Quang Ninh’s Party Secretary threatened with assassination

11:40' 17/04/2008 (GMT+7)
Mr. Nguyen Duy Hung
VietNamNet Bridge – Party Secretary of the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh is now under local police’s 24/7 protection and transported by specialized car. Hung said the threat comes from illegal coal exploiters.
The official, Nguyen Duy Hung, received a mobile message on April 14, which says that illegal coal exploiters in Hon Gia, Quang Ninh, have hired gangsters to follow Hung’s every move and assassinate him.
According to Hung, illegal coal exploiters threaten him because of Quang Ninh’s campaign to combat illegal coal exploitation. Within three days, the local government seized up to 105 coal boats and more than 10,000 tons of illegally exploited coal. Around 200 other coal boats will be inspected.
The Party Secretary confirmed that despite the threat, there is no change in his family’s activities.
“My wife is quite worried. My children also know the threat. But I think the threat aims to make me pull back the campaign so I don’t worry,” Hung said.
However, the official reported the threat to the Ministry of Public Security. Local police have assigned bodyguards to protect Hung and his family 24/7 and carry the official from his house to office by specialized car.
On April 16, at a meeting with the Central Steering Board on Anti-corruption, Quang Ninh officials committed to fiercely combat illegal coal exploitation in the province.
There are different coal wharves and grounds owned by private firms in Quang Ninh. Some have used armed gangs to scramble for coal exploitation areas, etc., causing uncertainty in the province, illegal coal exploitation and exports.
China’s Guangxi reported the importation of 31 million tons of coal from Quang Ninh province last year, nearly double the official volume.