[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
DAM-L LS: Difficulties at Song Hing resettlement site, VN (fwd)
Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2001 12:47:24 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <200108231947.f7NJlO025401@DaVinci.NetVista.net>
Subject: LS: Difficulties at Song Hing resettlement site, VN
Translated from the Vietnamese.
VNEXPRESS
Vietnam express news
Sunday, Aug. 12, 2001
Difficulties in resettlement site, Song Hinh hydropower
"Trying to harvest bamboo shoots is extremely difficult with lots of
dangers in the forest. When the bamboo season is over, resettlers sell
their cattle for rice. Headman Oi Duc sold 4 of his cows", said Ma Muong,
70 years old in Mui village, Ea Trol commune, Song Hinh district, Phu Yen
province.
Located in the reservoir area of Song Hinh hydropower, since 1998 people in
Duc and Mui villages, Song Hinh district had to move to the resettlement
site at the elevation 230m above the sea, 15 km from the town. Each family
received VND 15 million. They used this money to build new brick
houses. There is also electricity in this resettlement site. However, 130
families with 650 people consisting of Ede and Bana ethnic minority groups
have faced the difficulty of having no land for cultivation. With a total
of less than 20 ha of very poor land, resettlers are unable to grow
anything there. There are only few small plots of arable land surrounding
the village. Some families have to share land that they bought in other
villages to grow staple foods and subsidiary crops.
In order to survive, resettlers have to go into the forest to collect
bamboo shoots. Unfortunately, the numbers of bamboo shoots have been
decreasing, so they have to go further into the deep forest, near border
with Daklak province. Older people and women usually go for a day, while
young men go for several days. Each day they collect 2-3kg of bamboo
shoot. But sometimes they come back without any thing. The price for 1 kg
of bamboo is VND 2,000, which they can use to buy 2 cups of rice.
Their houses are connected to the electric grid, but only 50% of the
families have enough money to pay for it. There are about 10 TV sets in
both villages, mainly belonging to bamboo traders, who stay
temporarily. According to Ma Nhach, Vice Chairman of the Commune's People
Committee, there are 45 very poor families in the resettlement site, 98
people are illiterate. People's living conditions are 3-4 times worse than
before their moving. The problem of poverty and illiteracy has been
increasing.
(According to Youth)