VOA慢速英語：越南人因?yàn)轸~類神秘死亡舉行抗議活動

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Hundreds of people demonstrated in Vietnam onSunday against a company they accuse of killinglarge numbers of fish along the country’s centralcoast.

Some demonstrators criticized Vietnam’s government for reacting slowly to a major environmental disaster.

An official investigation has found no links between the fish kill and a steel plant operating along the coast. The factory belongs to a Taiwanese company, Formosa Plastics.

Public anger against the company was evident at the recent demon strationin Hanoi.

Protesters carried signs reading, “Formosa destroying the environment is a crime” and “Who poisoned the central region’s waters?” Others signs said, “Formosa out of Vietnam!” and criticized Vietnamese officials for failing to take action.

Demonstrations are rare in Vietnam. Police are usually quick to suppress them. Last weekend, police officers cleared traffic to let demonstratorsmarch near a big lake in the center of Hanoi.

Huge numbers of dead fish have appeared at fish farms and along the central coast since April 6. The dead fish include rare species that live indeep water, far from land.

The fish kill has affected 200 kilometers of coast land in four provinces, with no known cause.

At first, the environmental disaster was thought to have resulted from industrial waste. Some Vietnamese and environmental activists believe itcame from the huge steel plant.

Last week, Vietnamese officials said they failed to find evidence linking thefish kill to the factory.

Tran Hong Ha, the top environmental official, apologized for thegovernment’s reaction to the large fish kill. He demanded that theTaiwanese company dig up a waste pipe at the steel project so thegovernment can study the waste.

At first, the government said the cause of the fish kill could be a “red tide.”Red tides happen naturally when algae become so numerous that theydiscolor coastal waters. The organisms remove oxygen from the water.They can also release toxic substances that may sicken animals andhuman beings.

The government also said that the fish kill could have resulted fromchemicals released by humans.

A comment by a Formosa official helped to fuel public anger in Vietnam. The official reportedly said that the country had to choose between catchingfish and shrimp, and building a modern steel industry.

Reports on Facebook say several hundred protesters marched in Ho ChiMinh City. However, state-controlled media have yet to report on any of thedemonstrations.

Social media and witnesses said protests also took place in central Vietnamlast Friday. They said fishermen threw fish on a road after failing to sell their catch. The Reuters news service could not confirm the incident.

On Saturday, the government ordered the trade and agriculture ministries to help buy seafood caught during deep-sea fishing.

I’m Jonathan Evans.

Words in This Story

species – n. a particular group of things that belong together or have somes hared quality

toxin – n. a poisonous substance and especially one that is produced by a living thing

red tide – n. a discoloration of seawater caused by a bloom of toxic redorganisms

algae – n. simple plants that have no leaves or stems and that grow in ornear water