Public opinion on the death of Major General and 11 other senior military officials in Rao Trang 3 Hydropower Plant

The incident at Rao Tranh 3, Phong Xuan commune, Phong Dien district, Thua Thien Hue province, has aroused special public interest in recent days.

Thoibao.de noted many conflicting sources and comments related to this incident. In particular, the rescue incident caused 13 deaths, including 12 middle and senior army officers and two officials at the district and provincial level. The chief of the rescue team, Major General Nguyen Van Man, a deputy commander of Military Region 4 also died in this incident.

Countless comments of condolence for 13 people died, considering this as the sacrifice for the people for the country.

However, the rare information and some photos in the newspaper also caused some people to question the property of Gen. Man, when the pictures show that the gate and fence of his private residence are too luxurious as well as his vila and wooden chairs extremely expensive  in his house.

Relatives and subordinate officers of Major General Nguyen Van Man waiting at his private house at Nam Ly ward, Dong Hoi city, Quang Binh province

Some people inquired about the cause of the flash flood and landslides that the newspapers have talked about for many years, that is the deforestation for hydropower but are fully licensed by the government.

Choping down 200 ha of forest-reservation areas to build three hydropower plants named Rao Trang 3, Rao Trang 4 and Alin

Three hydropower plants are located in the core zone, one is located in the ecological rehabilitation zone of Phong Dien reservation forest. Hydropower work has taken 200 ha of reservation forest, affecting not only conservation and biodiversity but also negative impacts on the geomorphology and geology here. In 2016 and 2017, over 63 hectares of forest were cut down, of which about 40 hectares of forest with timber with volume of collection was 349 cubic meters. Among the above areas, Phong Dien Nature Reserve lost nearly 30 hectares of natural forest to build hydropower plants Alin B2 and Rao Trang 3 … The press warned about the destruction of the forest environment in this area from many years ago, now the incident happened as an inevitable law of cause and effect.

Regarding the deforestation in the Central region, entrepreneur Le Hoai Anh made a comment:

Why do I call for national mourning for the people in the Central region, the soldiers who died? Let leaders see clearly the harmful effects of deforestation and the destruction of nature by their Party interest groups!

Among dead army officers, netizens stirred a lot of information (unconfirmed) that they have stakes in the local hydroelectricity in the Central region. I think if the information is true, then there is the law of Cause and Effect for them only.”

What taken from forest is paid with high price

The first destroys forest, the second destroys river

Our country is basically out of the forest, I have traveled all over the country to see that our country has basically destroyed most of the forests, including rainforests. It is fair to say that even the people also destroy forests by burning forests for slash-and-burn cultivation …

Of course, the interest groups and the powerful have the speed of destruction, the area they destroy is much faster and wider. They not only deforest, but also cast mountains, crush nature reserves, protective forests, and scenic spots for hydroelectricity, build villas, palaces, resorts, and resorts for spiritual purposes.

For their sake, they cut down their misguided planning without mercy on this country, regardless of the consequences they have been causing to their fellow citizens for their miserable people,” Ms. Le Hoai Anh stated her opinion.

Photo 2: Vietnam’s forest area narrowed from 1943 to 1997

Regarding news related to Gen. Man, activist Thao Teresa from Hanoi, commented:

In the picture are people waiting for news in front of Major General Nguyen Van Man’s gate.

Firstly, condolences to the families. After that, I found Gen. Man’s mansion was so beautiful, maybe ordinary people could not have from three generations. Gen. Man’s brother sat on a chair sized several billion to wait for his brother’s news and he looked pity. I don’t know where the money came from, but the Deputy Commander has such a big house.

Out of 13 people who died, all of them are senior officials, only 1 reporter followed the team. Any soldier in the team! The major general and his subordinates died suddenly like this, the wealth was left for their children to enjoy,” said Mrs. Thao Teresa.

Poet Do Trung Quan’s question on Facebook is also receiving mixed comments.

I am not interested in this case so I can’t answer this question. However, it is a good question.”

What do you think if they died not because of trying to rescue others in the storm but going to check their property in the hydropower plants? Why the registered address of the hydropower plant’s investor is Gen. Man’s address?”

The public opinion said that it was very strange that the rescue team consists of a major general and ten high-ranking officers. What does the hydropower plant have so high-ranking army officers tried to rescue,” Facebook Nguyen The Huy asked, and Facebooker Đề Đốc Hộ Thành replied, “The investors were visiting their assets.”

Although there is not enough specific evidence, many people share speculation that military officers and local officials have shares in the Rao Trang 3 Hydropower Plant and that is the reason why the major general and other high-ranking officers personally visited the site to visit their property, because their lack of professionalism and lack of skills of the rescue team is a very big question, but the mainstream press dare not bring this issue to analysis.

Major General Nguyen Van Man (the second one from the right) before going to the rescue on October 11

An article shared by thousands of Facebook Bui Van Thuan with the title Questions and Doubts, the content is as follows:

If you have experience watching television, reading the Party newspaper and seeing the reality of flood and storm prevention, rescue and rescue work, you all know: District, provincial or central officials, and high-ranking military officers just go to the periferia of the incident but not in the epicenter. After formal visits, they will return to the local headquarters to enjoy parties.

The prevention, rescue, and rescue work is done only by subordinates and soldiers. That is the reality of recent decades. But Major General Nguyen Van Man’s team of the missing group included the entire leader: There were 7 officers from Military Region 4, 1 from the General Staff, 3 from the Military Command of Thua Thien-Hue province, and the Chairman of the People’s Committee of Phong Dien district, 1 reporter of the province’s news agency. Among the eight people who escaped was a vice chairman of the province’s People’s Committee.

The question is: Why did this group of cadres rush into the flooded and landslide forest area? According to common sense, the party-state officials and high-ranking officers or generals more were scared to death, dared not let their hands and feet get caught in the rain or mud, let alone drag each other into the landslide rain forest.

So in doubt? I have doubts and guesses to confirm: for sure the rescue team members have shares in those hydroelectric projects.”

The Rao Trang 3 and 4 Hydropower Project is licensed by Thua Thien-Hue province to build between primary forests and protective forests. According to the personal speculation of the old man: The factories are held by many local officials and generals like Man.

One thing few people notice: Hydropower projects in addition to selling electricity can also sell forests, sell wood and especially sell minerals such as gold and precious metals. When building and dredging rivers, the amount of gold they collected is much more than we think.

And the Rao Trang 3 hydropower area is a region with gold and many precious metals, please see and learn from Vietnam’s mineral distribution and you can understand.

Rao Trang 3 Hydropower Plant has completed 90% of the work volume

How can hydroelectricity be easily licensed between special-use forests, primary forests, and protective forests if the plant is not of military officers and cadres?

How can the officials of the district, the province, the highest officers in the province, the head of the military zone grant such “rescue” jungle practice? Soldiers and low-ranking officers are in bulk, they are stronger, faster, and will cross terrain, storms, and floods much easier than high-ranking officers and generals. Why the delegation consists of high-ranking officers?” Facebook Bui Van Thuan raised the question.

About the original investor of Rao Trang 3 Hydropower is traced by the press, the starting point is Truong Son Construction Consultancy Company Limited. Its director is Nguyen Dai Loi, 55, was said to have used to organize 3 dozen thugs to slash the villagers because villagers blocked the pull of the wire of the company. This incident was like a battle that caused panic in Quang Binh, but after that Loi was given “medical treatment” on bail, the incident was immediately ignored by the local authorities. It was just as Loi patted his chest before waving his army to kill the villagers “we are not afraid of the law” and called on the group of “thugs” to keep slashing and hitting “if anyone dies, then pay.”

Later, Nguyen Dai Thanh, a son of Loi, became a representative of Truong Son Company.

Nguyen Dai Loi and Nguyen Dai Thanh are neighbors of Major General Nguyen Van Man, deputy commander of Military Zone 4,” Facebook Bui Van Thuan added information.

Thoibao.de (Translated)

Kasse animation 7.8.2023