On April 8, the People’s Committee of Mui Ne Ward announced an administrative fine of 3.5 million VND (approximately 140 USD) against Tran Ngoc M., a 36-year-old resident of Suoi Nuoc neighborhood, for improper disposal of solid waste, as defined under Point a, Clause 8, Article 26 of Government Decree No. 45/2022 on environmental protection.

In addition to the fine, M. has been ordered to restore the affected beach area to its original environmental condition.

The incident came to light after a foreign tourist filmed and shared a video online, showing a man in a uniform - believed to belong to a local resort - digging a hole on the beach and burying collected waste directly into the sand.

The footage quickly went viral, drawing strong criticism from both Vietnamese citizens and the international tourism community. Many expressed concern that such actions not only harm the environment but also damage the reputation of Mui Ne as a travel destination, particularly among foreign visitors.

During questioning by authorities, M. admitted that he had been hired by a local tourism business to clean the beach, but instead of properly disposing of the waste, he chose to bury it on site.

He acknowledged his wrongdoing and pledged not to repeat the offense.

Quang Hung