Kon Tum (VNA) – The People’s Committee of the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum on July 27 provided the media with information about the recent land incident related to the Kon Tum Rubber Co. Ltd in Ia Chim commune of Kon Tum city.

Accordingly, on June 30, residents of Plei Sar and Lam Tung hamlets in Ia Chim commune occupied nearly 210 hectares of land cleared by the Kon Tum Rubber Co. Ltd, and asked the company to return the land to them.

Bui Thanh Binh, Office Chief of the Kon Tum provincial People’s Committee, said the claim for the land was irrational since the land area belongs to the State and is being used by the Kon Tum Rubber Co. Ltd for cultivation.

The provincial People’s Committee directed Kon Tum city and relevant agencies to persuade the residents to remove tents they had illegally erected in the area and handed over the land. They also asked local households without land for production to send written requests to authorised agencies.

However, the residents of the two hamlets refused to take down their tents and continued to occupy the land, causing social disorder, Binh noted.

On July 24, as permitted by the Kon Tum municipal People’s Committee, authorised forces of Ia Chim commune and guards of Kon Tum Rubber Company removed the illegally planted tents. During the process, the residents strongly resisted and attacked the authorised forces, forcing Kon Tum authorities to use backup forces and support tools to dissolve the crowd and suspend the tent removal.

After that, relevant forces continued to persuade the residents to remove tents and markers used to illegally divide the land. Later the same day, the people took down tents by themselves, Binh said, adding that the situation in the area has basically stabilised at present.

Chairman of the Kon Tum municipal People’s Committee Huynh Tan Phuc said before the incident, the city’s administration had met with local residents and made it clear that if they need farm and residential land, they should sent written requests to communal authorities. The local administration had also sent staff to instruct the residents to fill related forms. Sixteen written requests have been submitted by local people as of July 27.

Binh said the provincial People’s Committee will order relevant agencies to step up communication activities to raise public awareness. Kon Tum city has to keep working with authorised agencies to solve the incident in line with the law while guiding residents to make requests for land provision.-VNA
VNA