There have been a number of strikes in Vietnam's capital city of Hanoi. And more and more workers from surrounding provinces and cities have joined the strikes as well. Several local Taiwanese businesses have been affected, including four factory plants of Pou Chen Corporation. Many worry that local Taiwanese businessmen might be in harm's way if the strikes escalate into violent clashes. In response, the Ministry of Economics said that the Vietnamese government has promised to keep the local Taiwanese businessmen safe.
The tear gas has dispersed the protestors. Vietnamese government dispatched riot police on the morning of June 10 to quell the strike and close to 100 protestors were apprehended. The strikes have been gradually escalating. The Council of Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce in Vietnam issued a statement on June 12, saying that the more and more strikes have taken place in other cities and provinces in Vietnam, including Tay Ninh, Long An and Binh Du'o'ng Province, as well as Ho Chi Minh City. Among the local Taiwanese businesses that have been affected, the Pou Chen Corporation has suffered the most lost.
Work has stopped on some of the production lines in our factory plant in Ho Chi Minh City, and in other two plants in Tay Ninh and Tay Giang Province.
In Binh Du'o'ng Province, where the largest number of Taiwanese businesses are located, only one shoe factory has so far halted production whereas others have yet to be affected. The Council of Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce in Vietnam refers to the 2014 Vietnam anti-China protest, and said that Taiwanese businesses are not the targets; they've rather just fallen victim to the protests. However, Taiwanese bicycle component manufacturer, DDK, suffered severe lost during the 2014 incident. Their factory plant which is19,835 square meters was burned down and led to one death and one injury. The ongoing strikes have led many to worry that similar clashes might break out again.
Many local Vietnamese are emotional because they worry that, like in 1999, the land might be sold to Chinese buyers. In their eyes, Taiwan is nothing different from China. They can't tell the difference.
We talked to Vietnam's representative in Taipei. They've promised that the same violent clashed (in the 2014 incident) will not happen again this year.
The Vietnamese police has began investigation in order to pinpoint and apprehend the individuals who fanned up the protest. However, local Taiwanese businessmen said that the current strikes are aimed not only to the new economics regulations, but also against the government's new internet safety regulations. They believe the strikes won't be quelled any time soon.