Bauxite Mining in Tay Nguyen - An Environmental Massacre

Seventy-five miles (120 km) west of Van Phong Bay lies the high-land region of Tay Nguyen. It is often called the "Rooftop of the Southeast," because it is the apex of Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia. When North Vietnamese forces gained control of Tay Nguyen on 12 March 1975, the defensive vulnerability of Saigon was exposed, the war then quickly came to an end on 30 April 1975. Many military experts have acknowledged the strategic importance of the region.

Tay Nguyen is an area that contains more than 8 billion tonnes of bauxite reserve, the third largest of its kind in the world or about one-fifth of the world total reserves. Bauxite production is processed into aluminum, where one of the main uses is for weaponry development, (aircraft, arms and missiles) which Vietnam neither consume nor develop at this time. Bauxite mining, therefore, is mainly for export to serve the need and demand of major arms-developing countries such as United States, Russia, and particularly China - the major investor behind the projects in Tay Nguyen. Although anxious to modernize its armed forces, China doesn't want to develop bauxite inside its border. Last year, even with nearly $2 billion USD already invested, China decided to pull the plug at the 11th hour, citing environmental concerns. Since then, China has aggressively and eagerly sent thousands of its workers into Vietnam to expedite the mining projects in Tay Nguyen.

Despite objections from Vo Nguyen Giap and other prominent members of the one-party state, Vietnam's central party still gave bauxite mining the green light. It led to outcry by leading scientists whose findings concluded that the risks far outweigh the benefits. The electrolytic process of turning bauxite into aluminum requires massive amount of electricity, water and gas - up to 16,000 KW of electricity per ton of aluminum produced. Vietnam cannot afford to waste those scarce resources for aluminum at this time. Furthermore, that process produces toxic red mud that will be dumped in the ground. Rainfall would then sunk the toxic waste into the groundwater, streams, and rivers - effectively polluting the entire region's water resource from highland to lowland. Australia is currently the biggest aluminum producer in the world, however, its vast desert and dry weather allow the toxic red sludge to be dumped hundreds of miles away from human habitation. Vietnam is not Australia, and cannot afford to turn fertile land into red desert wasteland. Its tropical climate and heavy rainfall make it unsuitable. Furthermore, to make room for the mining and dumping site, thousands of families would have to be displaced, and thousands more trees have to be chopped down.

The irreversible social and environmental consequences are dead serious. To proceed with bauxite mining would be absolutely irresponsible, a massacre on the grandest scale to the environment. What gives for a few dollars more. What could possibly be more important than national security and interests, environmental care, and care for humanity.

We call on all concerned groups, individuals, officials to engage the parties involved and seek an immediate halt to the bauxite projects in Tay Nguyen. Last year, public opinion and participation had successfully thwarted an ill-conceived plan to build a steel mill project in Van Phong Bay. Can public opinion and the people steer the one-party state in the right direction again?