Nha Trang Bay tied to Khanh Hoa’s development plan
| 15:29' 28/05/2007 (GMT+7) | ||
Why does Khanh Hoa Province not want Nha Trang Bay recognised as a national landscape?
If Nha Trang Bay is recognised as a national landscape, every activity of repair and construction in protection zone 1 (strictly protected area) of the bay is banned under the Law on Cultural Heritage. Even the government doesn’t have the right to permit such activities.
The Khanh Hoa People’s Committee has reported to the provincial Party Committee about this case and the Khanh Hoa Party Committee has agreed to ask the Ministry of Culture and Information to withdraw Nha Trang Bay from the list of national landscape sites as this title may affect the development of the bay.
Is this decision one way of approving activities that could harm the scenery of Nha Trang bay?
Why harm the landscape? We aim to make it more beautiful, not destroy it. For example, islands in the bay now have wild trees only. We will replace wild trees by varieties of higher value. It is necessary and we will do so. Khanh Hoa will design a plan for the bay to attract tourists. Those tasks are necessary but under the Law on Cultural Heritage, they can’t be performed.
Is it a contradiction when the province’s policy is protecting the environment of Nha Trang Bay but plans to withdraw it from recognition as a natural landscape?
I don’t think it’s a contradiction. For example, if Hon Tre Island is left neglected, what is its value and who will visit it? But when the island has Vinapearl Land, it has become a destination of many visitors. Khanh Hoa has a plan for the bay and the Ministry of Culture and Information has agreed with the plan. But under the Law on Cultural Heritage, the ministry’s agreement is meaningless.
So Khanh Hoa is planning to destroy Hon Tam Island as it levelled Hon Tre and Vung Me islands?
We have already begun, but the works on Hon Tam Island haven’t been finished yet so how can we call it destruction? For example, they had to level Hon Tre Island to build Vinapearl Land, otherwise how could they grow trees, build the resort and entertainment centres? Here I want to talk about investment to improve the site, which needs levelling…But construction measures must be suitable to avoid destroying the ecological environment.
Construction activities on Hon Tam and Hon Tre islands, which are in protection zone 1, have violated the laws. What do you think about this?
The removal of Nha Trang Bay from the list of national landscapes must be approved by the Ministry of Culture and Information with an official decision. So frankly, construction activities in protection zone 1 since the Law on Cultural Heritage took effect are illegal but Khanh Hoa has a plan for the bay as I have said.
(Source: Tuoi Tre) |
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