~ Le Vięt Nam, aujourd'hui. ~
The Vietnam News

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Illegal loggers attack forest rangers

HANOI - Four forest rangers and their two drivers were attacked by more than 50 illegal loggers in Vietnam's Central Highlands province of Gia Lai, officials said today. The attack occurred on Sunday in a forest in the Binh Giao commune of Chu Prong district after the rangers discovered a large pile of freshly cut logs, a provincial forest ranger said.

The rangers loaded the haul with a crane onto their truck but were then set upon by over 50 people, the majority of whom had covered their faces to protect their identities. The loggers attacked them with stones, sticks and knives in a bid to retrieve their timber, prompting the rangers to fire two warning shots, he said. The mob, however, then poured gasoline on the logs and set fire to them.

The truck driver and his assistant escaped in the truck with the burning logs in the back, while the four rangers fled in their jeep. None were seriously injured.

District police arrived at the scene two hours later but by then the group had disappeared. State media questioned Tuesday whether or not the loggers were under the protection of commune police. “We never inform the commune police before carrying out inspections or checks because the information is often leaked,” the ranger said, when asked to comment on the allegations.

Agence France Presse - November 04, 2003.