VietNamNet Bridge – Hundreds of people from Quang Cu commune of Sam Son town, Thanh Hoa province surrounded the headquarters of the Provincial People's Committee and the Provincial Party Committee for 11 days to protest a beach tourism project.

People began gathering around the government agencies of Thanh Hoa on February 26 to protest the provincial government’s decision on giving 3.5km of the coast in Quang Cu to the FLC Group to develop a tourism project, at a cost of VND315 billion ($15 million).

This project is expected to be completed in April to serve tourists in the summer 2016.

Local fishermen did not agree with the decision because the project will occupy the entire coast, including the wharf for fishing boats. They wanted at least 500m-1,000m coast left for fishing activities.

The local government promised to assist local fishermen to dismantle small fishing boats, to build larger boats and to change their jobs, but local people did not agree.

As hundreds of people flocked to Thanh Hoa City to surround the government agencies, the local government mobilized hundreds of mobile police to ensure security and order.

The local government also used loudspeakers to call for people to dismiss and to legally perform their rights of denouncement and lodging appeal.  

The Thanh Hoa Police Agency on March 5 said they began investigating the case of “causing social disorder” related to the gatherings.

Thanh Hoa officials will meet with fishermen today.