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| Hundreds Arrested in Riots Targeting Foreign Factories in Vietnam | Hundreds Arrested in Riots Targeting Foreign Factories in Vietnam |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| HANOI, Vietnam — More than 400 people were arrested after riots in which scores of foreign-owned factories were damaged or destroyed in an industrial area in southern Vietnam, the authorities said Wednesday. | |
| The upheaval on Tuesday was the worst public unrest in recent Vietnamese history, involving thousands of workers. It reportedly began as demonstrations against China’s stationing of an oil drilling rig in disputed waters off Vietnam’s coast. But the protests boiled over into widespread violence, as workers rampaged through a dense industrial area in a northern suburb of Ho Chi Minh City, once known as Saigon. The area has rows of cavernous buildings where thousands of mostly young workers stitch together sneakers and clothing for sale around the world. | The upheaval on Tuesday was the worst public unrest in recent Vietnamese history, involving thousands of workers. It reportedly began as demonstrations against China’s stationing of an oil drilling rig in disputed waters off Vietnam’s coast. But the protests boiled over into widespread violence, as workers rampaged through a dense industrial area in a northern suburb of Ho Chi Minh City, once known as Saigon. The area has rows of cavernous buildings where thousands of mostly young workers stitch together sneakers and clothing for sale around the world. |
| “No one knows what really caused the riots — only initially did it seem to be about the Chinese,” Truong Huy San, an author and well-known blogger, said by telephone after touring the industrial zone. “These were totally uncontrolled crowds.” | “No one knows what really caused the riots — only initially did it seem to be about the Chinese,” Truong Huy San, an author and well-known blogger, said by telephone after touring the industrial zone. “These were totally uncontrolled crowds.” |
| The great majority of the affected factories and workshops were owned by Taiwanese or South Korean companies. | The great majority of the affected factories and workshops were owned by Taiwanese or South Korean companies. |
| “There was quite a lot of damage,” said Chen Bor-show, the director-general for the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, which functions as Taiwan’s de facto consulate in Ho Chi Minh City. Mr. Chen said that around 200 Taiwanese companies were affected. | “There was quite a lot of damage,” said Chen Bor-show, the director-general for the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, which functions as Taiwan’s de facto consulate in Ho Chi Minh City. Mr. Chen said that around 200 Taiwanese companies were affected. |
| The South Korean Foreign Ministry said 50 Korean-owned factories were damaged in the riots, and one South Korean citizen was hospitalized with injuries that were not life-threatening. | The South Korean Foreign Ministry said 50 Korean-owned factories were damaged in the riots, and one South Korean citizen was hospitalized with injuries that were not life-threatening. |
| Mr. San, the blogger, who uses the pen name Huy Duc, said that some of the workshops were very severely damaged. “It’s kind of a disaster zone,” he said. “Everyone is scared. There are hundred of factories that will have to close for weeks or months.” | Mr. San, the blogger, who uses the pen name Huy Duc, said that some of the workshops were very severely damaged. “It’s kind of a disaster zone,” he said. “Everyone is scared. There are hundred of factories that will have to close for weeks or months.” |
| Mr. San said the riots were a signal to Vietnam’s authoritarian government that workers needed avenues to express their grievances. Independent unions are banned in Vietnam. | Mr. San said the riots were a signal to Vietnam’s authoritarian government that workers needed avenues to express their grievances. Independent unions are banned in Vietnam. |
| “I don’t know whether the government recognizes the very important message that was sent from this province,” he said. “The government needs to do something to change their thinking and policy.” | “I don’t know whether the government recognizes the very important message that was sent from this province,” he said. “The government needs to do something to change their thinking and policy.” |
| Tran Van Nam, the vice chairman of Binh Duong Province, where the violence occurred, was quoted by a Vietnamese online news site, VNExpress, saying that around 19,000 workers were involved in the protests on Tuesday. | Tran Van Nam, the vice chairman of Binh Duong Province, where the violence occurred, was quoted by a Vietnamese online news site, VNExpress, saying that around 19,000 workers were involved in the protests on Tuesday. |
| Another provincial official, Tran Xuan Nam, said in a telephone interview late Wednesday that the situation there was “stable” and that 447 suspects had been detained. “We will restore order as soon as possible,” he said. | Another provincial official, Tran Xuan Nam, said in a telephone interview late Wednesday that the situation there was “stable” and that 447 suspects had been detained. “We will restore order as soon as possible,” he said. |
| Mr. Nam said that 20 factories had been “seriously destroyed.” He attributed the riots to “extremism,” but did not elaborate. | Mr. Nam said that 20 factories had been “seriously destroyed.” He attributed the riots to “extremism,” but did not elaborate. |
| The Chinese Embassy in Hanoi issued a warning on Wednesday to Chinese citizens in Vietnam, urging them to “minimize unnecessary outings.” The Hong Kong government posted a travel alert, warning residents to “avoid protests and large gatherings of people.” | The Chinese Embassy in Hanoi issued a warning on Wednesday to Chinese citizens in Vietnam, urging them to “minimize unnecessary outings.” The Hong Kong government posted a travel alert, warning residents to “avoid protests and large gatherings of people.” |
| The business effects of the riots were not immediately clear. | The business effects of the riots were not immediately clear. |
| Yue Yuen, a Taiwan-based company that manufactures shoes for Nike, Adidas and other brands, said that it had given its workers in Vietnam the day off on Wednesday, and had not yet decided whether to reopen on Thursday, even though its factories were not damaged and none of its workers were injured. Jerry Shum, the company’s head of investor relations, said that Yue Yuen expected calm to return quickly to industrial districts in the country, and believed that it could still meet its monthly production targets. | Yue Yuen, a Taiwan-based company that manufactures shoes for Nike, Adidas and other brands, said that it had given its workers in Vietnam the day off on Wednesday, and had not yet decided whether to reopen on Thursday, even though its factories were not damaged and none of its workers were injured. Jerry Shum, the company’s head of investor relations, said that Yue Yuen expected calm to return quickly to industrial districts in the country, and believed that it could still meet its monthly production targets. |
| Even so, the company’s shares, listed on the Hong Kong stock market, fell 4.95 percent in heavy trading on Wednesday. | Even so, the company’s shares, listed on the Hong Kong stock market, fell 4.95 percent in heavy trading on Wednesday. |
| As a measure of the scale of production in Vietnam and its importance to global trade, Yue Yuen made 313 million pairs of shoes last year, a third of them in Vietnam. | As a measure of the scale of production in Vietnam and its importance to global trade, Yue Yuen made 313 million pairs of shoes last year, a third of them in Vietnam. |
| Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the rioting and called on the demonstrators to “exercise self-control, don’t behave irrationally, damage Taiwanese factory equipment or threaten the safety of Taiwanese business people.” Further damage, the statement said, “could harm Taiwan’s willingness to invest, and harm the longstanding friendly relations between the people of Taiwan and Vietnam.” | Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the rioting and called on the demonstrators to “exercise self-control, don’t behave irrationally, damage Taiwanese factory equipment or threaten the safety of Taiwanese business people.” Further damage, the statement said, “could harm Taiwan’s willingness to invest, and harm the longstanding friendly relations between the people of Taiwan and Vietnam.” |
| Protests against China began on Monday along roads in the industrial suburb, according to a statement by the Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park, one of the affected areas. It said that the protesters then singled out companies that were owned or managed by Chinese companies or Chinese expatriates. | Protests against China began on Monday along roads in the industrial suburb, according to a statement by the Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park, one of the affected areas. It said that the protesters then singled out companies that were owned or managed by Chinese companies or Chinese expatriates. |
| A Vietnamese official said that some of the rioters had circulated through the industrial area on motorcycles. | A Vietnamese official said that some of the rioters had circulated through the industrial area on motorcycles. |
| The maritime dispute between China and Vietnam, the ostensible spark for the protests, began in early May when China towed a huge drilling rig to a spot in the South China Sea 140 miles off the coast of Vietnam and about 17 miles from a small coral atoll that is claimed by both countries. Each side sent ships and boats to the area, and there were several confrontations and collisions last week, with each side blaming the other. | The maritime dispute between China and Vietnam, the ostensible spark for the protests, began in early May when China towed a huge drilling rig to a spot in the South China Sea 140 miles off the coast of Vietnam and about 17 miles from a small coral atoll that is claimed by both countries. Each side sent ships and boats to the area, and there were several confrontations and collisions last week, with each side blaming the other. |
| The war of words over the drilling rig continued on Wednesday. The Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi, criticized Vietnam for “dispatching a large number of ships to forcibly intervene and brutally ram” Chinese ships, and insisted that the drilling project was nothing new. “This operation was started 10 years ago,” Mr. Wang was quoted as saying in a statement posted online by the foreign ministry. | The war of words over the drilling rig continued on Wednesday. The Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi, criticized Vietnam for “dispatching a large number of ships to forcibly intervene and brutally ram” Chinese ships, and insisted that the drilling project was nothing new. “This operation was started 10 years ago,” Mr. Wang was quoted as saying in a statement posted online by the foreign ministry. |