Hanoi - Reuters February 8, 2001 - Two key coffee growing provinces in Vietnam's central highlands were tense on Wednesday February 7, 2001 after several days of sometimes violent land and rights protests by thousands of ethnic minority people.

 The protests in Daklak and Gia Lai provinces were the biggest known for years in tightly controlled communist Vietnam and a Western diplomat in Hanoi quoted authoritative Vietnamese sources as saying the army had been put on "high alert" to deal with any escalation.

 "It shows they're worried," the diplomat said.

 A resident of Buon Ma Thuot, capital of Daklak, said the town was calm after weekend protests but neighboring districts of Buon Don, Ea Sup and Ea H'leo were tense, and helicopters had circled the area for several days. "It seems like the calm before the storm," he said.

 "On Tuesday February 6, 2001, the ethnic minority people attacked the Post Office in Ea H'leo and destroyed the telephone switchboard.

 "People in the districts are sleeping badly, fearing attack, and roads to Gia Lai and elsewhere are still dangerous as (protesters) have been stopping cars and beating travelers."

 He said members of the Vietnamese majority blamed for land enroachment had been singled out for attack and police had set up road blocks to prevent minority people entering more populated areas.

 Residents said the protests started in Pleiku, capital of Gia Lai on Friday February 2, 2001, where there were some violent clashes between police and demonstrators, who shouted minority slogans. They spread south to Daklak the following day.

 Residents said the Pleiku protest involved several thousand people and diplomats cited reports saying they appeared well organized. Residents said the protesters had mobile phone to help organize the demonstrations.

 After a long silence, the Foreign Ministry Press Department issued a brief statement, saying "some" people had gathered in front of Gia Lai People's Committee on January 29 after the arrest of two locals but had dispersed now they had been freed.

 A police officer in Buon Ma Thuot said the town was now calm. "There may still be problems in some villages, but we have sent our people to tighten control."

 He said protesters blocked National Road 14 between Buon Ma Thuot and neighboring Gia Lai province for two hours on Monday morning February 5, 2001 and cut telephone lines.
 
 

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