According to Vedan General Director Yang Kun Hsiang, the Taiwanese-owned monosodium glutamate (MSG) maker proposed transfering 50 percent of its compensation payment to affected farmers in four communes of Long Thanh and Nhon Trach districts within seven days as of August 11 and the rest from Jan. 10-14, 2011. 

Vedan has also agreed to pay VND 45.7 billion to affected ones in HCM City and VND 53.6 billion to those in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province.  

Also on August 11, the local lawyers’ delegations continued giving affected local farmers legal advice on in filing their suits against Vedan. More than 1,200 documents on the issue have been sent to the court. 

In September 2008, Vedan was caught discharging untreated waste water into the Thi Vai river by environment police and inspectors.

Research by the Institute of Environment and Natural Resources of HCM City National University found Vedan’s waste water had polluted 80-90 percent of water in the Thi Vai river which runs nearly 80 km through HCM City, Dong Nai and Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinces. 

Up to 2,700 ha of fish farms along the banks of the river had been affected badly, including 2,100 ha in Dong Nai and the remaining 600 ha in HCM City and Ba Ria-Vung Tau.