Tri Ton Penalizes Two Households for Illegally Carving Up Protected Forest for Tourist Site

Authorities in Tri Ton, An Giang Province, have fined two households for damaging protected forest and building an unauthorized tourist site at Ta Pa Mountain.

The local People’s Committee said on September 5 that Nô Thái H. was fined 4 million Vietnamese dong for converting protected forest land to non-agricultural use without permission. He also built an unauthorized yard and rooftop structure covering about 185 square meters in plot 7 of subdivision 22 in the Ta Pa protected forest area.

Thạch G., from Hoa Binh Commune in Ca Mau Province, was fined 7.5 million dong for converting protected forest land to non-residential non-agricultural use. He built an unauthorized yard, rooftop structure and concrete road covering more than 721 square meters in the same area.

Tri Ton authorities ordered G. to remedy the damage and restore the land to its original condition. If he fails to comply within 10 days of the decision being signed, the authorities said they will enforce the order.

The two households operated the Lưng Chừng coffee shop, which had become an emerging illegal tourist destination attracting young visitors who came to photograph the rolling clouds and mountain scenery of An Giang’s Seven Mountains region.