Liability for Pollution Damage in Vedan Vietnam Case

Main Article Content

Alexandre Nikolaevich Chitov

บทคัดย่อ

The article examines the landmark Vietnamese case of environmental pollution caused by a foreign investor: Vedan Vietnam. The author examines various regimes of environmental liability in Vietnamese law in the context of this case: criminal law regime, administrative law regime, and civil law regime. Criminal law has a very limited applicability to environmental crimes. This case suggests that Vietnam authorities prefer to use administrative mechanisms even in the most serious instances of environmental crime.

Article Details

บท
บทความวิชาการ

References

“875 Can Gio households to get Vedan compensation” - Official News Release on 19.01.2011. Available on line: http://www.monre.gov.vn/v35/default.aspx?tabid=675&CateID=58&ID=95276&Code=A8TUZ95276 (Accessed on 13.04.2011)

Article 10 Article 7 of the Decree N0 81/2006/ND-CP (9th of August, 2006)

Article 183 of Penal Code. English translation of the Code is available on line: http://www.worldlii.org/vn/legis/pc66.txt (Accessed on 21.10.2010)

Bankowski, Z. “Law, love and computers” in: 1 Edinburgh L. Rev. 25 (1996-1997); Riles, A. “New agenda for the cultural study of law: taking on the technicalities” in: 53 Buff. L. Rev. 973 (2005-2006)

Brickey K. “Environmental Crime at the Crossroads: The Intersection of Environmental and Criminal Law Theory” in: 71 Tul. L. Rev. 487 (1996-1997)

Chapter XXI of Vietnamese Civil Code 2005. Unofficial English translation is available on line: http://mirrors.creativecommons.org/international/vn/civil-code-2005-(English).pdf (Accessed on 16.04.2011)

Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China 1979, 1997, 2011 English translation is available at: http://www.cecc.gov/resources/legal-provisions/criminal-law-of-the-peoples-republic-of-china (Accessed on 29.04.2016)

“Dong Nai polluter still discharging wastewater” – Official News Release on 30/10/2008. Available on line: http://www.monre.gov.vn/monrenet/default.aspx?tabid=259&idmid=&ItemID=53686 (Accessed on 08.04.2011)

“Dong Nai polluter still discharging wastewater” – Official News Release on 30/10/2008. Available on line: http://www.monre.gov.vn/monrenet/default.aspx?tabid=259&idmid=&ItemID=53686 (Accessed on 08.04.2011)

“Environment Dept. asks Vedan to compensate over 1,200 households” – Official News Release on 25.03.2010. Available on line: http://www.monre.gov.vn/v35/default.aspx?tabid=675&CateID=58&ID=81876&Code=R4HII81876 (Accessed on 13.04.2011).

For the administrative fines in the high profile case of Taiwan’s Formosa Plastics Group see: Chabba S. “Formosa Fined $500 Million For Vietnam's Environmental Disaster” International Business Times. 06/30/2016 http://www.ibtimes.com/formosa-fined-500-million-vietnams-environmental-disaster-2388515 (Accessed on 21.11.2016)

Giang Phuong. Pollution : Vedan Vietnam sera punie - 18/09/2008 http://lecourrier.vnagency.com.vn/default.asp?xt=xt36&page=newsdetail&newsid=45655 (Accessed on 21.10.2010)

Gillespie J. et al. Legal Reforms in China and Vietnam: a Comparison of Asian Communist Regimes Taylor & Francis, 2010. P. 20.

“Government slaps $7.72m fine on MSG maker Vedan” - Official News Release on 08/10/2008. Available on line http://www.monre.gov.vn/v35/default.aspx?tabid=675&CateID=58&ID=52106&Code=IJSIT52106 (Accessed on 12.04.2011)

He, Peng. "Communicative Lawmaking in China." Chinese Lawmaking: From Non-communicative to Communicative. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2014. 141-156.

Hoang, Van Hai, et al. "Current Issues of Environmental Management in Vietnam: The Case of VEDAN Vietnam (特集 モノづくりと環境のマネジメント (2))." 日本情報経営学会誌 33.1 (2012): 199-209. P. 206.

Law on Environmental Protection 2014, No. 55/2014/HQ13 English translation available at http://www.ilo.org/dyn/legosh/en/f?p=14100:503:15284832653628::NO:503:P503_REFERENCE_FILE_ID:172934:NO

Law on Protection of the Environment, 2005. No. 52/2005-QH11.

Law on Protection of the Environment. 2014. No. 55/2014/QH13.

Law on Protection of the Environment. 2014. No. 55/2014/QH13.

Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. “A fine up to 2 billion VND for administrative violations in the field of environment protection” 01/16/2014.

Moon, Don. "Neither Reluctant nor Aggressive Legalism: East Asian Countries under the World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Mechanism." Pacific Focus 28.1 (2013): 62-98.

“Most Dong Nai farmers accept Vedan’s compensation” – Official News Release on 31/08/2010. Available on line: http://vea.gov.vn/en/news/news/Pages/MostDongNaifarmersacceptVedan%E2%80%99scompensation.aspx (Accessed on 13.04.2011)

“NA discuss changes to Penal Code 2015.” Vietnam News. October, 27/2016 http://vietnamnews.vn/politics-laws/345157/na-discuss-changes-to-penal-code-2015.html#zdsKA97UdLEqE6aM.97 (Accessed on 01.12.2016)

Nguyen Cong Long. “Penal liability of legal entities under revised Penal Code: an initial analysis” Vietnam Law and Legal Forum Magazine. 25/12/2015 http://vietnamlawmagazine.vn/penal-liability-of-legal-entities-under-revised-penal-code-an-initial-analysis-5150.html (Accessed on 01.12.2016)

Nguyen Thi Kim Thai “Hazardous industrial waste management in Vietnam: current status and future direction” in: J Mater Cycles Waste Manag (2009) 11:258-262.

Oakes, J. “The judicial role in environmental law” in: 52 N.Y.U. L. Rev. 498 (1977)

Odell A., Castillo M. “Vietnam in a Nutshell: An Historical, Political and Commercial Overview” in: International Law Practicum Autumn, 2008. P. 82.

“Polluter Vedan offers lower compensation, ministry asks for PM’s instruction” – Official News Release on 11.06. 2010. Available on line: http://www.monre.gov.vn/v35/default.aspx?tabid=675&CateID=58&ID=86209&Code=3Y3LE86209 (Accessed on 13.04.2011)

“Pollution report ordered to push Vedan to compensate” – Official News Release on 18. 06. 2009 Available on line: http://www.monre.gov.vn/v35/default.aspx?tabid=675&CateID=58&ID=67218&Code=FA39F67218 (Accessed on 13.04.2011)

Quitzow, Rainer, Holger Bär, and Klaus Jacob. "Asia at a crossroads: new trends in environmental governance in India, China, Vietnam and Indonesia." 9th International Conference of the European Society for Ecological Economics. 2011.

Rapport de la Cour populaire suprême du Vietnam sur le droit pénal de l’environnement 2008. – Available on line: http://www.ahjucaf.org/spip.php?article6787 (Accessed on 21.10.2010)

Rapport de la Cour populaire suprême du Vietnam sur le droit pénal de l’environnement 2008. – Available on line: http://www.ahjucaf.org/spip.php?article6787 (Accessed on 21.10.2010)

See the Decree No 117/2009/ND-CP and the Decree No. 179/2013/ND-CP.

Shytov, Alexander. "Environmental Crime and Communication to the Public in China." Journal of Chinese Political Science (2016): 1-19.

“Southern farmers will meet Taiwanese polluter in court” – News Report 09/08/2010 – At: http://vea.gov.vn/en/news/news/Pages/SouthernfarmerswillmeetTaiwanesepolluterincourt.aspx (Accessed on 07.04.2011).

Suiwah Leung et al. Globalization and Development in the Mekong Economies - Edward Elgar Publishing, 2010. P. 184.

Thai, Nguyen Thi Kim. "Hazardous industrial waste management in Vietnam: current status and future direction." Journal of material cycles and waste management 11.3 (2009): 258-262.

The summery of the facts are at Hoang, Van Hai, et al. "Current Issues of Environmental Management in Vietnam: The Case of VEDAN Vietnam (特集 モノづくりと環境のマネジメント (2))." 日本情報経営学会誌 33.1 (2012): 199-209.

“Tougher punishments for environmental violations” – Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Government Web Portal – 08.01.2010 - http://news.gov.vn/Home/Tougher-punishments-for-environmental-violations/20101/5941.vgp

Unraveling the Worldwide Pollution Haven Effect. World Bank Publications, 2006. Siebert H. Economics of the Environment: Theory and Policy. Springer, 2008. P. 185.

“Vedan capitulates, will compensate aqua-culturists in full” – Official News Release on 11/08/2010. Available on line: http://vea.gov.vn/en/news/news/Pages/Vedancapitulates,willcompensateaqua-culturistsinfull.aspx (Accessed on 06.02.2011)

“Vedan sees no material impact on operations from Vietnam fine” – Official News Release on 10/10/2008. Available on line: http://www.itpc.gov.vn/investors/news/2008/10/2008-10-10.830056/MISNews_view?b_start:int=20&set_language=en (Accessed on 11.04.2011)

Viet Nam News. “3,000 pollution cases end in fines” June, 12/2010 http://vietnamnews.vn/politics-laws/law-justice/200493/3000-pollution-cases-end-in-fines.html#7wfERsR4xW8Tc2Ru.97

Vietnam Ecology & Nature Protection Handbook - World Strategic and Business Information Library- Int'l Business Publications, 2007

VietNamNet Bridge “Firms continue to pollute despite fines and penalties” 29/12/2014 http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/environment/119015/firms-continue-to-pollute-despite-fines-and-penalties.html (Accessed on 21.11.2016)

Vu Xuan Nguyet Hong et al. Sustainable Development Impacts of Investment Incentives: A Case Study of the Mining Industry in Vietnam - International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2009. – P. 4. Available on line: http://www.tradeknowledgenetwork.net/pdf/sd_incentives_vietnam.pdf (Accessed on 21.10.2010)