Illegal gold mine

Illegal gold miners are destroying forests in their quest for the previous metal.

The miners are being paid VND130,000 a month to dig the mountain, with bonuses if gold is found.

“I’m from Kbang and do not have land for cultivation,” said a gold miner. “My wife and children are often ill and cannot earn money. I do hope that I can find gold and sell for money to repair our house. I’m really afraid of an accident but I have no choice."

Nguyen Thanh Tam, deputy head of the township’s office for natural resources and environment, said 18 illegal gold mines had been found, but did not know how much gold had been extracted.

Senior Lieutenant-Colonel Vu Gia Long, the deputy chief of the Ayun Pa Commune’s police, said most of the miners came from outside the area and it was hard to identify them if they are caught, which is rarely.

“It takes us two to three days for a patrol, so it gives gold miners enough time to run away when we arrive,” Long said. “We’ve proposed that the local military use landmines to destroy these illegal gold operations, but they have yet to approve.”