Parents let students off school to protest waste treatment plant construction

Tran Thi Thanh Thuy, member of the Standing Committee of the Hung Yen Party Committee, said that starting Sept. 5, hundreds of parents, mostly in Hoa Dam Village, have not allowed their children to attend school to protest the construction of the Hoa Phong waste treatment plant.

On Sept. 5, 407 students were missing from school, while the numbers died down to 325 on Sept. 6, and 216 on Sept. 7, she added.

Thuy said not allowing children to go to school is a serious violation of the Children Law, affecting their rights to be educated.

"Using students as a tool to put pressure on authorities is inappropriate, making the children the ones to lose," she said.

Thuy added the waste treatment plant project is still in its preparatory phase, has not received investment while environmental impact assessment has yet to occur.

The land plot of paddy fields in the north of Hoa Phong Commune has been appropriated by Hung Yen People's Committee for the construction of a solid waste treatment plant, according to Hung Yen Television Station.

Hung Yen authorities said locals are concerned about possible environmental impacts of the waste treatment plant, which could affect their daily lives and production.