosa project workers stopped their work to stage a protest against the Chinese incursion. According to Dan Tri newspaper, the rallies took place in a peaceful and orderly manner. However, the situation became very tense in the afternoon at the project site.
In the evening many strangers came over to block the gates of the Formosa project site. Reportedly, they are not workers or local residents.
The conflict started when a vehicle carrying Chinese workers was attacked and the buildings of Chinese workers were also torched and burned.
Riot police were mobilized to the scene quite early, but the violence continued to increase terribly during the evening.
The horrifying images posted on social networking sites show the horrific scenes of the violence. Dozens of victims lying on the ground motionless with bloody face and their fates are unknown.
Violence continues to escalate without an ending sign at late night. The entire are of the project site has been barricaded. Neither Vietnamese nor Chinese workers can get out because of uncontrollable violence.
Sources from Ha Tinh say that many nonviolent workers are trapped between the conflicts.
At dawn on May 15, 2014, the violence still has no sign of ending. The violent attacks targeting Chinese companies and the Chinese people are becoming very serious while Vietnamese police forces are almost helpless and completely unable to control the situation.
The iron and steel complex and deep water port being developed by the Formosa group of Taiwan is a multi-billion project located in Vung Ang Economic Zone, Ky Anh district, Ha Tinh province.
Currently, the project employs about 7,000 workers and experts from Vietnam, Taiwan and China. Because many Chinese companies have won contracts and the irresponsibility of Ha Tinh authorities, an estimated 4,000 Chinese workers have come to work here without a work visa.
